Fuel cards

Fuel surcharge waiver and fuel rewards are not the same benefit

Fuel-card marketing often places several benefits beside one another. A surcharge waiver, reward points and an app promotion can each have different eligibility rules, so they should be calculated independently before being combined.

5 min read Reviewed 10 Aug 2026

1. Model surcharge and waiver separately

A surcharge is a transaction charge. A waiver is a reversal or reimbursement subject to the issuer’s conditions. The waiver may have a transaction range or monthly ceiling.

Check the eligible transaction amount range.
Check the maximum waiver per statement cycle or month.
Check whether taxes or other components are excluded from the waiver.

2. Calculate reward value independently

Reward points should be valued using the redemption path the user realistically intends to use. A nominal point value is not useful if the desired redemption gives a different effective value.

reward value = eligible fuel spend × earning rate × realistic point value

3. Do not double-count partner promotions

If a fuel app, voucher or limited-period campaign provides a separate benefit, show it as a promotional layer rather than assuming it is a permanent feature of the card.

4. Compare the annual result

Once rewards, valid surcharge waiver and recurring costs are modeled separately, combine them over the same period.

net fuel value = reward value + valid waiver − annual ownership cost − benefit leakage

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