Frequently Asked Questions Diplomats/Mission/Military

Why Digital Card for your Diplomatic Mission or International Organisation?

Automated tax-claims for your fuel expenses. Our service is truly unique and one which no other company can offer.  Not only do we offer the largest selection of fuel cards available in the UK, but more importantly for the Diplomatic Corps and Military Organisations, we will fully automate and digitise the fuel reclaim process removing the need for your admin department to waste valuable resources on this laborious time consuming task. We will generate your individual Diplomats or Missions fleet claims on a regular basis in a matter of seconds and hand deliver them to the Mission for approval, it is a truly wonderful solution to a complicated process.

Largest fuel discount in the market!

Biggest fuel discount available for the diplomatic community.  We negotiated the largest fuel discount available for the diplomatic community of the UK. With fuel discounts of up to 4pence per litre at pump price, you will not find any cheaper fuel.

How does it work?

Sign up, fill up, and let the fuel card pay at the pump. All the rest is done digitally and automatically. The payment for the fuel is done a week later by direct debit. Your claim documents are generated automatically every two months and delivered to your Mission, it could not be simpler.
Diplomatic Card Services is also approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC.

Do I still have to collect the fuel receipts?

No. Diplomatic Card has a special agreement with HMRC which allows you to submit our transaction invoice (emailed weekly) as your fuel receipt for the claim, this means there is no more shoe boxes of receipts to go through and most definitely no more lost receipts, this alone will save an individual and the mission hundreds of pounds each year.

Does the mission or I as an individual still need to fill in my Form10?

No. Once an individual or the mission have signed up with us, we take care of every aspect of your Form10 automatically. Every 2 months Diplomatic Card automatically generates the Form10 and the Summary Form10 and hand deliver it to the Mission at a convenient time. The admin department arranges for the Head of Mission to authorise and sign the claim and they then contact Diplomatic Card to arrange collection. We then deliver it to the FCDO on your behalf, it couldn’t be simpler!

How long does it takes to create the Form10s

Seconds. Our system is so advanced, it takes longer to print the claims than it does to generate them. Even an annual claim for 50+ vehicles, consisting of over 150 pages, only takes seconds to create, it is truly remarkable!

Are the taxes transferred directly to the individual bank accounts?

Optionally. Diplomatic Card Services is approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC. This is an optional service that the mission can choose to opt for. It takes away the painstaking process of calculating and manually transferring all the the individual tax amounts to all the individual bank accounts.

Is there a fixed contract?

No. There is no fixed contract. You can cancel our services at any time assuming all invoices are settled.

Do I need to top-up my Diplomatic fuel card?

No. Your fuel card is linked to your bank account through a direct debit mandate. Any purchase you make is direct debited from your account after we notify you via email of all the transactions and purchases you made with your Diplomatic fuel card 5 days before the direct debit.

What is a direct debit mandate?

Automatic payments. A  Direct Debit Mandate is the authorisation given by the diplomat or the mission, allowing Diplomatic Card Services UK to collect future payments on a GBP-denominated bank account. The Direct Debit service is used to collect all costs related to the use of our services and the transactions made with our fuel card. We announce direct debits 5 days before by sending our invoice by email on Thursdays.

Can you use a foreign bank account?

No. You cannot use a foreign bank account. The condition is that your bank is direct debit supported. Diplomatic Card Services will validate your bank account number upon registration.

What happens when I go home?

Give us a call and we will close the account and any deposits held will be refunded.

Is it only for individual diplomats or military personnel or for official vehicles of the missions?

Both. We cater for your official fleet of vehicles, from one Flag Car to 50+ vehicles, across all the various departments of the mission. We also supply our full service to individual diplomats and military personnel and their personal vehicles.

How do we receive the payments of the taxes?

Directly or through the mission. Either as the mission and diplomats do now, a direct payment from HMRC. It's the mission's responsibility to transferring the individual payments to the departments and individual Diplomats their bank accounts.
Or take advantage of the special agreement Diplomatic Card have with HMRC and give instructions for us to pay directly to all the individual accounts once the payment is received from HMRC.

How many fuel stations does it cover?

