Compare fuel cards on the numbers that actually matter.
A quoted discount is not the same as money saved. Test the discount against your gallons, route coverage, monthly fees, transaction charges, and cash timing before you switch.
Fuel Decision Path
You are at Stage 3. Compare the real card economics before opening provider applications or accepting contract terms.
Start with the decision—not the provider list.
Choose the position closest to your current fuel system. The goal is not automatically to switch cards.
True Fuel Card Savings Calculator
Turn the provider’s advertised discount into a real monthly result after network coverage and fees.
Your operating inputs
Step 1Your real monthly result
Step 2—
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Eight fuel-card programs—compared without ranking them.
These are public provider claims, not guaranteed offers. Program, credit, funding, fee, and location terms can differ by applicant.
| Provider | Public savings claim | Network or acceptance | Public fee signal | Funding / credit model | Potential fit to investigate | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTS Fuel Card | Average 45¢ per gallon advertised. | 4,000+ participating stations advertised. | Full current fee schedule is not published on the main product page; require it in writing. | Application-based program; verify prefund, settlement, or credit requirements. | OTR operators whose actual lanes overlap the discounted network. | RTS official page → |
| EFS | No universal public discount amount on the main EFS product page. | EFS proprietary and Mastercard fleet-card options; exact acceptance depends on program. | Fees and pricing vary by program and contract. | Fleet-oriented controls and account configuration; confirm eligibility and funding terms. | Fleets prioritizing granular purchasing controls, reporting, and fraud controls. | EFS official page → |
| Comdata | Simple Saver advertises up to 25¢ at TA/Petro and up to 8¢ at Pilot and Love’s. | Program-dependent acceptance; Comdata also offers products with broader Mastercard access. | The Simple Saver product page advertises $0 monthly account and truck-stop fees plus a $50 setup fee, while Comdata’s published agreement summary lists program fees that may differ. Require the exact agreement tied to the offer. | Credit and funded-card structures vary by named product and agreement. | Operators willing to compare the exact Comdata product—not just the brand name. | Comdata official page → |
| Fleet One EDGE / WEX | Average 15¢ per gallon advertised. | 4,000+ in-network locations advertised. | No fuel transaction fees at advertised in-network sites. | Credit-based OTR fleet card; approval and terms apply. | Small and growing OTR fleets using the stated network consistently. | Fleet One official page → |
| TCS Fuel Card | Average 59¢ per gallon based on Q2 2026 in-network client transactions. | 2,300+ discounted in-network locations; accepted at 12,000+ EFS/Comdata locations. | $0 fuel transaction fees at advertised in-network locations; verify out-of-network charges. | Cash-secured card; qualifying factoring clients may have credit options. | Owner-operators whose routes fit the TCS discounted network and who accept prefunding. | TCS official page → |
| Pilot Axle Fuel Card | Pilot advertises savings of up to 65¢ per gallon across its credit offerings; the Axle offer must be verified in writing for the applicant. | Axle is advertised at Pilot, Flying J, and One9 locations; Pilot lists 900+ fueling locations across North America. | Pilot publishes “no card fees” for Direct Bill—not as a universal Axle term. Require the Axle fee schedule and payment terms. | Axle is presented as a traditional fuel-card program with no hard credit check or upfront restrictions; Direct Bill is a separate credit option. | Owner-operators and fleets whose normal routes strongly overlap Pilot, Flying J, and One9. | Pilot official page → |
| Love’s Express | 20¢ per gallon advertised on the Love’s Express Credit page. | Love’s network; broader or bundled programs may differ. | No application or transaction fees, no account-maintenance cost, and free card/tag advertised. | Credit/billing program; bundled factoring offers are separate and can change the economics. | Operators consistently fueling at Love’s who want a network-specific program. | Love’s official page → |
| Fuelman | 12¢ per gallon on diesel advertised for current diesel plans. | 40,000+ locations in the advertised discount network. | The current diesel page lists Basic at $39 and Pro at $59 per month; verify any higher-tier price and all optional-feature charges. | Credit review and approval; plan features vary. | Local or mixed fleets that can justify a monthly platform fee through volume and controls. | Fuelman official page → |
Public terms reviewed July 13, 2026. A headline discount is not a contract. Obtain the complete pricing schedule, network list, funding rules, late-payment terms, and cancellation language before relying on any comparison. Where a marketing page and a published agreement appear to describe different fees, the agreement tied to the applicant’s exact program controls.
Provider profiles: what the headline does not answer.
Open each profile and use the questions as a written-terms request—not as a sales-call script.
RTS Fuel Card
Public position
RTS advertises average savings of 45¢ per gallon and a network of more than 4,000 stations, supported by route-planning and card-control tools.
Questions to ask
- Which stations on my actual lanes produced the advertised average?
- What are every account, card, transaction, out-of-network, and funding fee?
- Is the quoted price cash-minus, retail-minus, cost-plus, or location-specific?
EFS
Public position
EFS emphasizes real-time purchase limits, card-level controls, authorization rules, fraud prevention, and reporting. Public discount and fee terms are not universal.
Questions to ask
- Which exact EFS product is being offered and where is it accepted?
