Best-Rated Small Business Fuel Cards

Compare Small Business Fuel Cards in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. BP, Z Business and Mobil were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Account Management, Customer Service, Fees and Charges, Fuel Discounts and Number of Petrol Stations.

See our Ratings Methodology.

Most Satisfied Customers | BP fuel card

BP’s fuel card is rated the No.1 choice at the pump by NZ small businesses.

 

 

How we rate small business fuel cards

Our review compares small business fuel cards on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared providers before you go ahead and use one to keep your small business on the road. Think of it like asking hundreds of your friends and colleagues which small business fuel cards they think are best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 247 Kiwis who had used a fuel card for business purposes in the past 12 months and asked for their feedback on their provider.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.

Respondents rate their satisfaction with their small business fuel cards from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:

  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a small business fuel card as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Account management: the fuel card account is easy to manage and access online, and offers informative data and reports.
  • Customer service: the fuel card provider’s staff are readily available to contact, respond quickly and help with any questions or issues that arise.
  • Fees & charges: the fuel card’s fees and charges are not excessive and it offers a flexible credit facility.
  • Fuel discounts: the provider offers competitive fuel discounts.
  • Number of petrol stations: the card can be used at a wide range of fuel stations nationally.

The winning fuel card brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall Satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall Satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The fuel card brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  • BP
  • Z Business
  • Mobil


Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.

Best small business fuel cards in New Zealand

  1. BP
  2. Z Business
  3. Mobil

BP logo

BP

Ratings Results

This is the first year that BP has won Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Small Business Fuel Cards Award, and it does so with an impressive set of ratings from its small business customers. Not only is BP the only fuel card provider to earn a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction, it’s a score BP replicates across all other award categories apart from Fees & Charges, for which it earns a great 4-Star Rating.

Editor’s Notes

BP Fuel Card offers:

Savings: At least a 9c per litre discount across all fuels.

Extensive network: Card can be used at over 400 sites across the country (including GAS and RD Petroleum stations), plus 80 high-flow diesel sites.

Easy online account management: BP Fuelcard Online gives you complete control of your account, including setting purchasing limits, custom reporting and ordering new cards.

Credit: Enjoy up to 41 days of free credit.


Z Business

Ratings Results

A former two-time winner of our Fuel Card Award, Z Business achieves another great set of scores in this year’s award rankings: an equal mix of 4- and 5-Star ratings across all categories.

It achieves its best consumer ratings for Number of Stations, Account Management and Customer Service, plus 4-Star ratings for Discounts, Fees & Charges and Overall Satisfaction.

Editor’s Notes

Z Business fuel card offers:

Savings: At least a 9c per litre discount across all fuels.

Extensive network: Card can be used at over 550 sites, including Z, Caltex and Challenge stations.

Earn rewards: The Z Business fuel card offers 1 Airpoints Dollar per 100l.

Easy online account management: Detailed account history, odometer readings, direct feed into your Xero account, and manage cards and link them to personnel or vehicles.

Credit: Enjoy up to 40 days of free credit.


Mobil

Ratings Results

Mobil rounds out this year’s award table, earning a 3-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. While not a top rating, 3 Stars is by no means a measure of dissatisfaction. Rather it shows that Mobil’s customers are content with their choice of fuel card provider. Mobil earns its best ratings for Account Management, Number of Stations and Customer Service.

Editor’s Notes

MobilCard offers:

Extensive network: Can be used at over 330 sites across New Zealand.

Earn rewards: MobilCard offers in-store promotions.

Easy online account management: Detailed fuel management reports, and manage accounts in real time.

Credit: Enjoy up to 50 days of free credit.

Other small business fuel cards

Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here’s another fuel card to check out before you make a choice for your small business.

  • CardSmart

CardSmart

CardSmart is a fuel payment card that is accepted by all the biggest fuel companies in NZ: BP, Caltex, Challenge, GAS, Gull, Mobil and Z Energy. It allows users to monitor and control fuel purchases, offers 51 days’ interest-free credit and is also accepted at some glass and tyre companies, including Pit Stop and Bridgestone.


Choosing the Right Fuel Card for You

Fortunately, over the past few months, we’ve seen fuel prices receded from their record highs. However, the price at the pump remains the biggest concern for those in our survey when it comes to rating their overall satisfaction with their choice of fuel card.

Fuel discounts are the No.1 factor for almost a quarter (23%) of respondents, with both Customer Service and Fees & Charges close behind.

Here’s the full rundown of what the small business owners in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their choice of fuel cards:

  • Fuel discounts: 23%
  • Customer service: 22%
  • Fees & charges: 20%
  • Account management: 17%
  • Number of petrol stations: 17%


About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.

More Information

Canstar Blue surveyed 719 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers who had used a fuel card for business purposes in the past 12 months. In this case, 247 New Zealanders.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.

The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Small Business Fuel Cards ratings:

  • 2023: Z Business
  • 2022: Z Business
  • 2021: Mobile
  • 2020: AA Smart Fuel

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