Fleet owners comparing EFS, WEX, and Relay Payments are weighing three very different approaches to the same problem: cutting per-gallon spend while locking down driver purchasing. EFS is the long-standing OTR card with deep truck-stop discounts. WEX is the broad-acceptance card backed by analytics. Relay Payments is the fintech challenger built around route visibility and real-time policy controls. Picking between them is less about which card is best and more about which fleet shape each fits.

How fuel cards differ in 2026

The fuel card market splits cleanly into three tiers. OTR cards (EFS, Comdata, RTS) trade narrow acceptance for deep truck-stop discounts. Universal cards (WEX, Voyager) trade depth for breadth, with acceptance at roughly 95 percent of US fuel stations. Fintech cards (Relay, AtoB) trade either depth or breadth for software-first policy controls and route-aware visibility.

EFS, the long-standing trucking standard

EFS is owned by WEX and runs the EDGE network of more than 4,000 in-network locations with no fuel transaction fees. Discounts at participating sites average 12 to 15 cents per gallon. EFS pairs hard-coded purchase controls (PIN, MCC restrictions, gallon caps) with ATM cash access and direct integrations into most major TMS platforms.

EFS fits long-haul fleets that already run the Interstate truck-stop network and want a card with decades of carrier reliability behind it. The trade-off is acceptance, since the EDGE network is narrower than universal cards.

WEX, broad acceptance with deep analytics

WEX Fleet Cards offer acceptance at roughly 95 percent of US fuel stations, with deductions averaging 12 to 15 cents per gallon at over 2,200 discount sites. The platform is known less for the per-gallon savings and more for the analytics layer, with granular expense controls, compliance reporting, and integration into accounting systems.

WEX fits mid-size and growing fleets that need broad acceptance for mixed-route operations and want strong reporting out of the box, plus the option to layer on a more focused OTR card alongside.

Relay Payments, the fintech challenger

Relay Payments lets fleets configure "policies" that limit per-driver spend by time window, location, fuel type, and gallon volume. Drivers see only the fueling locations enabled in their assigned network, which removes off-route stops as an option rather than catching them after the fact. The product's emphasis is route visibility and the price-aware experience inside the driver app.

According to Relay Payments' leadership, route choice, stop selection, daily price swings, and state tax calculations all influence net cost, and giving drivers real-time visibility into those factors is where fleets capture the saving. Relay fits modern fleets that want software-first controls and a mobile-first driver experience over the largest possible network.

Side-by-side on what matters

Honorable mentions: Comdata, RTS, and AtoB

Three other cards belong in this comparison even if they were not on the original list.

• Comdata covers more than 8,000 truck stop locations and pairs the fuel card with factoring, payroll, and expense management under one ecosystem. Comdata fits long-haul heavy-duty fleets that want one provider for fuel and driver-pay disbursement.

• RTS publishes up to $0.25 per gallon discount at over 2,000 locations with no transaction fees and no monthly fees. RTS fits carriers already factoring with RTS Financial or those that want fuel and factoring under one provider.

• AtoB is a Visa-network fintech card with broad acceptance, per-gallon rebates, and a mobile-first experience. AtoB fits small fleets that want modern software over deep OTR truck-stop savings.

How to pick between EFS, WEX, and Relay

Three questions usually settle the decision. First, what percentage of fueling happens at the Interstate truck-stop network versus retail stations? Heavy truck-stop usage favors EFS or Comdata. Mixed routing favors WEX or AtoB. Second, how active is the fleet's routing data? Fleets with strong ELD or telematics integration get the most out of Relay Payments. Third, how much does fraud protection matter? Fleets with high theft exposure should require GPS-linked and tank-level verification, which is standard on WEX, EFS, and Comdata in 2026.

Many fleets do not pick one card. A common pattern is pairing a universal card (WEX or AtoB) for retail acceptance with an OTR card (EFS, Comdata, RTS) for the truck stop discount network. The two-card setup adds reconciliation work, but the savings per gallon typically justify it for fleets running 5-plus trucks.

How fuel cards feed into trucking accounting

The card delivers the saving, but the reporting is where the money shows up on the books. Fuel is one of the largest cost-per-mile categories in trucking, and clean structured fuel card feeds are what make accurate cost-per-mile possible. Fintruck pulls fuel card transactions into the trucking chart of accounts, attributes them to driver and truck, and flags exceptions before the books close. See how carriers set rates per mile and top expense management tools for the broader workflow.

Carriers shopping fuel cards alongside factoring should also read the freight factoring primer, since many factoring providers bundle fuel cards that change the per-gallon math. The best factoring companies for trucking roundup covers which providers pair their fuel cards with which factoring terms.

FAQs

Which fuel card has the deepest per-gallon discount?

RTS publishes up to $0.25 per gallon at over 2,000 locations, which is the deepest published discount among the cards in this guide. EFS and WEX average 12 to 15 cents per gallon at their discount sites. Effective savings depend on whether the fleet's actual fueling locations overlap with the card's discount network.

What makes Relay Payments different from EFS or WEX?

Relay is policy-first and mobile-first. Instead of relying on after-the-fact fraud detection, Relay restricts which fueling locations a driver can use, by time window, by spend cap, and by route. EFS and WEX add controls and detection after the card swipe, while Relay aims to make the wrong purchase impossible at the point of purchase.

Can I run two fuel cards at once?

Yes, and most fleets running 5-plus trucks do. The pairing pattern is one universal card (WEX or AtoB) for retail acceptance and one OTR card (EFS or Comdata) for the truck stop discount network. Reconciliation gets more complex, which is where automated accounting software earns its keep.

Are there fuel cards with no monthly fees?

Yes. RTS publishes no transaction fees and no monthly fees on its fuel card. AtoB offers a no-monthly-fee tier on its small-fleet plan. EFS and WEX typically charge $5 to $15 per card per month depending on plan.

See Fintruck reconcile any fuel card into clean per-truck accounting by booking a demo.

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