Sainsbury’s Fuel Cards Review: Are They Right for Your Fleet?

Sainsbury's Logo

Despite considerable interest, Sainsbury's does not offer its own fuel card or similar alternative. However, what Sainsbury's does offer is a multitude of petrol stations across the UK.

While this may sound like a disappointing compromise, these petrol stations' prices can be discounted through use of various fuel cards – fuel cards which can be used not just at Sainsbury's locations, but thousands of petrol stations across the country.

If you'd like to receive quotes from various fuel card suppliers (most of which are accepted at Sainsbury's), you can fill out our quick quote comparison tool, which will allow you to choose the best fuel card for your business.

Sainsbury's Petrol

Sainsbury's will accept a wide range of fuel cards, expediting your business' vehicle process and potentially offering discounts

What Fuel Cards Can You Use at Sainsbury's?

Sadly, Sainsbury's doesn't offer its own fuel card. All hope is not lost, however, as it still accepts various fuel cards. If you're burning to use a fuel card at a Sainsbury's petrol station, there are multiple options that can get you fuel discounts at not only Sainsbury's petrol stations, but petrol stations across the country! Let's look at some of our favourites, all of which can be used at Sainsbury's petrol stations.

Allstar One

Allstar Logo
Allstar One
Pricing Not available
Quick overview

The Allstar One gives you access to over 7,700 fuel sites – or, in other words, 90% of stations in the UK (including all major oil brands and supermarket sites).

Strengths

Valid to use for many vehicle-related expenses beyond fuel

Up to 10p discount on diesel at 1,600 stations

24/7 account management

Weaknesses

Charges a transaction fee of up to £2.75

Not suitable for international fleets due to UK-centric locations

Lots of different costs and charges involved, compared to competitors

UK Fuels Fleetone

UK Fuels Logo
UK Fuels Fleetone
Pricing Bespoke. Savings of up to 10p/litre.
Quick overview

UK Fuels Fleetone's crowning jewel is Velocity, its account management app. With it, you can restrict what drivers can use their cards to buy, spot suspicious activity, and view customisable transaction reports and usage graphs. Meanwhile, the web invoicing system makes it really easy to claim back your VAT. These features make UK Fuels Fleetone the best fuel card for online management and a good fit for small businesses that lack a dedicated accounting or operational team.

This card program also comes with free access to UK Fuels' route planning app, and the option to plump for additional tie-in products Kinesis Telematics and Velos MasterCard.

UK Fuels Fleetone's guarantees discounts of up to 10 pence per litre and it's the only business fuel card deal to offer both retail and commercial prices on one card, enabling you to benefit from discounted, wholesale prices for diesel across the UK Fuels network. Also, you won't have to pay any surcharges – all you'll pay for is the petrol.

That said, its coverage could be better: it currently allows you to buy petrol in over 4,100 filling stations – namely Texaco, Jet, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and of course UK Fuels – way less than competitors such as The Fuel Store Card (8,730) and Allstar One (7,700).

Strengths

Offers both retail and commercial prices on one card

Can be used at Tesco, Morrisons, and Co-op filling stations

Guaranteed discounts of up to 10 pence per litre

Use UK Fuels' route planning app for free

Weaknesses

Coverage could be better

Not suitable for HGVs and coaches

Texaco Fastfuel

Texaco Logo
Texaco Fastfuel
Pricing Bespoke. Savings of up to 10p/litre.
Quick overview

Texaco Fastfuel can be used at around 2,900 UK filling stations, including all Tesco, Morrisons, and Sainsbury's forecourts, the UK Fuels network and over 750 Texaco stations, as well as selected BP sites. Their heavy presence in England and Wales makes it a solid choice for localised business owners who operate in these areas, such as taxi firms and delivery companies, since they don't depend on long-distance travel for their activity.

On the admin side of things, you'll get comprehensive business fuel management reporting, plus e-billing and HMRC-approved invoices. It also enables you to set limits on what your drivers can buy, right down to the types of fuel.

Importantly, Texaco Fastfuel uses a commercial pricing system. This means that you'll benefit from wholesale-related deals for diesel and unleaded, with prices that Texaco fixes each week.

Texaco Fastfuel doesn't charge account fees. Plus, you can collect Tesco Clubboard points when using Tesco forecourts and won't have to pay any transaction fees if you gas up on Texaco sites. It's worth noting that transaction fees are charged if you buy fuel at the card's partnered BP locations.

