ARCO Gas Cards Review: Are They Right for Your Business?

ARCO will offer two fleet fuel cards in 2024. The main difference between the two is that one is a standard fuel card that’s only accepted at participating ARCO stations, and the other is a widely accepted Mastercard.

Since most ARCO stations are located on the West Coast and in the Midwest, it’s not going to be the best fuel card for truckers operating in other parts of the US. But, if your fleet does transport goods in and around one of these two regions, then stay tuned for a closer look at ARCO’s fees, discounts, network coverage, and more.

Fleet Fuel Cards Offered by ARCO

ARCO offers two fleet cards, the ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card and the ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard. Here’s an overview of what you get with each:

As you can see, the main difference between the two cards is that the ARCO Mastercard can be used at non-ARCO stations, and to pay for maintenance services on top of gas.

Other than that, both cards share the following features:

• Security: Card requires driver ID and odometer to make a purchase, and a lost card can be deactivated straight away
• Reporting and tracking: access spending and exception reports online and track by vehicle, driver, or odometer
• Purchase restrictions: Set purchase restrictions on individual cards (dollar or gallon limits)

We’ll discuss both fleet fuel cards in a little more detail in the following sections.

ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Pros & Cons

Here are the main pros and cons of ARCO’s fuel cards:

ARCO Fuel Cards Reviewed

In this section, we’ll take a closer look at both of the cards ARCO currently provides, as well as the rewards and discounts on offer for customers.

ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card

The ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card can only be used at ARCO stations, which can be restrictive given that there are only 1,500, and that they’re concentrated on the West Coast and in the Midwest. You can also only use the card to pay for gas, and not additional fuel-related expenses, further limiting its scope.

Rewards and Discounts

With the ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card, you get a 15¢ per gallon gas rebate for the first three months of using the card. After this period, you might still be eligible for rebates, but how much you’ll save on gas isn’t something ARCO discloses.

Their discounts system mainly relies on the fact that ARCO stations offer affordable, high-quality gas, so you’ll save by using them exclusively.

ARCO Business Solutions MasterCard

Where Are ARCO Stations Located?

ARCO has a network of 1,500 gas stations, across 15 states, although most are concentrated on the West Coast and in the Midwest.

Here’s the full list of states with ARCO stations: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Stations tend to be clustered on or near the interstates, especially the I-5 and 505, I-80 and 280, I-15 and I-40, but also extend to US Highways such as 50 and 395, and major state highways like the 99 in California.

You can find ARCO stations using the ARCO app, although users have reported inaccuracies with the distancing. Alternatively, you can use the ARCO Station Locator, available on the ARCO website.

ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Additional Fees

There are a few additional fees to watch out for on both of ARCO’s fleet fuel cards. We’ve already mentioned the $2 per transaction out-of-network fee on the ARCO Mastercard – which is in line with competitors like Chevron and Texaco, who also charge for this on their fuel cards. Here are some fees that apply to both cards:

• High credit risk account fee: if your account is deemed to be high risk, you’ll pay “Risk-based Pricing”, which is 2% of your account’s credit or spend limit per month
• Late payment fee: if your payment is late, you’ll pay a fee of $75 or 12.25% of the new balance

You’ll have to pay Risk-based Pricing if your consumer credit score is below 670, or your commercial credit score is below 600, 12 months after you set up your account. You also risk paying it if you receive two or more late payment fees in a 12-month rolling period.

You can cancel your account with ARCO anytime, so there are no contract termination fees, but you will need to pay any outstanding fees or bills.

Who Are ARCO’s Fleet Fuel Cards For?

Both of ARCO’S fleet fuel cards are best suited to small, regional fleets, located on the West Coast or in the Midwest. This is mainly because ARCO’s network coverage is restricted to these regions, and so larger fleets that regularly complete long-haul trips will find ARCO’s cards too inconvenient.

The ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard does afford a greater degree of freedom since it can be used outside the ARCO network. However, the extra fees this incurs make regularly using non-ARCO stations an expensive activity, so you’re better off sticking to ARCO stations.

If you need a fleet fuel card with wide coverage, we recommend looking at our list of the best fleet fuel cards. You’ll find large providers like ExxonMobil on there, which offers a BusinessPro Card with 95% nationwide coverage. Or, you can head straight to our review of ExxonMobil fleet fuel cards.

Our Methodology: How Did We Find the Best Fuel Cards?

At Expert Market, we conduct extensive product research to ensure we’re presenting our readers with accurate and useful information.

Recently, we completed a research project focused on the US fleet fuel card industry, which involved grading a range of top providers with an evaluative framework we designed in-house, which includes over 60 different parameters. Broadly, we focused on the following areas of investigation:

• How convenient is it to use, and what’s the network coverage?
• How expensive is it, and does it have any additional fees?
• What extra benefits and discounts do you receive from using it?
• Can it be used for fuel or fleet-related purchases, and not just gas?
• How helpful is it for managing fuel expenses?
• What can it do to ensure your company’s funds are secure?