BP Business Solutions Fuel Cards Review: Are They Right for Your Fleet?

BP is one of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world – but how do its fleet card programs stack up?

What Are BP’s Fleet Cards’ Features and Benefits?

BP Business Solutions Universal Fuel card	BP Business Solutions Fuel Plus card
Can be used at stations that accept MasterCard – that’s 175,000 locations across the US	Can be used at BP stations – that’s around 7,500 locations in the US

✓ Save on fuel costs

One of the features that crowns BP as one of the best fuel card providers for truckers is that when your drivers use the cards to buy fuel at BP stations, you’ll earn monthly rebates on the cost.

If your fleet runs on gasoline, you’ll save more as you buy more:

But you won’t benefit from this sliding scale if your vehicles are diesel-powered – as rebates on diesel costs are capped at 3.5¢:

We know what you’re thinking – So I’ll make money by spending money? What’s the catch? Well, here it is – you’ll only get these rebates when your drivers fill up at BP stations, even if they hold the Universal Fuel card.

Plus, this benefit won’t be of much use to smaller fleets – sadly, only those that buy 300 gallons or more each month are eligible for rebates.

✓ View real-time activity data

Using BP’s online portal, you can keep an eye on the purchases your drivers are using their fleet cards to make – in real-time, 24/7. You’ll be able to look at account information whenever you want, and create reports by driver, vehicle, exception, MPG, and more.

As well as drastically cutting down your admin time, BP’s reporting will also enable you to keep an eye on fuel usage and vehicle performance – empowering you to start cutting back on unnecessary costs.

✓ Customize purchase controls

Not only can you use BP’s online portal to monitor your drivers’ card usage, you can also use it to set limits on spending. Here’s what you can do:

• Decide whether your cards can be used to buy fuel only, or to buy other gas station services and products, too
• Restrict the amount that can be spent each day, week, or month, on a card-by-card basis
• Set alerts for purchases that are made outside of business hours

Plus, with BP’s fleet cards, security is as much a priority as flexibility. Odometer readings and driver IDs are required for each purchase, so you’ll know your cards aren’t being used by the wrong people.

How Much Do BP Fleet Cards Cost?

Depending on how much fuel your fleet uses each month, you might be subject to a service charge from BP in order to use its fleet cards:

$10 certainly isn’t going to break the bank – and BP’s spending controls and reporting functions are likely to help you cut down on fuel costs in a big way anyway.

Aside from the account fee, you mat also be subject to a late fee. This is typically $75 or 5% of the new balance (whichever is higher). There is also an annual fee of $120.

Other fees you could be subject to include a charge of $75 or 9.99% of the new balance (whichever is higher) if your account is high risk.

An EFT setup will cost $50 and a returned payment fee can cost up to $50.

If you want to learn more about the fleet card pricing options available to you, we can help. Simply tell us about your fleet using our quick form, and you’ll receive tailored quotes from trusted fleet card providers that can cater to your needs.

Are BP’s Fleet Cards Right for My Business?

Could one of BP’s fleet cards be right for your business? Let’s find out:

“I manage a small fleet”

Either of BP’s cards could be a good fit for you. Both come with features that’ll help you save money and time – two precious small business resources – by cutting out unnecessary purchases and eliminating the need for time-sucking admin tasks like filing receipts and reimbursing your drivers.

If your drivers are consistently within reach of BP stations, you might decide to look into the Fuel Plus card. If not, the Universal Fuel card is the better option from BP.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that, if your business uses less than 300 gallons of fuel each month, you won’t earn any rebates on fuel costs. And, if you buy less than 5,000 gallons of fuel per month (which is likely), you’ll need to pay that $10 monthly fee. If saving as much cash as possible is important to you, you might want to cross BP off your list of potential providers.

“I manage a medium to large-sized fleet”

Unless there are BP stations in all the locations your fleet operates, it’s likely that BP’s Universal Fuel card will be the better option for your business – especially if your drivers travel coast to coast or border to border.

Rather than limiting you to BP stations only, this card can be used at any station that accepts MasterCard – which amounts to 175,000 locations across the country. It’s worth remembering, though, that you won’t benefit from any fuel cost rebates when you use a station that isn’t BP.

If your business buys 5,000 gallons (or more) of fuel each month, there’s even more of an incentive to join a BP fleet card program, as your monthly fee will be waived.

“My fleet operates in a particular part of the US”

While the Universal Fuel card has great coverage across the majority of the US, whether or not your drivers will be able to use the Fuel Plus card – which can only be used at BP stations – will depend on where your fleet is based.

If your fleet operates in the West of the US, BP is a good option as it has a large station coverage. Delivery companies, taxi firms, and other fleets that operate within the boundaries of a city are a good match for BP.

If you’re down South, it’s worth being aware that there are no BP stations in Texas or Oklahoma, while Louisiana boasts just one. Elsewhere in the South, though, you’ll find plenty of places to fill up on BP gas.

In short, if you’re based in any of the places where BP stations are lacking, you should consider the Universal Fuel card – or different fleet card supplier.

Which Other Fleet Card Programs Could I Consider?

To help you make the right decision for your business, we’ve reviewed a variety of US fleet card providers – why not check out some of our other reviews to investigate your options?

Our Methodology: How Did We Do Our Research?

Five researchers carried out in-depth research into US fleet cards according to a comparison framework designed by our research team leader. For each card we’ve asked these questions:

• How convenient is it to use?
• How helpful is it for managing fuel expenses?
• What can it do to ensure your company’s funds are secure?
• What extra benefits do you receive from using it?

We’ve also broken down each card by fee structure, fuel type, network coverage and more to offer you the easiest choice.