Law firms operate in fast-paced environments requiring precise expense tracking and tight financial oversight. Between court visits and client meetings, attorneys and support staff may travel frequently. Whether a firm depends on company vehicles or employees are racking up mileage on personal or rental cars, fuel costs can be a significant line item in the budget.
From small practices to major firms, fuel cards are powerful tools for enhancing business operations through sophisticated tracking, enhanced reporting and real-time spending controls—features invaluable for today’s busy law practices.
Traditional methods of fuel expense tracking involve collecting fuel receipts and reimbursing employees, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Business gas cards have emerged as a practical and efficient solution in recent years. Often called fleet cards or fuel cards, these alternatives to credit cards are specifically designed to help businesses streamline purchasing and fuel monitoring. From small practices to major firms, fuel cards are powerful tools for enhancing business operations through sophisticated tracking, enhanced reporting and real-time spending controls—features invaluable for today’s busy law practices.
Key Benefits of Business Gas Cards
Implementing business gas cards provides advantages aligning closely with law firms’ operational and financial needs. Here are five ways these fuel cards help company owners run a better business, beginning with automated fuel expense tracking.
1. Automated Fuel Expense Tracking
Business gas cards, like Shell and , track every purchase. The collection of fuel transaction data, combined with other features of these cards, means every aspect of fuel expense tracking can be automated.
Real-time Card Transaction Data
Business gas cards record every fuel purchase the moment it happens, and the information is stored in a fuel card dashboard. These purchase details include:
- Date
- Time
- Location
- Fuel volume
- Purchase total
- Driver or vehicle ID
- Fuel type
- Fuel grade
Having these details automatically recorded eliminates the need for lawyers or administrative staff to keep paper receipts. And with the information housed online in your business gas card dashboard, there is no need to complete manual fuel expense reports.
Transparency in Fuel Consumption
Because each transaction is electronically recorded, firms can easily track fuel consumption per vehicle or individual driver. This is especially critical for legal teams managing multiple cases across different regions, as it helps them identify patterns, limit waste and make adjustments as needed.
Cards Deliver Reduced Administrative Errors
Manual data entry is prone to errors—typos, mismatched receipts and lost paperwork can all result in inaccurate expense reports. Automated expense tracking ensures consistent and reliable data, saving law firms from the headaches of correcting discrepancies.
Various components of automated fuel expense tracking make many other benefits possible, including better reporting, greater security, cost savings and more streamlined operations.
2. Powerful Fuel Expense and Transaction Reporting
Since business gas cards collect so much transaction data, these fuel cards have some impressive reporting capabilities.
Standard and Customized Fuel Expense Reports
Business gas cards provide robust reporting. With every data point housed in the fuel card’s dashboard, administrators can access standard reports or run detailed expense reports that break down costs by vehicle or driver for any date range. Such flexibility simplifies internal accounting and tax reporting.
Improved Budget Forecasting
With detailed historical data, law firms can better forecast future fuel expenses and allocate budgets accordingly. Knowing when and where your firm spends the most on fuel allows for more strategic financial planning.
With real-time expense tracking, enhanced reporting capabilities, spending controls and meaningful cost savings, business gas cards streamline a frequently overlooked aspect of legal operations: fuel expenses.
3. Enhanced Fleet Card Security
Business gas cards, like those offered by Shell Fleet Solutions, are safer and more secure alternatives to cash or credit cards. Some of this added security is made possible through the automated tracking of fuel expense data.
Customizable Card Limits and Purchase Restrictions
One of the most significant advantages of using business gas cards is the ability to control spending directly. Firms can set limits for each cardholder, ensuring expenses remain within budget. Such limits include:
- Maximum purchase amount
- Maximum purchase volume
- Number of transactions in a given time frame
- Approved times of day
- Approved days of the week
- Approved vendors
Using purchase limits helps create a culture of accountability and ensures employees understand company expectations surrounding fueling.
Real-time Card Monitoring and Alerts
Because transactions are logged as they occur, any suspicious or unauthorized activity can be detected quickly. This feature is especially beneficial for large law firms with multiple employees using different vehicles. With alerts and online access, finance teams can intervene promptly if they spot anomalies.
Driver-specific PINs or IDs
Most business gas card providers require unique identification codes (PINs or IDs) for each employee, adding an extra layer of security. This measure helps track which attorney or staff member made a purchase, promoting accountability. If a card is lost or stolen, PINs or IDs reduce the likelihood of a gas card being used for fraudulent charges.
