One of the most common questions we get from new business owners is some version of this: ‘I’ve just registered my ABN, I’ve got a van and a ute, and I need a fuel card – but I’ve got no trading history. Will anyone approve me?’
The answer is yes – but not every fuel card is equal for new operators. Some providers are accessible from day one (like Shell Card). Others require at least six months of trading history.
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We’ve compared the major cards and pulled together everything a new business owner needs to know – which cards to apply for, which to avoid early on, and how to set yourself up for approval.
The Quick Answer: Which Cards Are Best for New Businesses?
Here’s how the major cards stack up. We’ve split them based on when you can actually apply:
| Card | Network | Promo discount | Monthly fee | Best for |
| Shell Card | 1,500+ Shell/Coles Express/OTR/Liberty sites | Up to 7c/L (6 months) | $2.50/card/month | Brand-new ABNs, no minimum trading period, metro and suburban fleets |
| WEX Motorpass | 6,000+ multi-brand sites | Up to 6c/L (6 months) | $0–$5.99/month | New tradies and businesses needing broad multi-brand network access from day one |
| United Fuel Card | 450–500 United/Astron sites | Fixed discount ongoing | $2.95/card/month | Businesses based near United sites, low fees, no stated trading minimum |
| AmpolCard | 1,900 Ampol stations | Up to 8c/L intro offer | $2.95/card/month | Regional fleets – requires 6 months trading history |
| 7-Eleven Fuel Card | 640 7-Eleven sites + WEX network | Up to 7c/L (6 months) | $2.50/card/month | Metro businesses – requires 6 months trading history |
| Shell Card, WEX Motorpass, and United Fuel Card have no stated minimum trading period – you can apply from day one with an active ABN. AmpolCard and 7-Eleven Fuel Card both require a minimum of six months of trading history per their official terms. |
We’ll break each of these down below. But first, it’s worth understanding why some cards are harder to access than others.
Why Do Some Fuel Cards Reject New Businesses?
Fuel cards operate on a credit basis – you fill up now and pay at the end of the month. That means the issuer is extending you short-term credit every time your drivers hit the pump. Like any credit product, they want some confidence you’ll pay the bill.
For established businesses, that confidence comes from trading history and a credit file. For a brand-new ABN, none of that exists yet. Providers manage this risk in a few ways:
- Some approve new businesses on minimal checks and start with a small credit limit, growing it as your payment history builds.
- Some require a minimum trading period – 6 months is the most common threshold.
Knowing which category each card falls into saves you time – and protects your credit file from unnecessary hard enquiries.
From Day One: Best Cards for Brand-New ABNs
1. Shell Card – Our Top Pick for New Businesses
The Shell Card is consistently the most accessible fuel card for new operators. There’s no stated minimum time in business, the monthly card fee is a flat $2.50 per card, and you get real fuel savings from the start – up to 7 cents per litre during the introductory period (check current promo at time of applying).
With access to 1,500+ Shell, Coles Express, OTR, Liberty, and Westside sites nationwide, coverage is solid for metro and suburban fleets. Shell has also been growing its network through the Reddy Express rebrand.
- Network: 1,500+ sites (Shell, Coles Express, OTR, Liberty, Westside)
- Promo discount: Up to 7c/L for the first 6 months – no card fee during promo
- Ongoing discount: 2c/L regular, 4c/L premium
- Monthly fee: $2.50 per card
- Best for: Brand-new ABNs, sole traders, metro and suburban fleets
2. WEX Motorpass – Best Network Coverage for New Operators
If you need multi-brand flexibility from day one, WEX Motorpass covers more ground than almost anything else – 6,000+ locations across Shell, BP, Caltex, 7-Eleven, Ampol, United, and Mobil. For new businesses operating across multiple suburbs or regions, that breadth matters.
WEX doesn’t have a stated minimum trading period. The application takes around 10 minutes and many decisions come back within 60 seconds. For very new businesses with zero financial history, there’s a chance they’ll request a security deposit – it’s not universal, but worth being prepared for.
Reporting is strong: GST-compliant invoicing, per-driver spend tracking, and integration with Xero and MYOB. The NRMA business member offer currently includes 6c/L off for the first six months plus an ongoing 30% discount on card management fees – worth checking if you’re an NRMA member.
- Network: 6,000+ multi-brand sites nationally
- Promo discount: Up to 6c/L for the first 6 months
- Ongoing discount: 2c/L ongoing
- Monthly fee: $0–$5.99/month depending on card variant
- Best for: New tradies, businesses needing multi-brand flexibility, interstate operators
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3. United Fuel Card – Low Fees, No Stated Minimum
The United Fuel Card is a solid option if you’re near United Petroleum or Astron sites – particularly useful in Victoria and Tasmania where United’s network is strongest. There’s no stated minimum trading period, and the fee structure is simple at $2.95 per card per month.
The main limitation is network size: roughly 450–500 sites nationally, compared to 1,500+ for Shell and 6,000+ for WEX. If your routes regularly take you away from United stations, this won’t be your primary card. But as a low-cost entry point for businesses that do fill up at United regularly, it earns its place.
One thing to be aware of: United’s volume-based discounts typically kick in around 1,000 litres per month. If you’re burning less than that, the ongoing per-litre savings may be modest.
