In addition to capturing level III data, the best fuel cards offer back-end reporting and analytics that can help you spot trends. Some even allow you to set daily purchase limits for a particular driver, vehicle, or route.

Internal fuel fraud can be caused by many things, including hidden skimming devices at gas stations or an employee purchasing items unrelated to work. Ask your fuel card provider about implementing PINs or driver IDs that will help prevent this type of fraud.

Real-Time Monitoring

The best credit cards for gas offer real-time purchase transaction data through online accounts corresponding to each card. This lets companies compare driver spending instantly to ensure compliance with policy and detect unauthorized use or fraud.

If the cards are linked to a specific truck or vehicle, you can even have each purchase report tagged with the driver’s name so you can identify them in cases of theft and loss. Some cards also allow you to set authorization controls – like purchase limits – to restrict them from purchasing fuel, preventing other purchases such as shop goods or food.

Some fleet fuel cards can also detect skimming (an overlay device installed on the pump keypad to steal credit or debit card information). They may provide security controls that alert you when a swipe goes outside your business’s normal range.

The type of fleet management fuel card you choose will depend on your priorities and your fleet’s size, purpose, and location. Many systems will also work within a private loop to avoid PCI norms and implement hardware security modules. This will help your company comply with PCI-DSS while protecting sensitive data from hackers and reducing risk.

Proximity Validation

With advanced online tools that include tracking, alerts, and spending limits, fleet cards can help you crack down on fraud from rogue employees or even criminals who target companies with credit cards. Fleet managers can also set up spending limits and gallons for each driver or vehicle, helping to curb costs while protecting the business.

In addition to spending and gallons per transaction, many fleet fuel cards can offer product or tank type restrictions. These can help prevent vehicles or equipment from being filled with the wrong fuel, leading to maintenance issues and engine failure. Another valuable feature is PINs or driver IDs, which are required to complete a purchase. These 4-6 digit codes verify the identity of each driver and ensure only authorized purchases are made.

Finally, fleet cards often come with discounts at truck stops like TA and Love’s that can save your drivers money on diesel and other maintenance. This can be a big advantage, especially when you’re looking to cut costs while improving the safety and security of your fleet.

Daily Transaction Reports

Fleet fuel cards can help prevent fraud by tracking every purchase automatically. This gives you a snapshot of all activity and lets you flag suspicious transactions in real-time. A good card will also send a receipt to the driver so they can know what they’re spending their company money on.

A fuel card can help you identify unauthorized purchases as they happen and quickly respond to them by blocking or canceling the account. This helps protect your bottom line and prevents rogue employees from draining the bank.

Some fuel cards will let you customize your reports to include details like truck category, odometer readings, etc. This allows you to see all purchases in one place and optimize spending for the best results. Many cards will also show you who’s purchasing what, which vehicle, and when – another great way to spot misuse and reduce fuel waste.

Some fuel cards can check a truck’s built-in telematics data to monitor the tank level during each swipe. This eliminates the need for hardware that may have been required in the past and provides a more accurate method for detecting fuel theft. This can also help cut costs by reducing idling hours, which cuts engine wear and fuel use.

Alerts

A good fleet fuel card company has multiple tools to protect your company from internal and external fraud, such as a dedicated and on-call fraud team, multiple anti-fraud checks for every transaction, CCTV coverage at all locations, and the ability to identify suspicious activity by reviewing receipts. But it’s also important to understand that fleet managers and drivers must also be involved in fuel card security and fraud prevention.

If your drivers know that you’re monitoring their behavior and that petty theft, side fueling, and fraud will not go unnoticed, they’re more likely to cooperate rather than hide or accuse one another. In addition, educating drivers on the seriousness of fuel fraud will help them realize that their actions can cause your company significant financial loss.

Additionally, choosing a fuel card program that allows you to control your budget by route, driver, or vehicle is a great way to stay on top of fleet spending. The ability to set product exceptions, such as unleaded usage, and receive alerts if your fueling patterns deviate from the norm can further prevent unauthorized purchases. Some budget control tools even allow you to halt fraudulent transactions in real time and provide alerts for unusual or suspicious activities, such as location tampering or skimming. This can prevent the use of stolen data by criminals posing as fleet employees at the pump.