Written by Julia Watts Reviewed by Maïté Bouhali Updated on June 28, 2024 On this page Fleet Fuel Cards Offered by ARCO ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Pros & Cons ARCO Fuel Cards Reviewed ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card ARCO Business Solutions MasterCard Where Are ARCO Stations Located? ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Additional Fees Who Are ARCO's Fleet Fuel Cards For? Our Methodology: How We Reviewed Arco Gas Cards Verdict: What Do We Think of ARCO's Fleet Fuel Cards? Expand ARCO will offer two fleet fuel cards in 2024. The main difference between the two is that one is a standard fuel card that’s only accepted at participating ARCO stations, and the other is a widely accepted Mastercard.Since most ARCO stations are located on the West Coast and in the Midwest, it’s not going to be the best fuel card for truckers operating in other parts of the US. But, if your fleet does transport goods in and around one of these two regions, then stay tuned for a closer look at ARCO’s fees, discounts, network coverage, and more. Fleet Fuel Cards Offered by ARCOARCO offers two fleet cards, the ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card and the ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard. Here’s an overview of what you get with each:Card featuresARCO Business Solutions Fuel CardARCO Business Solutions MastercardAccount fees$15/month$15/monthGas rebates15¢ per gallon for first 3 months15¢ per gallon for first 3 monthsWhere it’s accepted1,500 participating ARCO stationsAnywhere Mastercard is acceptedWhat you can purchase with itGas onlyGas and vehicle maintenance No Fees, Please! If fuel card fees are a no-go for you, then check out our exploration of the best prepaid fuel cards. Many of the ones featured in our research have no extra costs at all to worry about.As you can see, the main difference between the two cards is that the ARCO Mastercard can be used at non-ARCO stations, and to pay for maintenance services on top of gas.Other than that, both cards share the following features:Security: Card requires driver ID and odometer to make a purchase, and a lost card can be deactivated straight awayReporting and tracking: access spending and exception reports online and track by vehicle, driver, or odometerPurchase restrictions: Set purchase restrictions on individual cards (dollar or gallon limits)We’ll discuss both fleet fuel cards in a little more detail in the following sections. ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Pros & ConsHere are the main pros and cons of ARCO’s fuel cards: Pros 15¢ gas per gallon rebate for first 3 months Several security measures (driver ID required before purchase, freeze lost cards) Full set of spend restrictions (set gallon and dollar limits by card) Decent suite of reporting tools (track by ID, vehicle, or odometer) Cancel anytime at no extra cost Cons High accounts fees than most competitors ($15/month) Small network coverage (1,500 stations across 15 states) One card can't be used outside of ARCO network, the other has out of network fees Cards can't be used for hotel stays, gas station food, or other common long-haul trip expenses ARCO Fuel Cards ReviewedIn this section, we’ll take a closer look at both of the cards ARCO currently provides, as well as the rewards and discounts on offer for customers. ARCO Business Solutions Fuel CardARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card ReviewCategoriesRatingCoverage★★★★★Savings★★★★★Benefits★★★★★Overall★★★★★Reviewed by Expert Market:20/06/2024The ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card can only be used at ARCO stations, which can be restrictive given that there are only 1,500, and that they’re concentrated on the West Coast and in the Midwest. You can also only use the card to pay for gas, and not additional fuel-related expenses, further limiting its scope.Rewards and DiscountsWith the ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card, you get a 15¢ per gallon gas rebate for the first three months of using the card. After this period, you might still be eligible for rebates, but how much you’ll save on gas isn’t something ARCO discloses.Their discounts system mainly relies on the fact that ARCO stations offer affordable, high-quality gas, so you’ll save by using them exclusively. ARCO Business Solutions MasterCardARCO Business Solutions Mastercard ReviewCategoriesRatingCoverage★★★★★Savings★★★★★Benefits★★★★★Overall★★★★★Reviewed by Expert Market:20/06/2024The ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard has fewer restrictions than the standard ARCO Fuel Card since it can be used at any station that accepts Mastercard, and not just ARCO stations. This widens your network coverage to include 95% of stations, in line with the top fuel cards offered by companies like Shell and ExxonMobil.However, there is a catch. Using your ARCO Mastercard at a non-ARCO station incurs a $2 per transaction “out of network” fee. This can seriously ramp up costs, so while using non-ARCO stations is a possibility with this card, it’s probably not something you want your drivers to do often.Another benefit to using the ARCO Mastercard over the Fuel Card is that your drivers will be able to use it to pay for maintenance services, on top of gas.Rewards and DiscountsAs is the case with the ARCO Fuel Card, with the ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard, you’ll get a 15¢ per gallon gas rebate for the first three months. After that, the amount you save on gas is something you’ll need to discuss with ARCO.The rebates you get after three months may be