Whether you’re a self-employed carer or run a care services business, fuel costs will be one of your business’s main costs. Of course, it’s essential that carers can get to all their patients on time, which means they need to buy fuel for their car or van. Fuel cards can make buying petrol and diesel easier and can even save carers or nursing homes money. This article will explain how business fuel cards for carers work the benefits they can bring.
How can carers use fuel cards?
When carers are busy travelling between patients’ homes, topping up on fuel is a job that needs to be done as quickly as possible. Yet for self-employed careers or care services business owners, keeping track of this essential cost is key to protecting their bottom line.
By purchasing individual fuel cards, business owners can keep track of their fuel spending and carers can purchase their petrol or diesel from a large network of stations easily without paying for it with their own money.
To use a fuel card, carers just need to follow a few steps:
- Choose a petrol station within the card provider’s network.
- Fill up their vehicle with fuel.
- Show their card, provide their vehicle registration number and ask the cashier to record the mileage if required.
- The card will then be swiped for payment and they’ll be asked to sign for the transaction.
Plus, if the fuel card provider uses supermarket petrol stations in their network, carers can earn points or benefits by showing their loyalty card alongside their purchase, meaning they get a little ‘thank you’ from the business each time they buy fuel.
What are the benefits of fuel cards for carers?
Using fuel cards has benefits for both individual carers and care services businesses, including:
- Hassle-free fuel purchasing: there’s no need to worry about carers having individual debit or credit cards or having to pay with their own cash. Fuel cards allow businesses to pay for their team’s petrol and diesel from a network of trusted filling stations.
- No expense forms: carers don’t need to worry about keeping their receipts or filling out expenses forms every month, as all transactions are tracked and stored online.
- Savings and benefits: with the right provider, individual carers can earn loyalty benefits and businesses can save money on their fuel, meaning the right fuel card can help organisations and their teams make the most of their purchases.
- Easy online purchase tracking: the best fuel card providers offer online management systems which allow owners or accountants to track each card’s purchases, download invoices and get an overview of their fuel spending.
However, to make sure you can take full advantage of these benefits, it’s key that care services businesses find the right fuel card for their needs.
How can carers find the right fuel card?
Choosing a fuel card that meets the requirements of your team and business will help you enjoy the efficiencies they can bring in full. Here are some key checks you can run on fuel card providers to make sure you choose the best one for your business.
Check the petrol station network
Carers don’t want to waste time filling up and then not being able to pay with their fuel card. When looking at a provider, check which petrol stations are on their network to make sure there are plenty in the area you or your team are operating in. Plus, if a provider has supermarket petrol stations in their network, this has the extra advantage of allowing carers to earn loyalty benefits with each purchase.
Look out for hidden charges
Some fuel card providers add charges to every transaction or for adding extra fuel cards to a business account, so it's key that you look at the terms and conditions before you sign up. Being wary of introductory offers is also key, as you don’t want the hassle of switching your fuel card provider when they start unexpectedly charging for each transaction.
Read providers’ customer reviews
There’s no better recommendation for fuel card providers than from the businesses which use them. Checking a provider’s customer reviews will give you a sense of how easy their cards are to use, how much businesses are saving on their fuel and offer tips on how to take full advantage of the benefits they offer.
How can carers get a fuel card?
With fuelGenie, finding and applying for the right fuel card couldn’t be easier. Whether you’re self-employed or a care services business owner, you can get a fuelGenie card in just a few steps.
First, gather business details such as your company bank details, registered address, director or partner details, registration number (if you’re a limited company) and estimated monthly fuel spend. Then, fill out our secure online application form, including the number of cards you require, without having to worry about meeting minimal requirements or paying application fees.
Once your application is reviewed and approved, you’ll receive your fuel cards and be able to log into your online management account where you can monitor your transactions, access HMRC-approved invoices and break down your card’s usage details easily. So whether you run a fleet of care buses or travel between patients in your own car, keeping tabs on your fuel spending is made a whole lot easier with fuelGenie.
