Trends in the European fuel card market

More than 730,000 fleet cards will be issued across the European top five markets over the next five years, as fleet vehicles are forced to use fuel cards to remain competitive.

Heightened competition from foreign markets (especially Eastern Europe) will cause domestic vehicles to use fuel cards for the discounted fuel prices and credit periods offered by fuel cards, according to a new report titled "Fuel Cards in Europe, Top 5 Markets 2017.”

Fleets volumes will make up more than 48% of fuel card volumes in the top five by 2022 and with over 30 million fleet vehicles still without fuel cards; this market has the largest growth potential for card operators.

Another trend identified by the report will be rise of electric vehicles in the domestic fleets segment. “Over the next five years the number of electric vehicles in the European top five will increase by over 650,000 as vehicle prices decline and recharging networks expand,” says the report.

Top five markets

Over 290,000 new fuel cards will be issued in Germany between 2016 and 2022, totalling to 5,638,973 cards in the market.

The top five fuel card operators in Italy made up 88.5% of fuel card volumes in 2016 as they all offer large card acceptance networks and services such as online monitoring and toll payments.

Repsol remained the dominant fuel card market leader in Spain despite losing market share accounting for 56.0% in 2016, as clients were drawn to its large domestic card network which accounts for over 31.0% of service stations in Spain.

In the UK CRT card volumes increased by 2.9% in 2016. after rising by 2.7% in 2015.