What’s Changed for Victorian Motorists
- All 1,500+ Victorian fuel retailers must update prices within 30 minutes of a change.
- Retailers must report when a fuel type is temporarily unavailable.
- Prices can rise only once a day and must be set the day before, then locked for 24 hours.
- All data will be available through the Service Victoria fuel finder app later this year.
Until now, Victoria was the only state without mandatory fuel price reporting. The delay meant prices were often outdated, forcing motorists to drive around for the best deal.
Price Rises Capped, Prices Locked in for 24 Hours
Under the plan, all 1,500-plus fuel retailers in Victoria will be required to report price changes the day before they take effect. Prices will then be locked for 24 hours. This removes the risk of arriving at a station in the morning to find prices have spiked overnight.
The policy builds on a new mandatory price reporting system that will feed into a “fuel finder” tool in the Service Victoria app, showing every station’s price in real time.
How Fuel Card Holders Benefit
For drivers using fuel cards with brand restrictions, locked pricing offers predictability. If your card is tied to a specific chain, you’ll be able to check tomorrow’s price and plan your fill-up when it’s lowest.
For multi-brand cardholders, such as FleetCard or WEX, the advantage could be greater. You’ll be able to compare tomorrow’s prices across multiple chains and choose the best rate, knowing it won’t rise during the day.
Businesses running fleets will gain more certainty in budgeting for fuel, especially for larger refuelling days, and can schedule fuel stops to coincide with the most competitive locked-in prices.
Who Gains the Most
- Families and commuters can plan weekly refuelling to align with the lowest point in the price cycle without fear of sudden changes.
- Small businesses and tradies using fuel cards gain predictable costs, making job pricing more accurate.
- Multi-brand fuel card users stand to save more, as they can shop across all participating retailers without being locked into one network’s pricing.
What Doesn’t Change
The plan does not cap the level of fuel prices, only how often they can rise. Discounts from fuel card programs will still apply, but the value will depend on how competitive the locked-in base price is at your preferred station. Price reductions can still happen at any time, which could favour motorists able to monitor prices and fill up later in the day.
What This Means for Fuel Card Holders
The Fair Fuel Plan removes the guesswork from finding the best deal. If you have a multi-brand card like FleetCard or WEX, you can now combine wide acceptance with daily locked-in pricing for the cheapest available fuel.
If you have a single-brand card like the Shell Card, you gain price certainty and can plan your refuelling for the lowest point in the cycle.
Check the Service Victoria fuel finder the day before you refuel, compare stations that accept your card, and plan your trip for when prices are locked at their lowest.
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