What was announced
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the program “Cashback on Fuel”, which will operate from March 20 to May 1 as part of the “National Cashback.” The launch was announced by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.
"From March 20, Ukrainians will be able to receive partial compensation for fuel expenses — this is a temporary measure to ease household spending during a period of price volatility."
— Yuliia Svyrydenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine
How much will be compensated
The state set cashback rates by fuel type: 15% — diesel, 10% — gasoline, 5% — autogas. According to official calculations, this provides savings of approximately 2–11 UAH per liter — depending on the price at a given filling station network.
The maximum compensation amount is up to 1,000 UAH per person per month.
Who has already joined
Participation in the program has been confirmed by networks: Ukrnafta, WOG, OKKO, KLO, BRCM-Nafta, Amik Energy, Motto, BVS, Chipo, Parallel, Autotrans, Rodnik, Mango, VostokGas. This makes it possible to receive cashback at a large portion of Ukraine’s filling station network.
How it works for the driver
Compensation will be credited automatically for users of the “National Cashback” when paying by card. To use the program, you need to get a card from a partner bank and select it in the Diia app for payments and payouts.
Saved funds can be used to pay for utilities, medicines, Ukrainian-made food products, books, postal services, or to support the Ukrainian armed forces.
Why this is happening now
On global markets in early March, oil and petroleum products increased in price due to supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. This affected prices at Ukrainian filling stations — accordingly, the government introduced a temporary mechanism of partial reimbursement to soften the impact on consumers.
"The spike in fuel prices was more a result of market frenzy and panic than a shortage of supplies."
— Serhiy Kuyun, Director of A-95 Consulting Group
At the same time, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine is checking the market for light petroleum products after the price increase to prevent collusion or unjustified markups.
What this means for your budget
The effect of the cashback will depend on your monthly fuel expenses. For example, with average consumption of 40 liters per month, savings of 2–11 UAH per liter yield roughly 80–440 UAH in additional resources, and using diesel with a higher percentage will result in more. The maximum cap — 1,000 UAH per month — protects those who spend larger sums on fuel each month.
What’s next
This is a temporary and targeted measure: it provides a quick financial effect for consumers and reduces social tension. However, long-term stabilization depends on the situation in global markets, effective oversight by the Antimonopoly Committee, and transparency in the fuel retail market. The question on the agenda is whether this mechanism will evolve into a more sustainable social protection tool or remain a targeted response to the crisis.
While attention is fixed on the numbers on receipts, it is worth watching two things: whether fuel availability across networks will be maintained and whether operators will offset revenue reductions by increasing prices for other services. The answers to these questions will determine the real impact of the program on your wallet.
