How can I reduce my fuel expenses?

For any business, wasted time is wasted money. No matter if you’re running a big operation or working on your own, every minute is valuable. Lost time translates as lost opportunity.

So, every minute you’re not on the job – even the simplest things, like waiting in line to pay for fuel at the service station or reconciling receipts at the end of each month – is not only an inconvenience, it can compromise your bottom line.

But there is a solution that will save you both time and money: the Shell Card.

The Shell Card is like a credit card in that it is linked to an account with a line of credit, but it is used specifically to pay for fuel at more than 1300 Shell service stations across Australia.

For starters, it’s quick and easy to pay for fuel with a Shell Card. There’s no messing around at the point of purchase – just simply swipe and go.

You can also choose to use the Shell Card Go smartphone app to save more time by eliminating the need to queue in-store. With the Shell Card Go app, users can take advantage of contactless payment technology and pay from their phone, allowing them to get back on the road quickly.

But the convenience – and time-saving ability – of a Shell Card extends well beyond the actual service station.

A recent survey conducted by Viva Energy – the licensee of Shell in Australia – confirmed that more than 60 per cent of small and medium businesses use manual processes to manage their fuel and vehicle expenses.

A Shell Card makes this much simpler. Firstly, eligible employees no longer have to pay for fuel themselves and then later be reimbursed for any expenses. Secondly, it eliminates the need to keep individual paper receipts from every purchase – instead Shell provides a monthly tax invoice and statement with itemised GST amounts.

This not only reduces the amount of administration and paperwork required to reconcile expenses each month, it also simplifies the process for tax preparation, saving you time and costs on bookkeeping.

Time is money, but there are also more direct benefits from Shell Card. Users qualify for discounts and flexible payment options provide greater control of your business’ cash flow.

The card itself is cost effective too, with a low monthly card fee of just $2.50 per card.

The Shell Card Portal provides tools to assess fuel consumption data and trends. This can provide businesses with useful information on how to improve fuel economy and further reduce costs.

The Shell Card also offers protection against fraud and better control of employee spending. Each Shell Card can be embossed with an individual driver’s name or a vehicle number and uses a specific PIN number for access. You can easily set a purchase limit for each card through the Shell Card Portal and monitor transactions in real time.

Lastly, all Shell Card purchases are also eligible to accrue Flybuys points, which can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards.

It’s easy. No matter whether you’re a sole trader with a hard-working dual-cab ute or a big business running a fleet of vehicles – including a mix of passenger cars, utes and trucks – the Shell Card can be tailored to your requirements.

Simply head to Shell website and click on the ‘Business Customers’ tag in the menu to begin the on-line process and we’ll walk you through the process step by step.

Whether you are a sole trader or a corporate giant, you will soon wonder how you ever managed your business without the cost and time savings of Shell Card…