4. Fuel Cost Savings
Fuel cards are known for their cost savings, most notably through fuel rebates and discounts. This makes them great tools for helping to improve cash flow management.
Fleet Fueling Discounts and Rebates
The majority of fuel card providers include fuel rebates. Shell Fleet Solutions, for instance, offers up to 6¢ per gallon rebates at all Shell stations, which can add up to significant savings. In addition to rebates, many business gas card brands also include discounts on service and maintenance. With Shell, card users can save 15-20% (depending on the card) on parts and services at participating Jiffy Lube locations.
Centralized Gas Spending and Cash Flow Management
With fuel and other vehicle-related expenses consolidated into a single monthly invoice, they are much easier to track. This makes for easier cash flow management—with all charges on one statement, managers and administrators have an accurate pulse on spending.
5. Streamlined Fleet Operations
The downstream effects of using fuel cards can lead to a more efficient accounts department.
Reduced Paperwork
By automating transaction reporting, business gas cards minimize the need for staff to collect and file hardcopy receipts. This lowers the risk of lost documentation, makes the process more efficient, and saves time.
Simplified Fuel Expense Reconciliation
When all fuel transactions are centralized in one platform, reconciling monthly statements becomes simpler. Administrative staff can quickly match transactions against internal records, identify discrepancies and move on to higher-value tasks.
Resource Optimization
When administrative burdens decrease, staff can focus more on client services or other strategic initiatives. This is particularly beneficial for law firms that value efficiency and cost-effectiveness, especially during periods of growth or high caseloads.
Important Considerations for Law Firms
Adding a business gas card to your management toolbox should begin with consideration—no one fuel card is one-size-fits-all. Law firms should assess several factors before selecting a provider to ensure they choose the most suitable card for their operational needs.
Number of Vehicles and Area of Service
The type of business gas card you choose will depend on the size of your firm and your service area. A small business card may be the best choice for small businesses with few vehicles (or few employees using their own vehicles). While these cards are usually restricted to a specific brand of gas stations, they offer competitive fuel rebates and have no set-up or annual fees. Shell Card Business, for example, is accepted at over 12,000 Shell stations in the US and offers up to 6¢ per gallon when fueling at Shell.
For medium—to large-sized firms with more employees and vehicles to fuel, consider a card with more flexibility. While these cards may have set-up fees, they also have more extensive fueling networks, making them ideal for firms that offer legal services in multiple cities or states. Shell Card Business Flex is accepted at over 95% of all US fueling stations and over 45,000 service locations.
Fuel Expense Policies
When implementing a business gas card, you should ensure you have clear fuel expense policies. Once this is done, you can reinforce the policies by programming purchase limits that are aligned with policy guidelines.
Here are a few things to consider when creating fuel spending policies:
- Clear usage guidelines: Establish what purchases are permissible on the card. For instance, determine whether employees can use the card for vehicle maintenance, parking or tolls. Clearly documented policies can help avoid misunderstandings and misuse.
- Approval workflows: Outline how employees should request cards and define who in the firm has oversight of your gas cards. By setting up a proper chain of approval, the firm can help reduce unauthorized spending and avoid confusion around card usage.
- Use custom spending controls: Once you receive your business gas cards, program the purchase limits to match your fuel spending policies. This will set every employee up for success and help reinforce company expectations regarding the use of your gas cards.
Card Integration with Accounting Systems
Business gas card dashboards integrate with popular accounting platforms. This integration ensures expense data flows seamlessly from the card provider to the firm’s internal accounting records. It also allows for automated reconciliation, which can be a significant time-saver.
Make sure any gas card you choose is compatible with your bookkeeping or accounting software.
Law Firms can Benefit from a Gas Card
Investing in tools that enhance efficiency used to be a luxury. In today’s fast-evolving marketplace, it’s a competitive necessity for every business. With real-time expense tracking, enhanced reporting capabilities, spending controls and meaningful cost savings, business gas cards streamline a frequently overlooked aspect of legal operations: fuel expenses. Whether your practice has employees using their vehicles for business operations or owns company vehicles, the right gas card can help reduce administrative overhead and improve financial oversight.
Implementing the right fuel card can help a law firm improve financial control, reduce paperwork and increase visibility into fuel costs.
To learn more or find the right business gas card for your firm, visit businessfleetsolutions.com.