Almost all of them. We offer you almost all network fuel cards. You can choose the fuel cards that suits you best, you can have even 5 fuel cards for your 1 vehicle to cover all fuel stations in the UK.

Which brand station am I limited to?

You can choose all brands. With our fuel card, all the major oil brands (Esso, Shell, Texaco, BP, etc.)  and low cost supermarket sites ( Asda, Tesco Sainsburys, Morrisons, etc.) are included along with a large proportion of small independent sites. You will be hard pushed to find a service station who doesn’t accept one of our fuel cards!

Is it possible to purchase any type of fuel with my fuel card?

Yes. Our fuel card can be used to purchase fuel belonging to the fuel group specified on your application form, Diesel, Petrol or LPG.

Is it possible to buy any other goods with my fuel card

Yes. However, it is ONLY possible to buy vehicle related goods from the fuel service station, like AdBlue, engine oils, lubricants, carwash etc. Unfortunately, by law it is not possible to purchase none vehicle related items such as, food, drinks, sweets, sorry! Our platform will automatically separate the vehicle related goods like carwash and lubricants on the invoice when creating the Form10.

Can I have more than just 1 fuel card for 1 vehicle?

Yes. For both personal and official use, more than one card can be issued for each vehicle. All Diplomatic fuel cards need to be linked with a specified vehicle licence plate. You can have multiple network fuel cards for one vehicle.

Can I use my Diplomatic fuel card abroad

No. Unfortunately, the use of the Diplomatic fuel card is limited within the borders of the UK. You are only allowed to claim back taxes on purchases made within the UK.

Is it possible to block my card in case of theft or loss?

Yes. Your card can be blocked in a second by making contact with our Support Desk or emailing Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk. In addition, we will create a replacement card at once (if applicable).

What should I do if I enter a wrong PIN code more than 3 times and my card is blocked?

Contact us. For security reasons, your Diplomatic fuel card will be blocked after three failed attempts. To unblock your Diplomatic fuel card, kindly call our Support Desk or email Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk.

Do I have to pay taxes on fuel?

Yes. Unfortunately, UK legislation stipulates that you need to pay your taxes in full, fill in your tax rebate claim (Form10) and send it to FCDO in order to have your taxes refunded. But that’s where we come in, sign up and let us handle the rest!

Haven't found your question?

Please feel free to contact our acclaimed Support Desk. Our dedicated team is always available to help you with any questions you might have.

All sounds fantastic, sign me up, how do I sign up and how long does it take to get my card?

1. You can easily Contact Us to book an appointment or you can fill in our application form, sign it and email it back to info@diplomaticcard.co.uk
2. After the receipt of your Application Form, your account and fuel card are created and sent automatically to your specified address within 5 business days after confirmation of creation.
3. A direct debit mandate is sent to your email address after your subscription Diplomatic Card Services . 
4. The fuel card is active from the moment you receive it by mail.
5. From the first time you use the Card we start to collect the data for you to claim back your taxes from the FCDO/HMRC, let us do the hard work for you!

Is it only for individual diplomats or military personnel or for official vehicles of the missions?

Both. We cater for your official fleet of vehicles, from one Flag Car to 50+ vehicles, across all the various departments of the mission. We also supply our full service to individual diplomats and military personnel and their personal vehicles.

Largest fuel discount in the market!

Biggest fuel discount available for the diplomatic community.  We negotiated the largest fuel discount available for the diplomatic community of the UK. With fuel discounts of up to 4pence per litre at pump price, you will not find any cheaper fuel.

What makes you different from all the other fuel card companies?

The only company in the UK to offer this service. Diplomatic Card offers a truly unique service which no other company can offer. Diplomatic Card is the only company in the UK that offers a fully automated and digital platform to claim back your duty and VAT on your personal and mission's fuel expense. By offering you the largest choice of fuel cards in the UK, you can use any fuel card at all fuel station in the UK, and your  FORM10 claim is generated automatically for you. No more collecting receipts, no more filling in Form10s, automated reimbursement of taxes.

How does it work?

Sign up, fill up, and let the fuel card pay at the pump. All the rest is done digitally and automatically. The payment for the fuel is done a week later by direct debit. Your claim documents are generated automatically whenever you need. It could not be simpler.
Diplomatic Card Services is also approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC.

