FleetCor, now Corpay, settles FTC fuel-card fee case for $100 million

FleetCor, now Corpay, settles FTC fuel-card fee case for $100 million

22 September 2026 — The US Federal Trade Commission said on 17 September 2026 that FleetCor Technologies, now known as Corpay, and its chief executive Ronald Clarke will pay $100 million to settle the FTC's administrative action over undisclosed fees charged to fuel-card customers, who the FTC says were overwhelmingly small businesses. The FTC says the money will be used for redress to harmed business customers. The consent agreement will be open for public comment for 30 days after the FTC publishes it in the Federal Register; the Commission will then decide whether to make the order final.

What changes

The FTC first sued in federal court in 2019. It alleged that FleetCor charged fees customers never knew about or agreed to, charged late fees to customers who had paid on time or had been prevented from paying on time, and misrepresented fuel savings, fraud controls and fees. According to the FTC, many fees began only after several billing cycles, invoices did not show that fees were being charged, and many fees were buried in separate account reports or not listed at all.

A federal district court granted summary judgment to the FTC on all counts, and an appeals court upheld it in 2026. The court's permanent order bars FleetCor from billing any charge without the customer's express informed consent and clear information, from hiding material information behind a hyperlink, and from deceptive claims about its cards. The sources differ on the timing: the FTC dates the summary judgment to 2023, while Payments Dive reports it was granted in August 2022. Corpay refers to a court order of 8 June 2023.

The parties also differ on who pays. The FTC says FleetCor and Clarke will pay $100 million. Corpay's statement of 18 September says the company will pay $100 million, that Clarke is not subject to any financial payment, and that the settlement involves no admission of wrongdoing. The FTC vote was 1-0-1, with Chairman Andrew Ferguson recused.

What to do

• If you use or used a FleetCor or Corpay fuel card, pull past invoices and account management reports and look for charges you did not agree to, fees that began some months after sign-up, and late fees charged when you had paid on time.
• Keep records of any disputed fees. The FTC has not yet said how redress will be paid out.
• Be wary of refund offers. The FTC says it never demands money or tells people to transfer money, so treat any request for a fee to release redress as suspect.
• Check your other fleet and expense cards for fees that appear only in separate reports rather than on the invoice.
• Comment on the order, if you wish, once the notice appears in the Federal Register; filing instructions will be in that notice.

What the release leaves out

The FTC does not say who qualifies for redress, how payments will be calculated or when they will be made. A search of the Federal Register on 22 September did not yet show the notice.

Sources

• Federal Trade Commission — FleetCor Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Resolve Administrative Action After Federal Court Finds that It Violated the FTC Act by Charging Unauthorized Fees — 17 September 2026
• Corpay (via Business Wire, on FinancialContent) — Corpay Agrees to Settle FTC Matter — 18 September 2026
• Payments Dive — FleetCor enters $100M settlement — 17 September 2026