Are fuel cards worth it for private use?

dulpit · 05-09-2023 1:19pm #1

Hey all, sorry if this is answered elsewhere, but I tried searching and all I kept getting results for were the circle K spin and win thread and the thread about nct going cashless (thanks boards for terrible search functionality).

I was looking at my siptu rewards and can see I could get a circle K fuel card, 4c off per litre, or a dci fuel card, 3c off per litre.

Now I get that with fuel cards you pay in bulk at the end of the month, but apart from this, is it a guaranteed saving? Is there an obvious catch I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

endacl · 05-09-2023 1:22pm

The TOP garage on the Tallaght bypass offer their own loyalty card if that’s any good to you. 6c off per litre. No signup or account. Just scan at the till when you pay.

_Kaiser_ · 05-09-2023 2:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058312389/are-fuel-cards-worth-it-for-private-use

The main benefit for me is the single monthly payment - although this was even more useful when I was doing big miles per month pre-Covid.

Not every card does this though - a lot of the "consumer" targeted cards work/invoice on a weekly basis which was pointless for me when my previous card moved to this format.

I also get a few cent off per litre, and a SMS on the Friday for the rate for following week which is useful.

Buffman · 05-09-2023 2:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058312389/are-fuel-cards-worth-it-for-private-use

No, there's no catch. It's a guaranteed free discount so a no brainer. When you first get one just make sure before you start filling that the station you're at takes whichever card you have.

Using 4c discount as an example, every 25l bought saves you €1. Doesn't sound like much but when you calculate it out based on your usage it can be significant.

Chris_5339762 · 05-09-2023 2:41pm

I have the Circle K one and it is 4c off per litre.

Of course most Circle Ks are expensive so you generally only save 1-2c per litre over other garages.

If your local Circle K is near a cheap amber garage though, they price match, so then you get some good savings.

antodeco · 05-09-2023 5:09pm

I have the circle k one. They invoice me every second week. Just be aware that a bounced DD is €35, so when they take the money out on a different day to when they say (this has happened far too often with me) and you dont have money, you lose several months of savings vey quickly.

pah · 05-09-2023 8:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073238#Comment_121073238

35 quid!! Is that legal?

dulpit · 07-09-2023 11:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072481#Comment_121072481

Useful, thanks.

Need to price local garages now to see if the 4c circle K or 3c dci makes more sense.

Second question, can you get 2 cards for the same account? If you have 2 cars I mean...

GRMA folks.

callaway92 · 07-09-2023 12:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074077#Comment_121074077

Companies can charge whatever they want for missed Direct Debits so long as you've agreed to it when signing up

Isthisthingon? · 07-09-2023 1:24pm

I Have the Circle K fuel card - actually started with the Topaz one before the buy out. As mentioned before I save about a euro per fill on average, not huge money but it all adds up if you fill every week or even fortnight. You do get the play or park competitions - never won anything mind but the treats for losing are handy. Also the loyalty card for the coffee and carwashing is handy.

The best thing about it is that if you are tight for funds you can fill up and not pay for 2 weeks so you can manage it that way but as a previous poster said you need to time it so the funds will be there come payday.

zg3409 · 07-09-2023 4:48pm

I found for individual use DCI started with rates better than on the sign outside but after a few months the rates were worst than on the big sign. I then rang up and they dropped my rate, followed by an increase again after a few months. Price was on a month by month basis and varied by customer and month. It was useless long term.

Going full electric was my solution and I saved around 4000 euro a year on fuel. (110km daily commute)

Dial Hard · 07-09-2023 4:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121079919#Comment_121079919

You can use the same card for as many cars as you like, you don't need a separate one for each vehicle.

It's also worth pointing out that Parking Tag users get 4c off per litre at Circle K, might save you having to sign up for a card at all.

Buffman · 08-09-2023 10:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121079919#Comment_121079919

Yes, you can have multiple cards on one account. Also, nothing stopping anyone having multiple cards from the different providers and just going with whoever is cheapest on the day. AFAIK none of them charge any services charges or anything like that so no additional costs for not using it.

antodeco · 08-09-2023 2:18pm

Problem is alot of them seem to require VAT/Company numbers etc. Not very handy if you're a personal customer

mikeecho · 09-09-2023 2:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085311#Comment_121085311

Just use your pps number

vandriver · 09-09-2023 7:10am

This thread seems to be confusing 2 different things,either a discount card(for 4c off a litre for example at circle K) and a fuel payment card.

Which is the OP talking about?

Dublinandy3 · 09-09-2023 7:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088215#Comment_121088215

The circle k fuel card is also a discount card with 4c off.

They bill every other week.

The op could do what I do and also get a discount card, we get ours from the AA so we get 7c off each time from circle k. But even without that it's 4c off.

IJS84 · 09-09-2023 8:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088234#Comment_121088234

Can you use the AA discount scan to get the their 3c off and then scan the Circle K fuel card for their 4c then to get the 7c off?

or is is that you have a fuel card through the AA that offers 7c off?

Dublinandy3 · 09-09-2023 8:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088270#Comment_121088270

You can combine the two, I've been doing it a couple of years. They take the 3c off from the aa so when you get your bill from circle k it shows the price after the 3c has taken off as the original price.

Buffman · 09-09-2023 9:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088215#Comment_121088215

Most of the fuel payment cards would offer some kind of discount on the pump price or nobody would bother using them, and a lot of the 'private' discount cards are also linked to bank account and used for payment, so sort of all the same in that regard.

Saying that, I'd imagine the OP is looking specifically for discount.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085311#Comment_121085311

Check with every organisation you're a member/customer of, some will have some kind of fuel card deal on offer. Bank, credit union, work, union, sports clubs, phone provider, energy provider, insurance provider etc. I could have got one about 5 ways.

As an example Circle K have a basic list of affiliates but there's far more than what they've listed.

https://www.circlek.ie/business/personal-card

djan · 21-11-2023 12:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088359#Comment_121088359

I found that can get 3c off through Bord Gais by getting a fuel card would this be in addition to any CircleKs discount cars? I saw the AA offer but as I've roadside assistance included with insurance it wouldn't be worth it.

Dublinandy3 · 22-11-2023 1:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395326#Comment_121395326

No, because that'd be a fuel card, not just a discount. You can only use one fuel card as the sale is charged to them.

AXA do 4c off, I think avant do too.

[Steve] · 23-11-2023 3:34pm

I use a DCI card - handy enough. 3c off normally, 5c off most weeks from Nov-Jan. Billed second Monday after fill-up. Full tank lasts 3-4 weeks for me so it's handy enough. Few quid off the bill, still get loyalty points with Circle K but not locked in to their card - works in UK too.

Are fuel cards worth it for private use?

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