How are fuel prices determined?

The components of the price

• Product price: the purchase price of refined fuel on the international market, heavily dependent on the oil price and the dollar exchange rate.
• Excise duty: a fixed tax per liter that each country sets itself.
• Other levies, such as a CO₂ tax or contribution for reserves, differ per country.
• VAT: a percentage of the total price, including excise duty.
• Margin: what the oil company and the operator earn, including costs for staff, land, and transport.

Why countries differ

Taxes form a large part of the pump price. Because excise duty and VAT differ per country, the price just across the border can be clearly different. That's why refueling in a neighboring country can be advantageous, especially if you are driving through it anyway.

Why stations differ

• Location: motorway stations have higher costs and less competition.
• Service: a manned station with a shop is more expensive than an unmanned pump.
• Competition: where many stations are close together, prices are often lower.
• Recommended retail prices: the oil companies' 'recommended price' is usually far above what stations actually charge.

Where do the prices in Tankmapper come from?

Tankmapper uses current pump prices per station from a public source . We filter out prices that are unrealistic, for example due to an input error. For each advice, you see the source and the time the prices were fetched. If you still see an incorrect price, you can report it.