- Network: 450–500 United Petroleum and Astron sites (VIC/TAS strong, national coverage)
- Discount: Fixed cents-per-litre, tiered by volume
- Monthly fee: $2.95 per card
- Best for: VIC/TAS businesses near United sites, low-fee priority, new ABNs
After 6 Months: Cards Worth Applying for Once You’ve Got Trading History
Once your ABN has been active for six months, your options expand significantly. These two cards become available – and both are worth adding to your consideration set.
AmpolCard – Strong Regional Coverage and Intro Discounts
The AmpolCard requires a minimum of six months of trading history – that’s confirmed in Ampol’s own terms and conditions across all current promotional offers. So it’s not available for a brand-new ABN, but once you’ve hit that six-month mark, it’s well worth applying for.
The intro discounts are among the best in the market – currently up to 8c/L off fuel for 12 months, or alternative options including up to 300,000 Everyday Rewards bonus points. The ongoing rates are solid too: 4c/L on premium fuels, 2–3c/L on regular and diesel.
With 1,900 Ampol stations including strong regional coverage, it suits businesses operating outside metro centres. The Everyday Rewards integration is a genuine bonus if your business or personal spending already runs through Woolworths.
- Network: 1,900 Ampol stations (strong regional and rural coverage)
- Promo discount: Up to 8c/L for 12 months (current offer – verify at time of applying)
- Ongoing discount: 2–4c/L depending on fuel grade
- Monthly fee: $2.95 per card
- Minimum: 6 months trading history required
- Best for: Regional businesses, fleets already using Ampol, Everyday Rewards users
7-Eleven Fuel Card – Best Promo Discount Rate, Metro Focus
Like Ampol, the 7-Eleven Fuel Card requires a minimum of six months of ABN trading history – stated directly in 7-Eleven’s official FAQs. So it’s one to bookmark and apply for once you’ve passed that threshold.
When you do qualify, the introductory per-litre discount is the best headline rate in the market – currently up to 7c/L for the first six months, with no monthly card fee during the promo period. For a metro business doing $3,000/month in fuel, that’s meaningful savings in the first half-year.
The limitation is network. With 640 sites (all 7-Eleven), it’s genuinely useful for city-based businesses with predictable routes – but less practical if your drivers need to fill up wherever they can find a station. The card also runs on the WEX infrastructure, so the Fuel Pass variant gives you access to the full 6,000+ WEX Motorpass network for non-discount fills.
- Network: 640 7-Eleven sites (metro-focused) + 6,000+ WEX network via Fuel Pass
- Promo discount: Up to 7c/L for the first 6 months, no monthly fee during promo
- Ongoing discount: 3–4c/L minimum
- Monthly fee: $2.50 per card (after promo)
- Minimum: 6 months trading history required
- Best for: Metro fleets, delivery businesses, businesses near 7-Eleven sites
What About Fleet Card and BP Plus?
We’d suggest holding off on Fleet Card until you have some trading history behind you. Fleet Card is the premium product in the market – 90%+ network coverage, strong discounts, and excellent reporting tools. But it’s designed for established businesses, and a fresh ABN with no trading history is likely to struggle with approval. Once you’ve been operating for 6–12 months with a clean payment record, it’s well worth revisiting.
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BP Plus is a solid card, but the fee structure works against very small operators. Per-card fees are over $4/month if you only need one or two cards – more expensive than the alternatives at this stage. The fees reduce as you add more cards, so it makes more sense once your fleet grows.
How to Maximise Your Chances of Approval
A few practical steps that make a real difference when applying with a new or young ABN:
- Register your ABN first and make sure it’s active. Applications almost always require a valid ABN. If you’ve just set up your business structure, confirm your ABN registration is complete before applying.
- Have a business bank account. Applying with a business bank account (not a personal account) signals that your business is set up and separates your finances correctly.
- Start with one card, not five. Applying for a small number of cards reduces the credit exposure for the issuer and increases your chances of approval. You can request additional cards once you’ve built a payment history.
- Pay your first few invoices early. Once approved, paying your first invoice on time – or early – starts building the payment history that makes it easier to increase limits and access better rates down the track.
The Upgrade Path: What Comes Next?
A fuel card from a new business isn’t necessarily your forever card – it’s your starting point. Think of it as a product that gets you GST savings, consolidated invoicing, and per-litre discounts from day one, while you build the trading history that unlocks better options.
After six months, AmpolCard and 7-Eleven Fuel Card open up. After 6–12 months of clean payment history, Fleet Card becomes much more accessible, along with custom corporate pricing from WEX and Ampol for larger fleets.
| Quick tip: Some providers will automatically review your account after 6–12 months and improve your discount rate or increase your credit limit without you needing to ask. It’s worth calling your provider after your first year to see what’s on offer. |
Our Recommendation
For most new Australian businesses, the Shell Card is the easiest and most accessible entry point – no minimum trading period, genuine fuel savings from day one, and simple month-to-month admin. If you need to fill up anywhere across the country, WEX Motorpass is your alternative. If you’re primarily based near United stations and want the lowest possible fee, United Fuel Card is worth a look.
Once you’ve been trading for six months, add AmpolCard to your shortlist – especially if you’re regional or already in the Everyday Rewards ecosystem. And if you’re metro-based and mostly fill up at 7-Eleven, the 7-Eleven Fuel Card’s promo discount rate makes it hard to overlook once you qualify.
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Note: Approval criteria, fees, and discount rates are subject to change. Always confirm current terms directly with the provider before applying.