Do I still have to collect the fuel receipts?

No. Diplomatic Card has a special agreement with HMRC which allows you to submit our transaction invoice (emailed weekly) as your fuel receipt for the claim, this means there is no more shoe boxes of receipts to go through and most definitely no more lost receipts, this alone will save an individual and the mission hundreds of pounds each year.

Does the mission or I as an individual still need to fill in my Form10?

No. Once an individual or the mission have signed up with us, we take care of every aspect of your Form10 automatically. Every 2 months Diplomatic Card automatically generates the Form10 and the Summary Form10 and hand deliver it to the Mission at a convenient time. The admin department arranges for the Head of Mission to authorise and sign the claim and they then contact Diplomatic Card to arrange collection. We then deliver it to the FCDO on your behalf, it couldn’t be simpler!

Are the claimed taxes transferred directly to the individual bank accounts?

Optionally, yes. Diplomatic Card Services is approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC. This is an optional service that the mission can choose to opt for. It takes away the painstaking process of calculating and manually transferring all the the individual tax amounts to all the individual bank accounts.

Do I need to top-up the Diplomatic fuel card?

No. Your fuel card is linked to your bank account through a direct debit mandate. Any purchase you make is direct debited from your account after we notify you via email of all the transactions and purchases you made with your Diplomatic fuel card 5 days before the direct debit.

What is a direct debit mandate?

Automatic payments. A  Direct Debit Mandate is the authorisation given by the diplomat or the mission, allowing Diplomatic Card Services UK to collect future payments on a GBP-denominated bank account. The Direct Debit service is used to collect all costs related to the use of our services and the transactions made with our fuel card. We announce direct debits 5 days before by sending our invoice by email on Thursdays.

Is there a fixed contract?

No. There is no fixed contract. You can cancel our services at any time assuming all invoices are settled.

All sounds fantastic, sign me up, how do I sign up and how long does it take to get my card?

1. You can easily Contact Us to book an appointment or you can fill in our application form, sign it and email it back to info@diplomaticcard.co.uk
2. After the receipt of your Application Form, your account and fuel card are created and sent automatically to your specified address within 5 business days after confirmation of creation.
3. A direct debit mandate is sent to your email address after your subscription Diplomatic Card Services . 
4. The fuel card is active from the moment you receive it by mail.

Each department has its own budget and bank account can we have separate claims and payments?

Yes. Our system is 100% flexible. We can setup a single account for the Mission or individual accounts for each department under the umbrella of the .

The mission does not want personal Diplomats claims coming into the Missions bank account?

Possible. Diplomatic Card is approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority. We have a dedicated bank account for HMRC to transfer the taxes to. Our platform automatically breaks down the individual taxes for every individual diplomat and transfers all the individual amounts to the personal back accounts. This is an option the mission can opt for.

How do we receive the payments of the taxes?

Directly or through the mission. Either as the mission and diplomats do now, a direct payment from HMRC. It's the mission's responsibility to transferring the individual payments to the departments and individual Diplomats their bank accounts.
Or take advantage of the special agreement Diplomatic Card have with HMRC and give instructions for us to pay directly to all the individual accounts once the payment is received from HMRC.

Whick brand station am I limited to?

You can use all fuel station. With our fuel card, all the major oil brands (Esso, Shell, Texaco, BP, etc.)  and low cost supermarket sites ( Asda, Tesco Sainsburys, Morrisons, etc.) are included along with a large proportion of small independent sites. You will be hard pushed to find a service station who doesn’t accept our fuel card!

How long does it takes to create the Form10s

Seconds. Our system is so advanced, it takes longer to print the claims than it does to generate them. Even an annual claim for 50+ vehicles, consisting of over 150 pages, only takes seconds to create, it is truly remarkable!

Is it possible to purchase any type of fuel with my fuel card?

Yes. Our fuel card can be used to purchase fuel belonging to the fuel group specified on your application form, Diesel, Petrol or LPG.

Is it possible to buy any other goods with my fuel card

Yes. It is possible to buy vehicle related items from the fuel service station, AdBlue, engine oils, lubricants, carwash etc. Unfortunately, you are unable to purchase none vehicle related items such as, food, drinks, sweets, sorry! Our platform will automatically separate the non fuel items on your invoice from the Form10.

