Skip to content
Ring Road Cars

Fuel in Iceland: paying at the pump and returning the car full

Last updated: 8 November 2026

Prepared by Ring Road Cars at Keflavík Airport and checked against the official sources listed at the end of this page.

A paved two-lane road winding toward mossy green hills under low cloud

Short answer

Most fuel stations in Iceland are self-service: you pay at the pump before you fill up, with a card and its PIN, and the pump places a temporary hold on your card. No PIN? Pay with your phone where the pump accepts it, or buy an N1 prepaid card at a staffed N1 station while it is open. Fill up with the fuel stated on the car — petrol (gasoline) or diesel — and bring our car back full, refueled within 5 km of the return location.

How paying at the pump works

Most fuel stations in Iceland are self-service, and many in the countryside are pumps only, with no shop or staff. You pay at the pump before you fill up, with a credit or debit card and its PIN:

  1. Choose English on the screen if it is offered.
  2. Insert or tap your card and enter your PIN.
  3. Choose the number of the pump you are at.
  4. Check the fuel name on the pump, lift that nozzle and fill up.
  5. Hang the nozzle back up. Only the fuel you took is charged to your card.

At N1: An N1 fuel-discount tag on your keyring gives a discount when you fill up at N1 stations. Tap it on the pump's reader before your card.

The temporary hold on your card

Before you fill up, the pump asks your bank to approve a hold on your card — up to ISK 22,000 at N1 and ISK 30,000 at Olís and ÓB. When you finish, the hold is cancelled and only the fuel you took is charged, normally within minutes, though some banks take longer to release a hold (N1 says up to 30 days). An N1 prepaid card avoids the hold.

If your card has no PIN or is declined

Self-service pumps generally need a card with a PIN, so ask your bank for yours before you travel. If you don't have one, or the pump declines your card:

  • Try a debit card. N1 suggests this to travelers whose credit card has no PIN, as debit cards usually have one.
  • Pay with your phone. Orkan accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay at its pumps, and N1 says Apple Pay and contactless cards generally work at its pumps too.
  • Buy an N1 prepaid card at a staffed N1 service station while it is open. It needs no PIN, works at N1 pumps all over Iceland and puts no hold on your own card.
  • Add an Orkan card to your phone. You can apply online, free of charge, for an Orkan card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and link a card without a PIN to it; Orkan's pumps then need no PIN.

Sort this out early, while staffed stations are open: in the countryside, many stations are pumps only.

Petrol or diesel: which does your car take?

The fuel your car takes is stated on the car: check the label on the fuel cap before you fill up. Never guess from the model — among our cars, the Dacia Duster 4x4 comes in both petrol and diesel versions. If you are unsure, ask us when you collect the car.

Fuel names at Icelandic stations
FuelIn IcelandicNozzle color at N1
PetrolBensín — 95 octane; some stations also sell 98Green
DieselDísel (dísilolía)Black

Colors help, but read the fuel name every time: the wrong fuel can damage the engine. What to do if it happens is explained below.

Where and when to fill up

There are fuel stations in towns and villages all around the Ring Road. Iceland's fuel companies include N1, Olís and its low-price brand ÓB, Orkan and Atlantsolía, and each lists its stations online: N1, Olís and ÓB, Orkan and Atlantsolía (in Icelandic).

  • Fill up when the tank is half empty, as N1 itself recommends — stations can be far apart, especially in the north and east and on the way to the highlands.
  • In winter, keep the tank at least half full: a storm or a closed road can hold you up for hours.
  • Prices differ between companies and between stations.
  • Running out of fuel is not covered by Roadside Assistance Protection.

Returning the car full

Our fuel policy is full to full: you collect the car with a full tank and return it full, refueled within 5 km of the return location. A plug-in hybrid need not be returned charged.

If the tank is not full, we charge the missing fuel in eighths of a tank — a part eighth counts as a whole one, so two and a half missing eighths are charged as three — at the price per liter that N1 publishes for its station at Flugvellir 27, 230 Reykjanesbær (n1.is), on the day we refuel the car, without markup, plus a refueling fee of €30. Examples per car are on Fees & charges.

If you put in the wrong fuel

  1. Do not start the engine. If you only notice after driving off, stop as soon as it is safe and switch the engine off.
  2. Call us on +354 779 9499, day or night.

No waiver covers misfueling

Draining and repair are charged at documented cost, plus the towing and transport fee if the car has to be moved (rental terms, clause 21). Roadside Assistance Protection does not cover misfueling either.

Questions about fuel in Iceland

Do I need a PIN to buy fuel in Iceland?

Usually, yes. Most stations are self-service, and their pumps generally need a card with a PIN, so ask your bank for yours before you travel. Without one, try a debit card, pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay where the pump accepts it, or buy an N1 prepaid card at a staffed N1 station while it is open.

Are gas stations in Iceland open 24 hours?

Their self-service pumps are: Orkan and ÓB say their pumps are open 24/7, and N1's self-service stations are open around the clock too. Shops at staffed stations usually keep shorter hours, which vary by station, so buy a prepaid card or anything else you need while they are open.

How do I know if my rental car takes petrol or diesel?

It is stated on the car: check the label on the fuel cap before you fill up, and never guess from the model, as some models come in both versions. In Icelandic, petrol is bensín and diesel is dísel. If you are unsure, call us on +354 779 9499.

What happens if I return the rental car without a full tank?

We charge the missing fuel in eighths of a tank, counting a part eighth as a whole one, at the price per liter N1 publishes for its Flugvellir 27 station in Reykjanesbær on the day we refuel, without markup, plus a refueling fee of €30. To avoid it, refuel within 5 km of the return location.

What if I put the wrong fuel in a rental car?

Do not start the engine, and call us on +354 779 9499, day or night. No waiver covers misfueling: draining and repair are charged at documented cost, plus the towing and transport fee if the car has to be moved.

Sources

The facts on this page come from the fuel companies' own pages and our rental terms (checked 8 November 2026):

Plan your trip