Fuel is one of the largest costs for any company with vehicles. If you still settle fueling with receipts, cash and manual invoice entry, you lose money in three places at once: on the price per litre, on accounting time, and on financial liquidity. A fuel card solves all three problems at the same time.
This guide explains how fuel cards for companies work in 2026, how much they really cost, what benefits they provide (from discounts, through VAT and excise refunds, to online fleet control) and why the OMV fuel card available through ONYX is the solution chosen by both sole proprietorships and fleets of hundreds of trucks.
Quick answer: the key facts about the OMV card
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much does the card cost? | No subscription or monthly fees, standard issuance free |
| For which vehicles? | Passenger, delivery, trucks and electric (mixed fleets) |
| For which companies? | Small, medium and large, no minimum volume |
| Online payment? | Yes, the OMV Fleet Online Services portal in real time |
| Coverage | 9 countries at card prices + over 20,000 stations in the ROUTEX network |
| Payment term | Up to 30 days deferred |
| Discounts | In Czechia up to 0.08 EUR/litre, then a volume discount |
| Delivery time | 7 business days from signing the contract |
| Application | 100% online, any number of cards |
What is a fuel card and how does it work?
A fuel card is a company tool for cashless purchase of fuel and services related to vehicle operation. Instead of paying cash or with a private card and collecting receipts, the driver fuels, authorizes the transaction with a PIN, and the company receives a single consolidated invoice for the whole billing period.
The mechanism comes down to four steps:
- Cashless fueling at a station in the card acceptance network.
- PIN authorization assigned to the card or driver.
- Transaction registration in the issuer’s system (date, place, litres, amount, vehicle number).
- Consolidated invoice with deferred payment, ready for bookkeeping and VAT deduction.
What distinguishes a fuel card from an ordinary payment card is the card price (often lower than retail), deferred payment, limit control and additional services: road tolls, AdBlue, car washes, and in newer solutions also electric vehicle charging.
How much does a fuel card cost? (and why OMV costs nothing)
This is the most common question and at the same time the place where card issuers differ the most. On the market you will find four cost models:
| Cost model | What it is | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee/subscription | A fixed fee per card (e.g. around 7 to 28 EUR per year) | Some large networks |
| Transaction fee | A commission on each transaction or per litre | Some intermediaries |
| Service fee | A monthly fee for portal or report access | Selected issuers |
| Zero-cost model | No recurring fees, you earn on discounts | The OMV card at ONYX |
In the case of the OMV fuel card in the ONYX offer:
- no subscription fees and no monthly fees,
- standard card issuance is free,
- for very small contracts a one-time fee of up to around 12 EUR may apply,
- access to the fleet management portal is included.
The conclusion is simple: the card generates no fixed cost, and you earn on three things: the discount per litre, deferred payment (money works longer in the company) and time saved in accounting. That is why the question “how much does a fuel card cost” has, for the OMV card, the answer: less than zero, because the balance is positive from the first fill.
The OMV fuel card in a nutshell: who it is for and what it offers
OMV is one of the largest fuel groups in Central Europe. The product philosophy is clear: whether you run a small company or a large enterprise, and whether you have passenger cars, delivery vehicles, trucks or electric vehicles, you get one tool to manage mobility costs.
| Feature | What you gain |
|---|---|
| Cashless fueling | Domestic and international, PIN authorized |
| Fuel discounts | Card price plus volume discount |
| Consolidated invoicing | One invoice, currency-converted, ready for bookkeeping |
| Online portal | Card and limit management in real time |
| ROUTEX network | Over 20,000 stations in dozens of countries |
| Additional services | Road tolls, AdBlue, EV charging |
Fuel cards with an online payment function: the portal that gives control
A modern fuel card is not plastic, it is a system. The OMV card is integrated with the OMV Fleet Online Services platform, which works in real time and is available from a browser, without installing anything on your computer.
What online payment and management really gives you:
- Real-time transaction view: date, station, country, litres, amount, vehicle number.
- Limits per card: a daily, weekly or monthly limit on amount or litres.
- Instant card blocking and unblocking (e.g. after a driver loses a card).
- Email notifications about overruns and events.
- Reports and data export to accounting, plus detecting savings potential.
- Ordering new and replacement cards without paper applications.
The process of starting the service is also digital. Ordering the OMV card through ONYX is three simple steps:
- Fill in the form with basic company details.
- Sign the contract online, quickly and without branch visits.
- Start saving: we send the card within 7 business days.
You will find more details and the order form on the ONYX fuel cards page.
Fuel card for trucks: fuel, AdBlue and tolls in one
For transport companies a fuel card is not a convenience, it is a foundation of profitability. In the cost per kilometre, fuel can account for up to 30 percent, so every cent of discount per litre and every day of deferred payment have a real impact on the financial result.
