Look after the admin, and the admin will look after you – that’s the beauty of using a fuel card system to keep a check on fleet expenses, says John Oxley.

Administration can be a real pain in the whatsit, especially if yours is a small tightly-run business, but failure to keep an eye on things, especially expenses and cash flow, can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure.

Fuel cards are not just about a convenient (and cost effective) way to pay for the fuel you put in your company vehicles. Properly utilised, they can cut down on administration for your company while maintaining all the right checks and balances.

“If there’s one thing our business customers tell us, it’s that they want to reduce time spent on admin tasks. We know that being able to use their time more productively as well as managing costs frees our customers to get back to doing what they do best – running their business,” says Z Card.

“Z Card is a simple way to make managing your business's fuel costs easier; whether you’re a small to mid-sized business with one or two company vehicles, you’ve got a national fleet to manage, or your business fits somewhere in between.

“With Z Card, businesses can manage their account online, monitoring all of their vehicles’ fuel purchases, managing exactly what has been spent, where, and by who, when it suits them.

“Having online access makes it easy when it comes to the end of the month, too. Z is the only fuel company that enables customers to have their invoice data fed directly into Xero, which frees up even more time for the things that really matter.

“Because no two businesses are the same, with Z Card, businesses have complete control over how they set up and manage their cards, which includes having the flexibility to set what each card can buy in addition to fuel, like car washes, coffee, or other supplies from the store.”

And there’s a similar message from Mobilcard.

“Our message to customers is simple: Mobil knows that in your business you have many things to spend your time on rather than purchasing and paying for fuel, so we focus on making it easy, so that you can spend your time doing what you want to do,” says Mobilcard’s Kim Webber.

“Mobilcard has a large and diverse customer base including plumbers, taxi’s, SME’s, Insurance companies, banks, local authorities, large transport fleets and corporate accounts.”

We asked what level of reporting Mobilcard’s system provides? For instance, the ability to identify “cheating” by employees, and a reporting line to pass this back to employers?

“Security is important to us at Mobilcard,” adds Kim. “We have a number of different reports to help capture inappropriate use of a fuel card. We also have reports to help the analysis and comparison of fuel consumption.

We asked if customisation was possible for differing customer’s business needs.

“Yes, many customers have large national fleets and often like some uniformity of pricing so to these customer we offer a single countrywide pricing, so that on any day the fleet administrator knows what the fuel price will be in Auckland or in Greymouth.
“Other customers might arrange their reporting by costs centres or manufacturing plants. Generally a Mobil sales representative will talk through the options with the customer to understand their priorities, and we’ll develop an offer that best fits their needs.”

Both Z Card and Mobilcard have a comprehensive network, enabling their card users a wide choice.

“Our comprehensive national network with more than 210 conveniently-located service stations, and over 70 truck stops, across the country means our Z customers never have far to travel when it comes to fuelling up,” says Z Card.

“Put simply, it means customers can drive past their fuel stop, not to it. We offer Pay at Pump at nearly half of our network, or 120 of our service stations across the country, which means our customers can get back on the road even quicker. “

And says Mobilcard’s Kim Webber: “Mobil has more than 380 sites that accept Mobilcard, including all Mobil branded sites, New World and Pak N’ Save fuel sites and Mobil distributors Allied Petroleum, Waitomo Petroleum, and NPD all with their own branded sites.”

We asked if Mobil is offering “pay at pump” options to make it easier for drivers to fill up? “We can’t give away all our secrets now, but Mobil was the first to introduce this into the market many years ago,” adds Kim.

It’s widely accepted that using a fuel card leads to direct benefits in terms of lower-priced fuel.

“With Z Card, customers benefit from a discount off every litre pumped at our Z service stations and truck stops, and there are no minimum spend or maximum fills to work around.
There are no hidden transaction or replacement card fees to pay, either, as the flat monthly fee covers it all,” says Z Card.

“As a Z Card customer you can get 15 percent off WOFs, and CoFAs (for your trucks under 3.5 tonnes), at VTNZ outlets nationwide – just keep in mind that you can’t use this discount with other VTNZ offers. Some Z Card accounts can also earn Fly Buys points (or Airpoints DollarsT) and rack up some rewards.”

Kim Webber adds: “The obvious benefit is cheaper fuel, but there are other major benefits. These include an easy-to-use system for employees to make fuel purchases with the subsequent benefits of being able to monitor fuel spend, no tracking of fuel receipts, simpler expense claims (without fuel) for employees, and additional security with a fuel card verses other methods of payment. To continue this easy to use promise - we have simple, transparent pricing.

“Either with a universal discount off the pump price, or off a market-leading national price, you get the same discount everywhere.

“ However not all fuel cards are created equal. There are many variables that go into a fuel discount. Some companies have good discounts that are only available at selected sites, meaning you often have to drive around more to find those sites, or manage your employees to make sure that they go to the correct acceptor, others have card and transaction fees.

“While these amounts might seem small, they soon mount up to erode actual fuel discounts, especially for small consumers. With a Mobilcard we try to keep it simple and transparent: same discount wherever you go.

Like Z Card, Mobilcard also offers online account access. “Any account holder can go onto our web page with their account number and password and do their own fleet administration, from ordering new cards, cancelling card, or viewing transaction reports. “

Finally, we asked where the future of fuel cards is going.

“Service stations finder apps are here now, and the future is only limited by one’s imagination and having uniform technology across all your fuel card acceptor sites. One day you might be able to have a app that offers fuel discounts,” says Kim.

“ The technology is constantly improving, and over the years we have introduced more flexibility and benefits for a wider range of customers.

Mobil has seen growing interest from SMEs through to large corporates who recognise the savings that can be made using Mobilcard, and like the strong security and control features. A business without a fuel card is missing an opportunity to simplify their business.

How do you get started?

To find out more about Z Card, including terms and conditions and how to apply for your own Z Card, visit www.z.co.nz/zcard or get in touch with one of the team on 0800 474 355.

You can contact Mobilcard sales at 0800 662 458 or Mobilcard Support Centre 0800 732 777 or email customer@mobilcard.co.nz