Can I have more than just 1 fuel card for 1 vehicle?

Yes. For both personal and official use, more than one card can be issued for each vehicle. All Diplomatic fuel cards need to be linked with a specified vehicle licence plate.

Can I use my Diplomatic fuel card abroad

No. Unfortunately, the use of the Diplomatic fuel card is limited within the borders of the UK. You are only allowed to claim back taxes on purchases made within the UK.

Is it possible to block my card in case of theft or loss?

Yes. Your card can be blocked in a second by making contact with our Support Desk or emailing Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk. In addition, we will create a replacement card at once (if applicable).

What should I do if I enter a wrong PIN code more than 3 times and my card is blocked?

Contact us. For security reasons, your Diplomatic fuel card will be blocked after three failed attempts. To unblock your Diplomatic fuel card, kindly call our Support Desk or email Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk.

Do I have to pay taxes on fuel?

Yes. Unfortunately, UK legislation stipulates that you need to pay your taxes in full, fill in your tax rebate claim (Form10) and send it to FCDO in order to have your taxes refunded. But that’s where we come in, sign up and let us handle the rest!

Haven't found your question?

Please feel free to contact our acclaimed Support Desk. Our dedicated team is always available to help you with any questions you might have.

What makes you different from all the other fuel card companies?

We are the only company in the UK to offer this service. Diplomatic Card offers a truly unique service which no other company can offer. Diplomatic Card is the only company in the UK that offers a fully automated and digital platform to claim back your duty and VAT on your personal and mission's fuel expense. By offering you the No1 fuel card of the UK, you can use our fuel card at all fuel station in the UK, and your whole tax claim is generated automatically for you. No more collecting receipts, no more filling in claim Form10s.

How does it work?

Sign up, fill up, and let the fuel card pay at the pump. All the rest is done digitally and automatically. The payment for the fuel is done a week later by direct debit. Your claim documents are generated automatically whenever you need. It could not be simpler.
Diplomatic Card Services is also approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC.

Do I still have to collect the fuel receipts?

No. Diplomatic Card has a special agreement with HMRC which allows you to submit our transaction invoice (emailed weekly) as your fuel receipt for the claim, this means there is no more shoe boxes of receipts to go through and most definitely no more lost receipts, this alone will save an individual and the mission hundreds of pounds each year.

Does the organisation or I as an individual still need to fill in my personal claim?

No. Once an individual or the organisation have signed up with us, we take care of every aspect of your tax claim automatically. Every 2 months Diplomatic Card automatically generates the tax claim. The claim is digitally sent to HMRC and the head of admin of your organisation. All the details are available on your online account, it couldn’t be simpler!

How long does it takes to create the tax claim?

Seconds. Our system is so advanced, it takes longer to print the claims than it does to generate them. Even an annual claim for 150+ vehicles, consisting of over 750 pages, only takes seconds to create, it is truly remarkable!

Are the taxes transferred directly to the individual bank accounts?

Optionally, yes. Diplomatic Card Services is approved by HMRC to act as an agent of authority, giving the opportunity to automatically transfer the taxes back to all the individual bank accounts after we have received it from HRMC. This is an optional service that the organisation can choose to opt for. It takes away the painstaking process of calculating and manually transferring all the the individual tax amounts to all the individual bank accounts.

Is there a fixed contract?

No. There is no fixed contract. You can cancel our services at any time assuming all invoices are settled.

All sounds fantastic, sign me up, how do I sign up and how long does it take to get my card?

1. You can easily Contact Us to book an appointment or you can fill in our application form, sign it and email it back to info@diplomaticcard.co.uk
2. After the receipt of your Application Form, your account and fuel card are created and sent automatically to your specified address within 5 business days after confirmation of creation.
3. A direct debit mandate is sent to your email address after your subscription Diplomatic Card Services . 
4. The fuel card is active from the moment you receive it by mail.

Do I need to top-up my fuel card?

No. Your fuel card is linked to your bank account through a direct debit mandate. Any purchase you make is direct debited from your account after we notify you via email of all the transactions and purchases you made with your Diplomatic fuel card 5 days before the direct debit.

