Running an auto workshop means dealing with tight margins, rising fuel costs, and admin that eats into your time. The right fuel card can help cut overheads by lowering fuel spend, improving cash flow, and streamlining reporting. Here’s how workshops across Australia can use fuel cards to save money and run more efficiently.
1. Reduce Fuel Costs with Discounts
One of the main drawcards of fuel cards is cents-per-litre discounts. In Australia, popular providers like Shell Card and FleetCard typically offer between 3c and 7c off per litre for business customers (during promo periods, depending on the provider).
For example:
- A small workshop using 5,000 litres over six months would save $150 at 3c/L or $200 at 4c/L.
- A busier workshop using 20,000 litres over six months would save $600 at 3c/L or $800 at 4c/L.
- A large workshop or multi-site operation using 50,000 litres over six months would save $1,500 at 3c/L or $2,000 at 4c/L.
These savings come straight off your overheads without changing how you operate. The more fuel your vehicles use, the bigger the benefit.
2. Control Staff Spending
If you provide loan cars, tow trucks, or courtesy vehicles, staff may be filling up at different stations. With fuel cards, you can set limits on what each driver can purchase. That means you can stop non-fuel purchases like snacks or cigarettes from slipping through, and keep the spend strictly business.
3. Simplify GST and BAS Reporting
Workshops often spend hours collecting fuel receipts at tax time. Fuel card integrations with Xero or MYOB remove that hassle. Transactions sync automatically, with GST correctly coded. That means:
- Less time chasing paper receipts.
- More accurate BAS lodgements.
- Faster reconciliation each month.
This is especially useful for workshops that don’t have a dedicated bookkeeper and need to keep admin lean.
4. Improve Cash Flow with Interest-Free Credit
Most fuel cards operate on a monthly statement cycle with up to 51 days interest-free credit (depending on provider). For workshops, this means you can spread out fuel costs, keep cash on hand for parts and labour, and better manage big weeks of expenses.
For example, if your workshop spends $8,000 a month on fuel across multiple vehicles, pushing that payment back by a full billing cycle gives you more flexibility to cover payroll or urgent parts orders.
5. Track Costs by Vehicle or Job
Fuel cards let you see detailed breakdowns by vehicle, driver, or fuel type. For auto workshops, this is particularly useful when managing:
- Courtesy car fuel usage.
- Tow truck or recovery vehicle costs.
- Internal vehicle servicing and testing.
By linking spend to each vehicle, you get visibility on efficiency and can allocate costs more accurately.
6. Save Time on Admin
Manual data entry eats into time you could be spending on customer service or jobs in the workshop. By using a card that integrates directly with your accounting software, you:
- Eliminate double-handling of invoices.
- Cut down on reconciliation errors.
- Keep financial records up to date with minimal effort.
This is especially valuable for smaller workshops where the owner or manager handles most of the back-office work.
Which Fuel Card is Best for Auto Workshops in Australia?
The right fuel card depends on how your workshop operates, how much fuel you buy, and where your vehicles fill up. Here’s a breakdown of the main options in 2025 and how they stack up for Australian auto workshops:
FleetCard
- Discounts: Around 1c at 7-Eleven/Ampol and 3c at Shell on regular fuel. Promotional offers can reach 6c off per litre for six months.
- Network: Accepted at 6,200+ stations nationwide, covering Shell, BP, Caltex, Ampol, United, 7-Eleven, and more.
- Best for: Workshops that want maximum coverage across Australia and need flexibility when staff use different service stations.
Shell Card
- Discounts: Up to 4c per litre ongoing on premium fuels and diesel. Promotions often push to 6c per litre for six months.
- Network: 1,500 Shell sites across Australia.
- Extra Perks: Integration with Xero and MYOB, the Shell Card GO app for digital receipts, and monthly invoicing that’s ATO-compliant.
- Best for: Workshops loyal to Shell, or those who want accounting integration and digital convenience.
WEX Motorpass
- Discounts: Ongoing discounts are smaller, typically 1c–2c per litre depending on fuel type.
- Network: Accepted at 6,000+ locations across Australia, making it one of the largest multi-brand networks. Covers Mobil, 7-Eleven, Metro, United, Ampol, and more.
- Best for: Auto workshops that want a broad network with flexible spend categories (beyond fuel) and don’t mind a smaller ongoing discount in exchange for coverage.
AmpolCard
- Discounts: Up to 4c per litre ongoing on both petrol and diesel. Promotional offers often give 7c off per litre for the first 12 months.
- Network: 2,000+ Ampol and EG Ampol sites.
- Extra Perks: Earn Everyday Rewards points (1 point per litre of regular fuel, 2 points per litre of premium, plus 1 point per $1 in-store).
- Best for: Workshops that already use Ampol regularly and want fuel savings plus rewards points for extra value.
BP Plus Card
- Discounts: 2c per litre ongoing, with promotions up to 6c off per litre for six months.
- Network: 1,400+ BP stations.
- Extra Perks: Earn Qantas Business Rewards points (1 point per 2 litres of fuel, or 1 point per litre on BP Ultimate fuels).
- Best for: Workshops that prefer BP sites and want to offset costs with Qantas rewards.
How Workshops Can Choose the Best Fuel Card
- If you want the biggest station network: FleetCard or WEX gives access to more than 6,000 locations, which is useful if your staff travel widely.
- If you want accounting integration: Shell Card links directly with MYOB and Xero, making GST and BAS easier.
- If you want loyalty rewards: BP Plus and AmpolCard both let you earn points that can offset business expenses.
- If you want the highest discount offers: Look out for new customer promos – Ampol and BP often run 6c–8c per litre offers for the first six months to a year.
Save Time & Money with the Right Fuel Card
Fuel cards can do more than shave a few cents off the pump price. For auto workshops in Australia, they’re a tool to cut overheads across fuel, admin, and cash flow management. With discounts, real-time tracking, and accounting integration, a single card can save thousands of dollars a year and free up valuable time in your business.
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FAQs
How much can a small workshop save with a fuel card?
A workshop using 5,000 litres in six months can save around $300 with a 6c per litre discount. Larger workshops running multiple vehicles could save several thousand dollars a year.
Do I need to pay for a fuel card?
Most cards have a monthly fee, usually between $2 and $6 per card. The fuel discounts and admin savings usually outweigh these costs.
Can I stop staff from misusing the card?
Yes. You can set purchase controls to block non-fuel items or limit transactions by time of day, fuel type, or location.
Will I still get paper invoices?
Yes. You’ll continue to receive invoices and statements by email or PDF, even if you integrate your card with accounting software.