The OMV fuel card for trucks provides:
- Diesel and AdBlue settled cashlessly on the route.
- Volume discounts growing with the fleet’s annual fueling.
- A network of stations along transit corridors in Central and South-Eastern Europe plus access to the ROUTEX network.
- Full VAT deduction (up to 100 percent for trucks when the record-keeping conditions are met).
- A basis for excise refunds from countries that refund it to carriers.
- Integration with road tolls: with the OMV card you can add toll devices for Europe (except Czechia), based on the EETS service.
If you plan international routes, combining the fuel card with a single toll device is a huge simplification. We described it in detail on the occasion of the Netherlands road toll changes and the OMV SmartPass system and in the guide to road toll cost optimization in Europe.
On top of this comes the topic of price volatility. When fuel jumps in price, a card with a card price and deferred payment cushions the blow to liquidity. How to recalculate the rate during sharp price changes, we show in the article fuel prices skyrocketed, how to recalculate the rate per km.
Fuel cards with an international payment function: fuel across Europe
Transport rarely ends at the border. That is why international payment is one of the most important functions of a fuel card.
With the OMV card you fuel at card prices in 9 countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe, including Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldova. This is a network of OMV, Avanti, Diskont and Petrom stations, numbering around 1,700 points.
Thanks to the ROUTEX network (the joint acceptance programme of brands such as OMV, BP, Aral, Eni and Circle K) you fuel additionally in over 20,000 locations across dozens of countries in Europe. In practice one card covers both domestic fueling and long export routes.
Benefits of international payments:
- One consolidated invoice for fueling in many countries.
- A currency-converted invoice, which eliminates manual exchange-rate conversion.
- No need to carry cash in different currencies.
- A basis for foreign VAT and excise refunds thanks to orderly documentation.
Excise refunds in international transport are a topic that can finance a fleet on its own. We showed this with the example of refueling trucks in Austria and liquidity optimization.
Fuel cards for small companies: zero fixed costs, full control
There is a myth that fuel cards are only for large fleets. That is not true. The OMV card is a great solution for a small company, and often it is the small business that gains the most, because every cent of savings weighs more in its budget.
For a small company the key points are that:
- there is no minimum fueling volume to set up a card,
- there is no limit on the number of cards, you order as many as you have vehicles,
- there are no subscription fees, so the card does not burden the budget when you drive less,
- you apply online, with no visits and no paperwork,
- you get a consolidated invoice and a payment term of up to 30 days, which immediately improves liquidity.
A small company with a single delivery vehicle and a company with 200 trucks use the same tool, the only difference being the scale of the volume discount and the number of cards. Medium and large enterprises additionally gain from advanced reports, accounting integration and limit management in the portal.
Fuel discounts: how much will you really save?
The discount is the heart of every fuel card. With the OMV card it works on two tracks:
| Discount mechanism | How it works |
|---|---|
| Fixed discount | On selected markets a flat amount off per litre, e.g. in Czechia up to 0.08 EUR/litre |
| Volume discount | The higher the annual fueling volume, the higher the rebate |
| Card price | Settlement at a price more favourable than retail |
A simple example of the scale of savings on the fixed discount in Czechia:
| Monthly fueling | Discount 0.08 EUR/litre | Monthly saving | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 litres | 0.08 EUR | 80 EUR | 960 EUR |
| 5,000 litres | 0.08 EUR | 400 EUR | 4,900 EUR |
| 20,000 litres | 0.08 EUR | 1,640 EUR | 19,600 EUR |
This is solely the effect of the fixed discount on one market. After adding the volume discount, deferred payment and VAT plus excise refunds, the real benefit is significantly greater. Discounts are negotiated individually and in many cases beat the standard offers of other card issuers.
Additional fuel card benefits: where real optimization begins
The discount per litre is only the beginning. The full value of a fuel card is revealed in the benefits that many entrepreneurs forget about.
VAT deduction on fuel
An invoice from a fuel card that meets the criteria of an accounting document allows VAT deduction without collecting separate receipts. For trucks used exclusively for business, the deduction reaches 100 percent. For passenger cars also used privately, the standard is 50 percent, while full deduction requires keeping mileage records and using the vehicle exclusively for business (art. 86a of the Polish VAT Act).
Foreign excise refund
Carriers with vehicles over 7.5 tonnes can recover part of the excise paid on fuel filled abroad. Orderly invoices from the fuel card are the basis for such a claim.
| Country | Estimated excise refund per 1,000 litres |
|---|---|
| Belgium | approx. 191 EUR |
| France | approx. 155 EUR |
| Slovenia | approx. 108 EUR |
| Croatia | refund available, variable rate |
| Spain | refund available, regional rate |
| Hungary | refund available, variable rate |
| Italy | refund available, variable rate |
EU excise rates change several times a year, so it is worth settling refunds regularly and with up-to-date data.
