Life on the road is a beautiful thing - but it comes at a cost. The further off the beaten track you go, the higher the fuel costs. NZMCA members, however, can take advantage of a combined deal offered by the NZMCA and Kiwi Fuelcards.
How to get a Kiwi Fuelcard
There are three brands of card: Caltex, Mobil and BP. Choose one - or all three - and use the card like EFTPOS whenever you fill up. You can apply online, by email or phone (see kiwifuelcards.co.nz for contact details).
Your designated bank account will be debited on the 20th of the following month; an itemised statement is emailed at the beginning of each. When you fill up and look at the receipt from the pump or the counter, don’t worry if it shows the full price. Only the discounted amount will be debited from your bank account.
What's in a name?
Determining which fuelcard to use and when can be a bit boggling. The first FUELLING YOUR JOURNEY Although Kiwi Fuelcards offer great savings to NZMCA members, it can be challenging to figure out which card to use and where to get the best diesel prices, says Kathryn Teeboon stumbling block is understanding the difference between pump price, national price and sector price.
The pump price is the everyday price displayed on the pump at the gas station. The national price is a set price, which is not publicly displayed. Finally, sector price is the set price for a particular area. You can find Caltex’s sector prices on the Kiwi Fuelcards website, and safely assume that these prices apply to both Caltex and Z Energy truck stops (or large service stations).
Where to go
The Caltex-branded card can be used at Caltex, Z Energy, and some Challenge sites. The Mobil-branded card can be used at Mobil service stations and truck stops as well as some Allied, NPD and Waitomo stations.
The BP card can be used at BP stations and some Gasoline Alley and RD Petroleum sites. The easiest way to work out what can be used where is to use the Kiwi Fuelcard app, which is free from the App Store or on Google Play. The app will detect your location and provide a map with local sites that accept one of the cards.
Choosing your target
The third and final stumbling block is figuring out what gas prices are near you and applying the relevant discounts to find the supplier to choose. For this, use another app, Gaspy, which is also free for both Apple and Android phones.
It will detect your location and provide a list of suppliers within the search radius and their prices. The list can be sorted by the best price, nearest location, or by the number of Spy Coins you can earn by confirming the cost of a supplier’s fuel.
As weird as this last one might sound, this is the beauty of Gaspy; it relies on people out on the road checking and confirming (or updating) the pump price of each station they pass. The coins are an incentive.
As an example, take a look at fuelcard discounts for diesel within a 40km radius of Blenheim (prices correct as of 15 February 2020).
Supplier | Site Type | Fuel Card | Discount | Price Before Discount | Price After Discount |
| Caltex | Truck stop | Caltex | 8c per litre off sector price | $1.209 | $1.129 |
| Caltex | Service station | Caltex | 6c per litre off pump price | $1.309 | $1.249 |
| Z Energy | Truck stop | Caltex | 6c per litre off sector price | $1.209 | $1.149 |
| Z Energy | Service station | Caltex | 5c per litre off pump price | $1.309 | $1.259 |
| Challenge | Service station | Caltex | 5c per litre off pump price | $1.419 | $1.369 |
| Allied Fuel | Service station | Mobil | 15c per litre off pump price | $1.409 | $1.259 |
| Waitomo Fuel | Service station | Mobil | 15c per litre off pump price | Not available | Not available |
| NPD Fuel | Service station | Mobil | 15c per litre off pump price | $1.269 | $1.119 |
| Mobil | All sites | Mobil | 15c per litre off pump price | $1.309 | $1.159 |
| BP | Truck stop | BP | 4c per litre off national truck stop price | $1.429 | $1.239 |
| BP | Service station | BP | 8c per litre off national service station price | $1.309 | $1.329 |
| Gasoline Alley | Service station | BP | 8c per litre off national service station price | $1.449 | $1.329 |
| RD Petroleum | Service station | BP | 8c per litre off national service station price | $1.429 | $1.329 |
This is just a snapshot of one location in the country. Please note:
- Caltex and Z Energy truck stops will usually have the lowest price after discount for diesel.
- If a Mobilcard site (especially the smaller players of Allied, NPD and Waitomo, who typically have competitive prices before discounts) has a pump price of $1.279 or below, it will be as cheap, if not cheaper, than a Caltex or Z Energy truck stop.
- BP truck stops are competitive and the next best option, especially if you’re in Auckland or Wellington. To find truck stops, download a PDF version of the networks for BP, Caltex and Z Energy from the Kiwi Fuelcards website or the suppliers’ website.
Overall, it’s worth planning ahead and heading for a truck stop for your next fill or using the Gaspy app to see which Mobilcard site has the best pump price. Anything to stretch the dollar a little farther to extend the freedom of being on the road, right?
Useful links
Kiwi Fuelcard application:
kiwifuelcards.co.nz/get-your-card
Gaspy app information: gaspy.nz
Caltex sector prices: kiwifuelcards.co.nz/fuel-prices
