How To Get A Business Fuel Card Without A Credit Check

You may want to score bulk discounts on fuel with a small business fleet card – but you know your credit score isn't where it needs to be. Well, we're happy to share with you the best business fuel cards where no credit check is needed.

While a less-than-perfect credit score is going to rope off some of the most generous fleet card offers, there are still plenty of appealing deals open to you.

As a rule of thumb, major fleet card providers are looking for a FICO credit score of at least 580. If that's way off base for you, we can suggest some other options for managing fuel spend. We'll even throw in some fuel saving advice for you, as well.

Is it possible to get a fuel card without a credit check?

The short and sweet answer: yes. Although a lot of conventional fuel cards will put you through a credit check to assess how financially robust your business is, there are exceptions to this rule. One workaround is to choose from our recommended best prepaid fuel cards.

What is a prepaid fuel card?

A prepaid fuel card is loaded up with funds, either by top up online or on smartphone. In this way, a prepaid fleet fuel card acts more like a gift card

These fuel cards need no credit check and will usually only require an ID verification before issuing. Just keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily a great option for companies that don’t have a lot of cash reserves available. This is because you’ll constantly need to top up your card to ensure that your business can carry on as usual.

What are some examples of prepaid fuel cards?

The Shell Refillable Fuel Card allows you to load up to $300 on it. You can check your balance or top up online at any time. The downside is you can only use it at Shell gas stations, so acceptance isn't as widespread as the WEX Fleet Card. Find out more about its pros and cons in our Shell fuel card review.

An option better suited to smaller fleets with local routes is the ARCO PumpPASS. You load up between $10 and $100 per card, and pay at the pump (where accepted) or at the cash register.

Which other fuel cards don't need credit checks?

Business debit cards need no credit check. We recommend the Bento for Business debit card, as it lets you track fuel and maintenance expenses with a user-friendly dashboard. Another option is the Brinks' Business Expense debit card, which has a really wide acceptance network: anywhere you can pay with a Mastercard debit.

Is it possible to get a fuel card with bad credit?

Yes, there are plenty of good options for fleet fuel cards that you can get with a low credit score. While it's unlikely you'll be able to get your hands on the most popular WEX credit card options, certain providers will make adjustments to allow you access to credit.

Fuel card vendors may ask you to put down a deposit, offer a guarantor or make bond payments.

• Deposit: this can be anything from 20% to 100% of your usual fuel spend, depending on the assessment the provider conducts on your credit. Once the deposit is in place, you’ll be able to buy fuel on credit and use your fuel card like you normally would. The downside is that you’ll need to estimate how much money your fleet spends on gas, which can be tricky with the constant fluctuation of fuel prices and the changing costs of repairs.

• Guarantor: instead of using the business’s credit as the base of the credit check, the fuel card provider makes its decision based on the guarantor’s credit.

• Bond Payments: this is a one-off payment that is equivalent to 50% of your monthly fuel limit. The bond payment is then kept safe in an external account, just like a rent deposit would be. The payment doesn’t come off your monthly payments unless your payments are long overdue. The bond payment is returned once there is sufficient improvement in your credit rating.

Top ways to reduce your fuel expenses in 2023

As experts in the fleet business, we're best placed to offer these money-saving tips.

1. Grab some prepaid fuel cards

If you're worried your drivers are routinely forgetting to turn in their expenses – or, worse, using business funds on personal expenses – prepaid fuel cards bring these problems to an end.

Depending on which type you get, a prepaid gas card works like a debit card or gift card. That means nobody goes over defined spending limits (even “by mistake”). Funds can only purchase for vehicle-related goods and services at certain gas stations.

2. Invest in vehicle tracking software

For fleets of at least 10 vehicles, you can scale your fuel savings with vehicle tracking software. You'll save fuel by optimizing your journeys, as some GPS systems have smart routing with AI.

Fleet IoT (Internet of Things) devices monitor driver behavior to help you spot bad driving habits like speeding, harsh braking, and idling which all waste fuel. Research shows every 5 mph you drive over 50 mph costs an extra $0.27 per gallon in fuel.

Take a look at our Verizon Connect review for more detailed info about the top fleet tracking provider, according to our research.

Is invoice factoring a solution to lack of credit?

Yes, invoice factoring is a way of swapping your unpaid invoices for upfront cash. How it works is you sell invoices for the loads you run and get paid straightaway. This cuts out the waiting around for your buyers to transfer your funds.

The downside is you won't get the full amount of the invoice, as payment for the instant availability of money. For instance, Apex freight factoring charges 2% of the total invoice amount.

In our Truckstop review, we outline how you can get same-day (or next-day) payment for your invoices. The advantage of Truckstop is it has flexible contract cancellation, so you're not tied down by the rigid rules of other providers.

If you're curious about this option, check out our roundup of the best factoring companies for freight brokers.