- What discount, fee, credit, and prefunding terms apply to my fleet size?
- Does broader Mastercard acceptance receive the same price or a different fee?
Comdata
Public position
Comdata offers multiple small-fleet products with different economics. The Simple Saver marketing page advertises up to 25¢ at TA/Petro, up to 8¢ at Pilot and Love’s, $0 monthly account and truck-stop fees, and a $50 setup fee. A published Comdata agreement summary lists additional program fees, so the named product and controlling agreement must be matched before comparing.
Questions to ask
- Which named Comdata program and agreement will govern my account?
- Do setup, membership, non-preferred, cash-access, or card fees apply?
- Which purchases use proprietary pricing and which use Mastercard pricing?
Fleet One EDGE / WEX
Public position
Fleet One EDGE advertises average savings of 15¢ per gallon and no fuel transaction fees at more than 4,000 in-network locations.
Questions to ask
- How many of my current monthly gallons fall inside the fee-free discounted network?
- What are the credit, payment, late, card, and out-of-network terms?
- Is the quoted discount an average, maximum, rebate, or location-specific price?
TCS Fuel Card
Public position
TCS advertises average Q2 2026 savings of 59¢ per gallon, more than 2,300 discounted locations, $0 in-network fuel transaction fees, and acceptance at more than 12,000 EFS/Comdata locations.
Questions to ask
- What fees apply at accepted but out-of-network locations?
- How much cash must remain prefunded and when can funds be withdrawn?
- Which locations on my route receive the advertised discount today?
Pilot Axle Fuel Card
Public position
Pilot now presents Direct Bill and the Axle Fuel Card as separate credit paths. Pilot advertises savings of up to 65¢ per gallon across its credit offerings. Axle includes card-level controls, reporting, acceptance at Pilot, Flying J, and One9, and no hard credit checks or upfront restrictions. “No card fees” is published under Direct Bill, so it should not be assumed for Axle without written confirmation.
Questions to ask
- What exact diesel-price formula and locations are included in my quote?
- What late fees, payment terms, credit limits, and security requirements apply?
- Are rewards being counted as fuel discount, or are they separate?
Love’s Express
Public position
Love’s Express Credit advertises a 20¢ per-gallon discount, no application or transaction fees, no account-maintenance cost, and free cards or tags.
Questions to ask
- Is 20¢ fixed, introductory, conditional, or location-dependent?
- What credit, payment, late, and account-suspension terms apply?
- Do bundled factoring offers change the card agreement or create other obligations?
Fuelman
Public position
Fuelman’s diesel page advertises 12¢ per gallon at more than 40,000 discount-network locations. It currently lists Basic at $39 and Pro at $59 per month; higher-tier and optional-feature charges should be verified in the written offer.
Questions to ask
- How many monthly gallons are needed for the plan fee to break even?
- Which maintenance, roadside, reporting, or fraud features cost extra?
- What pricing method applies at locations outside the discount network?
Eight questions every provider must answer in writing.
A verbal “no fees” statement is not enough. Ask for the controlling agreement and complete pricing schedule.
What exactly creates the discount?
Ask whether pricing is cash-minus, retail-minus, cost-plus, rebate-based, tiered by gallons, or different at every location.
What is the complete fee schedule?
Require every setup, monthly, card, transaction, out-of-network, decline, replacement, late, cash-access, and cancellation fee.
Which locations are truly discounted?
Acceptance is not the same as discount coverage. Request a current route-relevant location list with the price or discount at each stop.
How does funding affect cash?
Ask about prefunding, ACH timing, credit holds, minimum balances, settlement timing, withdrawal rules, and failed-payment consequences.
Are rewards separate from fuel savings?
Points, showers, store credit, and maintenance rewards should not be mixed into the advertised per-gallon discount.
What happens outside the network?
Confirm the price, transaction fee, cash-versus-credit treatment, and whether out-of-network use can suspend or change the account.
What locks me into the agreement?
Ask about term length, automatic renewal, minimum volume, exclusivity, early cancellation, bundled factoring, and personal guarantees.
Who carries fraud and dispute risk?
Require written card-control, PIN, unauthorized-use, dispute-window, replacement, chargeback, and support-response terms.
Put every quote on the same written worksheet.
The Fuel Card Contract Checklist includes the eight written-terms questions, red-flag examples, and a side-by-side comparison worksheet for provider quotes.
Frank DeLuca · Finance Intelligence
“A fuel card is not saving you money because the brochure says forty cents. It is saving you money only after the route, the fees, the usable network, and the cash timing are counted.”
Disclosure
This page is an educational comparison—not a ranking, endorsement, approval recommendation, financial decision, or guarantee of savings. Public provider claims and fees can change, and the actual offer may depend on credit, fleet size, gallons, routes, funding method, factoring relationship, location, and contract.
HaulSmarterHQ does not treat card acceptance as discount coverage. Verify the controlling agreement, complete fee schedule, current discounted-location list, payment terms, fraud terms, and cancellation language directly with the provider. Official links on this page are provided for evidence review. Any future affiliate relationship will be disclosed clearly and will not change the comparison standard.