better with the ARCO Mastercard than with the ARCO Fuel Card, but this isn’t stated anywhere, so we can’t say for sure. Given that both cards have the same $15 per month account fee, it seems unlikely.Fleet fuel cards typically have bigger gas discounts for one of two reasons: you’re paying more for the card, or your fleet uses large amounts of gas per month. Where Are ARCO Stations Located?ARCO has a network of 1,500 gas stations, across 15 states, although most are concentrated on the West Coast and in the Midwest.Here’s the full list of states with ARCO stations: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.Stations tend to be clustered on or near the interstates, especially the I-5 and 505, I-80 and 280, I-15 and I-40, but also extend to US Highways such as 50 and 395, and major state highways like the 99 in California.You can find ARCO stations using the ARCO app, although users have reported inaccuracies with the distancing. Alternatively, you can use the ARCO Station Locator, available on the ARCO website.The ARCO station locator is easier to use than than ExxonMobil's, and even has a handy street view option. Source: Expert Market ARCO Fleet Fuel Cards: Additional FeesThere are a few additional fees to watch out for on both of ARCO’s fleet fuel cards. We’ve already mentioned the $2 per transaction out-of-network fee on the ARCO Mastercard – which is in line with competitors like Chevron and Texaco, who also charge for this on their fuel cards. Here are some fees that apply to both cards:High credit risk account fee: if your account is deemed to be high risk, you’ll pay “Risk-based Pricing”, which is 2% of your account’s credit or spend limit per monthLate payment fee: if your payment is late, you’ll pay a fee of $75 or 12.25% of the new balanceYou’ll have to pay Risk-based Pricing if your consumer credit score is below 670, or your commercial credit score is below 600, 12 months after you set up your account. You also risk paying it if you receive two or more late payment fees in a 12-month rolling period.You can cancel your account with ARCO anytime, so there are no contract termination fees, but you will need to pay any outstanding fees or bills. Have a bad credit score and don't want to pay higher fees? If you’re looking for a simpler and cheaper solution, you can get a prepaid ARCO PumpPASS, which doesn’t require a credit check. Consult our guide if you’d like more information on how to get a fuel card without a credit check. Who Are ARCO’s Fleet Fuel Cards For?Both of ARCO’S fleet fuel cards are best suited to small, regional fleets, located on the West Coast or in the Midwest. This is mainly because ARCO’s network coverage is restricted to these regions, and so larger fleets that regularly complete long-haul trips will find ARCO’s cards too inconvenient.The ARCO Business Solutions Mastercard does afford a greater degree of freedom since it can be used outside the ARCO network. However, the extra fees this incurs make regularly using non-ARCO stations an expensive activity, so you’re better off sticking to ARCO stations.If you need a fleet fuel card with wide coverage, we recommend looking at our list of the best fleet fuel cards. You’ll find large providers like ExxonMobil on there, which offers a BusinessPro Card with 95% nationwide coverage. Or, you can head straight to our review of ExxonMobil fleet fuel cards. Our Methodology: How We Reviewed Arco Gas CardsWe research fuel cards and evaluate them based on our in-house scoring process.Our main testing categories for fleet fuel cards are:Security: Refers to the measures in place by the card provider to ensure the safety and protection of your information.Customer Support: Includes the assistance the card provider offers, such as phone support, email or chat support, documentation, knowledge bases, and online forums.Expense Management: Refers to the features of the fleet fuel card, such as transaction tracking, expense reporting, receipt storage, integration with accounting systems, and customizable expense categories.Convenience: Refers to the ease of use and accessibility of the fleet fuel card, including factors such as the acceptance network of gas stations, availability, price comparison tool, contactless payment at pumps, and more.Card Specific Information: Refers to the details associated with the fleet fuel card itself, such as card fees, accepted fuel type, card type, fee structure, network coverage, plus the cards' potential to pay for items and services other than gas. Verdict: What Do We Think of ARCO's Fleet Fuel Cards? ARCO’s fuel cards don’t have a very large network of filling stations compared to Shell, ExxonMobil, and WEX Fleet Cards, nor do they offer many discounts or gas rebates compared to fuel cards big competitors like WEX or ExxonMobil.It’s a provider whose fleet fuel cards aren’t a good fit for many US fleets, but it’s still a viable option for local or regional businesses operating mostly within range of ARCO stations.If you do go with ARCO, we’d recommend the ARCO Business Solutions MasterCard over the ARCO Business Solutions Fuel Card, since it gives your drivers the flexibility of using non-ARCO stations, which can be handy in a pinch. Written by: Julia Watts Software Expert Specialising in business software, Julia writes jargon-busting guides about VoIP, fleet management, dash cams, fuel cards, and more. Having spent almost a decade writing for entrepreneurs and reviewing business solutions, she loves helping exciting ventures – big or small – to flourish. Reviewed by: Maïté Bouhali Business Software Editor 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.