FleetCheck has scrapped its standard set-up fees for new customers and absorbed the cost into its monthly pricing structure.

The fleet management software provider says the move will set a precedent in the sector.

Peter Golding, managing director of FleetCheck, said: “The whole concept of set-up fees really dates back to the pre-Internet era when technicians went out to install the software, which was sold to fleets at a very high single initial price, plus an annual maintenance fee.

“Today, no-one in the fleet software sector sells their products in that way. Initial fees are minimised in favour of a low monthly rental for a cloud-based solution. That means the whole idea of set-up fees is really part of an older mindset.”

Fleetcheck has invested in its system, processes and infrastructure to simplify the work needed to set up and on-board accounts, so it no longer needs to charge for the time taken.

As long as new customers do not need any additional work beyond a standard implementation, FleetCheck can now absorb the cost, including initial training, into its existing monthly charging structure.

“This is something that we believe will be, over time, adopted across the industry in the interests of absolute pricing transparency and the kind of debate that we, as effectively a challenger brand in the sector, should be prompting,” said Golding.

The move is part of an ongoing strategy by FleetCheck to make its activities as visible as possible to customers.

Golding explained: “There has traditionally been quite a lot of smoke and mirrors around IT in general and we are very much about firmly rejecting that approach. Our job is to deliver a product that makes life easier and more productive for fleet operators, supported by great service, charged at a reasonable price.”

So far in 2021, the company is signing up more than one fleet a day.