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10Fuel cards help save you time and money & offer a variety of benefits, but are you getting everything you should be? Here are the top 10 things a fuel card should give you. How many are you getting?

100% VAT Compliance

Fuel cards make it easier to claim VAT back. You should get an itemised, HMRC approved, VAT invoice without the need to keep receipts or log transactions manually. The invoices should show exactly what has been purchased, when and where it was purchased including the type of fuel and the cost of each transaction with the VAT breakdown.

Control of your fuel purchases

You should be able to lock down your fuel cards to certain purchase options. This could be diesel only, fuel only or fuel and specific vehicle related goods like oil. These purchase restrictions give you greater control over what your drivers buy and help keep your costs down. It also gives you the peace of mind that you staff aren’t hiding things like their lunch or chocolate bars in their fuel expense claims.

An easier life for you

Your fuel card should make your day a little easier. You should be able to easily and accurately report on your business fuel usage, you shouldn’t have to worry about your staff filling up your vehicles, or their private vehicles and you shouldn’t spend hours poring over receipts to make sure you claim all of your VAT back. You should be using a fuel card that simplifies your admin tasks and saves your business money.

A tailored solution

One size doesn’t fit all. Your fuel card supplier should be able to offer you a range of fuel card products. Some businesses are more suited to a locked down network of low price, local fuel stations, other fleets need the flexibility of a nationwide network – and a lot of businesses need both.

Free extras

Some additional services might cost you money, but there are some you should expect as part of the package. These include reporting on fuel usage, mileage reporting & tracking, online account management and access to 24/7, helpful customer service.

More than just a card

Your fuel card supplier should be able to offer you extra products to make your business more efficient. Look for systems that link into your fuel card, such as vehicle rental & expenses systems.

Things your fuel card should give you.

VAT INVOICE

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Savings

Fuel cards should save you money – it’s one of the main reasons people choose to use them. Whether it’s savings made by making your fleet more efficient (limiting deviation off route by offering a large & convenient fuelling network) or a saving per litre (offering access to lower cost fuel stations or fixing the fuel price), or a reduced administrative burden, your fuel card should reduce your business costs.

Access to the right fuel stations

The network of fuel stations you use should work for you and for your drivers. It should offer the right balance of easy access for your staff and the right fuel cost for your business. Make sure you are using a fuel card network not a credit card network. That way you will get all the control and detailed information you need to be certain that your drivers are only purchasing what they should be and that you can claim back all your VAT.

Staff benefits

Fuel cards are designed to make life easier for everyone involved, and that includes your staff. Make sure their fuel card is easy to use and if they claim for business mileage, make sure they don’t have to spend hours filing their expenses each month. Let your fuel card do the work for them, it should collate all their transactions and link into your expenses system automatically.

Accurate reporting

This should be quick and easy, you should be able to access your transaction data any time you want and schedule reports to save you time. You shouldn’t be spending your time checking that your staff have handed in all their receipts and that they match what you have in your spreadsheet. You should have confidence in the data your fuel card provider gives you and you should be able to use this data to save your business money and avoid you falling out with HMRC.

Email: fuelcardsales@allstarcard.co.uk Phone Number & Address: 0845 266 5101 Allstar Business Solutions Ltd PO Box 1463, Windmill Hill, Swindon SN5 6PS Date: May 2014

For more information on Allstar fuel cards please visit www.AllstarCard.co.uk