Fleet control and security
- Limits and blocks protect against abuse and fuel theft.
- PIN authorization secures transactions in case a card is lost.
- Per-vehicle reports reveal irregularities in consumption and unusual fueling.
- Real-time notifications allow an immediate reaction.
Mobility-related services
- AdBlue settled together with fuel.
- Road tolls thanks to matched EETS devices (except Czechia).
- Electric vehicle charging in the E-Mobility version for mixed fleets.
The OMV card compared to other fuel cards
| Criterion | OMV card (ONYX) | Typical card with a subscription | Intermediary card with a commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual/monthly fee | None | Often yes | Sometimes yes |
| Card issuance | Free (standard) | Varies | Varies |
| Discounts | Fixed + volume, negotiated | Standard | Depends on the intermediary |
| Online payment / portal | Yes, in real time | Usually yes | Varies |
| Coverage | 9 countries + ROUTEX 20,000+ | Depends on the network | Depends on the contracts |
| Payment term | Up to 30 days | Varies | Varies |
| Vehicles | Passenger, trucks, EV | Varies | Varies |
| Application | 100% online | Varies | Varies |
The most common mistakes when choosing a fuel card
- Looking only at the discount, without hidden costs. A high discount eaten up by a subscription and commissions gives a worse result than a fee-free model.
- Ignoring coverage. A card with a dense network in only one country will not work for international transport.
- No mileage records. Without them you lose the right to full VAT deduction on passenger cars.
- Skipping the excise refund. That is real thousands a year lost without orderly invoices.
- No limits on the cards. Open limits are a risk of abuse and uncontrolled costs.
- Delaying the decision. Every month without a card is discounts and liquidity improvement you cannot recover.
How to order the OMV fuel card through ONYX
- Fill in the form on the fuel cards page and provide basic company details.
- Sign the contract online, quickly and without branch visits.
- Receive the card within 7 business days and start saving on the first fill.
Do you need discounts and services tailored to your fleet? Contact the ONYX experts, and we will select the card configuration, limits and any toll devices. If you manage a larger fleet, it is also worth combining the card with the ONYX telematics system, so that fuel and toll costs are visible already at the order quotation stage.
FAQ: the most common questions about fuel cards
How much does the OMV fuel card cost?
The OMV card in the ONYX offer has no subscription or monthly fees, and standard card issuance is free. For very small contracts a one-time fee of up to around 12 EUR may apply. In practice the card generates no recurring cost, and you earn on discounts, deferred payment and simpler accounting.
Does the OMV fuel card work for trucks and passenger cars?
Yes. The card supports passenger, delivery, trucks and electric vehicles (mixed fleets). It works for a company with a single vehicle and for a fleet of hundreds.
Can I pay with the OMV card abroad?
Yes. You fuel in 9 countries at card prices (the OMV, Avanti, Diskont, Petrom network, around 1,700 stations), and in the ROUTEX network additionally in over 20,000 locations across dozens of countries. The invoice is consolidated and currency-converted.
Is a fuel card worth it for a small company?
Yes. There is no minimum volume or limit on the number of cards, and you apply online. A small company gains cashless fueling, a single invoice and a payment term of up to 30 days, with no fixed costs.
How do online payment and deferred payment work?
Fueling is cashless and PIN authorized, and you see transactions in the OMV Fleet Online Services portal in real time. For fuel you pay with a consolidated invoice with a term of up to 30 days.
What discounts does the OMV card offer?
In Czechia up to 0.08 EUR less per litre, and in other countries the discount depends on annual volume. Discounts are negotiated individually and often beat the offers of other issuers.
Will the card help me recover VAT and excise?
Yes. The consolidated, currency-converted invoices are the basis for VAT deduction (up to 100 percent for trucks when the conditions are met) and for foreign VAT and excise refunds, including in Belgium, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Hungary and Italy for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes.
How quickly will I receive the card?
The process is fully online. We send the card within 7 business days of signing the contract, and you can immediately order any number of cards.
Bibliography and sources
| Source | Description | URL |
|---|---|---|
| OMV | Official OMV fleet card offer and benefits | omv.com/portfolio/cards |
| OMV Fleet Online Services | Real-time card and fleet management portal | fleet.omv.com |
| ONYX | OMV fuel cards in the ONYX offer | onyxtms.com/en/fuel-cards |
| European Commission | Weekly Oil Bulletin, EU fuel prices | energy.ec.europa.eu |
| ROUTEX | Acceptance network of OMV, BP, Aral, Eni, Circle K | routex.com |