What is a direct debit mandate?

Automatic payments. A  Direct Debit Mandate is the authorisation given by the individual or the organisation, allowing Diplomatic Card Services UK to collect future payments on a GBP-denominated bank account. The Direct Debit service is used to collect all costs related to the use of our services and the transactions made with our fuel card. We announce direct debits 5 days before by sending our invoice by email on Thursdays.

Can you use a foreign bank account?

No. You cannot use a foreign bank account. The condition is that your bank is direct debit supported. Diplomatic Card Services will validate your bank account number upon registration.

What happens when I go home?

Give us a call and we will close the account and any deposits held will be refunded.

Is it only for individuals or for official vehicles of the organisation?

Both. We cater for your official fleet of vehicles, from one Flag Car to 500+ vehicles, across all the various departments of the mission. We also supply our full service to individual military personnel and their personal vehicles.

How do we receive the payments of the taxes?

Directly from us or via the mission. It's the organisation's responsibility to chose for a direct payment to all the individual bank accounts or that HMRC pays one amount to the organisation's bank account. We can offer both options.

How many fuel stations does it cover?

All of them. Our fuel card has access to almost all fuel stations in the UK, with the UK's largest fuel card network of more than 7,700 conveniently located sites, you're never far from an accepting fuel site. The general rule is, every fuel station that accepts VISA cards, you can use our fuel card.

Whick brand station am I limited to?

You can choose all brands. With our fuel card, all the major oil brands (Esso, Shell, Texaco, BP, etc.)  and low cost supermarket sites ( Asda, Tesco Sainsburys, Morrisons, etc.) are included along with a large proportion of small independent sites. You will be hard pushed to find a service station who doesn’t accept our fuel card!

Is it possible to purchase any type of fuel with my fuel card?

Yes. Our fuel card can be used to purchase fuel belonging to the fuel group specified on your application form, Diesel, Petrol or LPG.

Is it possible to buy any other goods with my fuel card

Yes. It is possible to buy vehicle related items from the fuel service station, AdBlue, engine oils, lubricants, carwash etc. Unfortunately, you are unable to purchase none vehicle related items such as, food, drinks, sweets, sorry! Our platform will automatically separate the non fuel items on your invoice from the tax claim that will be sent to HMRC.

Can I have more than just 1 fuel card for 1 vehicle?

Yes. For both personal and official use, more than one card can be issued for each vehicle. All fuel cards need to be linked with a specified vehicle licence plate.

Can I use my fuel card abroad

No. Unfortunately, the use of the  fuel card is limited within the borders of the UK. You are only allowed to claim back taxes on purchases made within the UK.

Is it possible to block my card in case of theft or loss?

Yes. Your fuel card can be blocked in a second by making contact with our Support Desk or emailing Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk. In addition, we will create a replacement card at once (if applicable).

What should I do if I enter a wrong PIN code more than 3 times and my fuel card is blocked?

Contact us. For security reasons, your fuel card will be blocked after three failed attempts. To unblock your fuel card, kindly call our Support Desk or email Info@diplomaticcard.co.uk.

Do I have to pay taxes on fuel?

Yes. Unfortunately, UK legislation stipulates that you need to pay your taxes in full, fill in your tax rebate claim and send it to FCDO in order to have your taxes refunded. But that’s where we come in, sign up and let us handle the rest!

Haven't found your question?

Please feel free to contact our acclaimed Support Desk. Our dedicated team is always available to help you with any questions you might have.

What do you charge?

Contact us. We have various simple price plans with no hidden costs to best suit the needs of the mission, department or individual. Book visit with our team  for them to listen to your unique requirements and let them suggest the best plan to fit your needs. Or call our office to speak with Paul, our head of Sales.

Are there any hidden fees?

No. Unlike all the other fuel card providers who have a list of hidden costs such as replacement card fee, duplicate invoice fee, etc., with Diploamtic Card the price you see is the price you pay, if you need a new card or a duplicate invoice, simple email the info team and one will be sent free of charge.

Haven't found your question?

Please feel free to contact our acclaimed Support Desk. Our dedicated team is always available to help you with any questions you might have.

Diplomatic Card is the only company to offer a fully automated tax claim for you and your organisation's fuel expense.

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