There is nothing more annoying than having a fuel card declined. As a driver reaching in to your own pocket to pay for fuel can be extremely inconvenient. Not to mention the lengthy reimbursement process where drivers are left out of pocket and the loss of the fuel card discount.
If you’re in charge of your company’s fleet implement these five simple steps & avoid those fuel card dramas. They might seem obvious but they come directly from our client services officers who know all to well the hassle a locked or declined fuel card can cause businesses and drivers alike.
If drivers in your company are swapping vehicles frequently then fuel card mix ups can easily happen.
Fuel station attendants have the right to decline the cards if the details on the card do not match the vehicle, even though the same company may own both fuel cards. Obviously they can’t take the fuel card for ABC123 to fuel up vehicle rego XYZ456.
To stop fuel card mix-ups always make sure drivers match the card details to the vehicle being driven before driving.
Like the previous point an attendant can’t use the fuel card with a description of Mercedes Benz Vito if the vehicle being fuelled is a Toyota Camry. Again this can be combated by ensuring all drivers match the card details to the vehicle being driven before driving.
Re-fuelling can be an automatic process for a lot of people & if they haven’t used a fuel card before they may not realise they are station specific. For example a Caltex Star card can be used at Caltex/ Woolworths & Safeway Stations.
Make sure drivers know what fuel stations are available for each fuel card. Keeping a list in the glove box is a good step to ensure people know where to go.
Each driver must be made aware of the fuel options available on each card. For example if the fuel card only allows normal unleaded petrol but premium is put in the fuel tank the card won’t be accepted, leaving them to foot the bill.
We’ve all done it, forgetting that magic number just means you’re human. If a driver does forget the PIN they must call head office or their fleet management provider.
Entering the PIN incorrect 3 times will lock the card & locked cards can be a major inconvenience to both drivers and those in charge of the fleet. If you lock the card you won’t be able to use it for at least 12 hours.
If a Shell or Caltex card is locked the pin will need to be reset. The reset period takes at least 12 hours, which can be a real hassle if you are on a long road trip and need to fill up more than once. BP PINs will need to be reissued which can take 5-7 working days to be received in the post, now that can really throw a spanner in the works!
Most of these problems occur when fuel cards are first issued so please use the 5 simple steps to avoid the hassle of locked or declined fuel cards & keep your drivers happy.
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