Unfortunately, its savings of up to 10p per litre puts it in line with most of its competitors, but its coverage is a major setback, since it's accepted in way less stations than The Fuel Store Card (8,700) and Allstar One (7,700).

Strengths

Benefit from fixed wholesale pricing for petrol and diesel

No transaction fees on Texaco locations

Tesco Clubboard points can be accrued when using Tesco forecourts

Weaknesses

Limited to UK fleets only

Coverage isn't extensive

The Fuel Store Card

Fuel Store Logo
The Fuel Store Card
Pricing Bespoke. Savings of up to 10p/litre.
Quick overview

With access to over 8,700 UK stations, the Fuel Store Card has one of the most extensive coverages among the providers we researched, but the number of stations actually available to you will depend on the payment scheme you choose. The plentiful options of those schemes are a key asset of the company, but they're bespoke so you'll need to contact the provider to know what's in store for you.

Continuing the simplicity long after the setup, with the Fuel Store Card you'll benefit from fixed weekly prices, helping you to budget and better manage the businesses cash flow. You'll also receive a single, HMRC-approved VAT invoice at regular intervals, and get 24/7 instant access to transaction and fuel reporting. You can also restrict what your drivers can and can't buy with these cards. And don't forget – these cards offer 14 days of free credit. Not a bad deal!

The Fuel Store Card doesn't charge account fees nor transaction fees. It does charge a one-off bespoke setup fee when you sign up, but apart from that, you'll also just pay for the fuel you use. However, if you’re drawing less than 300 litres of fuel a month, you’ll be hit with a £10 minimum usage fee.

Strengths

No account fees nor transaction fees

Benefit from fixed weekly fuel prices

14 days of free credit

Weaknesses

Its range of features is more limited compared to bigger brands

You'll need to buy more than 300 litres of fuel a month to avoid a fee

Why Should You Use a Fuel Card at Sainsbury's?

If your business uses any kind of road vehicle, there are many reasons to invest in a fuel card. Firstly, fuel cards can offer you discounts on petrol, which, when operating a business with multiple vehicles, can add up to be a considerable amount of money saved over time.

Fuel cards don't just offer discounts on fuel, however. They expedite and improve the fuel-purchasing process in multiple ways, like logging employee history and activity, controlling which of your employees can spend how much, and compiling all this info into various reports and data visualisations.

Finally, it doesn't take much usage to make it worth the time. A fuel card is only a couple of pounds a month (per individual card), so the discounts you can claim through the fuel card can ensure it truly does pay for itself.

Our Methodology: How Did We Do Our Research?

Five researchers carried out in-depth research into UK fuel cards according to a comparison framework designed by our research team leader. For each card we've asked these questions:

  • How convenient is it to use?
  • How helpful is it for managing fuel expenses?
  • What can it do to ensure your company's funds are secure?
  • What extra benefits do you receive from using it?

We've also broken down each card by fee structure, fuel type, network coverage and more to offer you the easiest choice.

Next Steps

While Sainsbury's doesn't offer its own fuel card system, there are definitely still ways to take advantage of its petrol stations. If you're interested in a fuel card, you might want to secure some quotes before committing to a certain provider. If this is the case, you could benefit from filling out our free quote comparison form.

By entering your business' information, you'll be given quotes for fuel cards that suit your specific needs. This will allow you to save money and streamline your business' fuel consumption, making sure you have one less thing to worry about.

Written by:
Duncan Lambden
Duncan (BA in English Textual Studies and Game Design) is one of Expert Market's local Software Experts. His articles focus on ecommerce platforms and business software that allows small businesses to improve their efficiency or reach, with an emphasis on invoice financing, project management, and customer relations.
Reviewed by:
Maïté Bouhali
Maite began her career with Expert Market nearly four years ago as a writer. She quickly developed a passion for the challenges faced by small businesses and now endeavours to help them make informed decisions for their future. In her current position as Business Software Editor, Maite works closely with writers to ensure that each article is informative, well-researched, engaging, and actionable for readers. With extensive knowledge of CRM, vehicle tracking devices, and fuel cards, she is meticulous in her review of each article and provides detailed feedback before publication. Whether you're seeking to stay informed on the latest trends in business software or need guidance in selecting the most appropriate software for your organisation's needs, Maite is here to help. With her sharp eye for detail and commitment to quality, she is dedicated to supporting businesses in achieving their goals.