Shell Fuel Card

Pauline Hatch

Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 8 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Ask Pauline a Question about this card.

Shell Fuel Card

A fuel card is a lot like a credit card for fuel, but it makes life so much easier for business owners. The Shell Card features nifty perks like online control of employee cards, extra security features and of course, earning flybuys points. Right now, Shell is offering a promotional discount on fuel purchases for new accountholders.

What we love…

First on the list is the current promotional offer. You'll get 6 cents per litre off fuel purchases at Shell-branded sites and pay no monthly card fees when you apply for a new Shell card and use the promo code CREDITCARD. The discounts will be applied for the first 6 months plus 5 days “Offer Period”. Fuels exclude LPG and AdBlue.

Next is the coverage. Shell Card is accepted at over 1,300 Shell locations across Australia, including over 150 truck-friendly sites. It's also recognised by partnering businesses, which you can find listed on the Shell website.

In terms of fees, you'll pay a monthly charge of $2.50 per card, which is low considering the savings on fuel plus the rewards points you'll earn. If you apply for a new card now using the code CREDITCARD, the monthly fee is waived for the first 6 months.

A Shell Card account comes with plenty of business features. All cards are linked to one transaction account, and you'll get one invoice at the end of the billing period. Payment options are flexible, so you can choose to pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The online account management portal gives you 24/7 access to track purchases, change limits and restrictions on cards immediately, and download tax-ready statements. The time you'll save on account-keeping alone (like not reconciling countless paper receipts) makes these cards worth considering. You can set alerts on possible frauds, create a PIN for each card, and get an email alert for every transaction.

Fuel cards with rewards points are like hen's teeth, but Shell's done it. The Shell card earns 0.5 flybuys points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at any Shell Coles Express.

What’s not so great…

We checked this card over and over, and honestly, there isn't much to mention in the not-so-great category. The Shell Card is a straightforward fuel-paying card with a lot of perks and not many drawbacks. We'll point out that you'll be limited to using Shell-branded service stations. That's pretty normal for a fuel card, but might require some extra planning initially to make sure you're using it wisely.

If you pay off your invoice with a credit card you'll be charged a 0.4% fee. Otherwise, you can pay using direct debit at no cost. If you're late on repayments, interest will apply until the amount is paid, calculated at 5% above the bank bill swap (BBS) rate.

Like all fuel cards, the Shell Card is limited to business owners. You'll need to provide a company name and ABN when you apply. And, even though fuel cards aren't technically credit cards, Shell will still do a credit check.

Why should you choose this card?

Any and all business owners can benefit from fuel cards, and the Shell Card is a great choice if you like earning flybuys. You won't find many fuel cards with rewards features around town. The account management system is brilliant for keeping your on-road expenses organised and ready for tax time, even if you have a whole fleet of vehicles. You can also monitor the cost-efficiency of the fuel used by your vehicles, which can be handy for finding ways to reduce expenses.

The monthly fees are also very low considering how much you get from the Shell Card. And remember, the fees are waived for the next 6 months when you apply now for a new Shell Card and use the promo code CREDITCARD. You'll also get a 6 cents per litre discount from Shell Coles Express stores.

Overall Rating

The Shell Card delivers the big three factors you want in a fuel card - it'll save you loads of bookkeeping time, helps minimise business costs, and earns neat rewards. It's a no-fuss card with low fees and it's easy to add more cards for employees. A fuel card is a business tool, and the Shell Card comes with a lot of valuable features that can make the road smoother for your business.