Updated for Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.1.
Star Citizen Refueling Contract Finder
Interactive tool and beginner guide. Start with the steps below if you have never done it, or skip to the tables for every contract, what your tanker can fill in one trip, and where fuel is cheapest.
How to refuel a ship, how to sell fuel to other people, and whether the job is worth flying. This covers both sides of the beam: what to do when you need fuel, and what to do when you are the one carrying it. Further down there are tables for every contract, every ship a tanker can fill in one trip, and where fuel is cheapest, so the reading and the planning are in the same place.
How refueling works, step by step
Two jobs share one beam. If you are out of fuel you can call a tanker to you with a beacon, dock with it and buy some. If you are the tanker you buy fuel cheaply, fly it out and sell it on. Neither side is complicated, but almost every part of it is hidden behind a console or an app you would not find by accident.
Open the beginner guideSix steps, both sides of the beam: calling a tanker and buying fuel, then loading pods and selling it.
Getting refueled by an NPCYou are the one who needs fuel. Call a tanker to you, dock, and buy it.
Getting fuel when nobody is around
- Open your mobiGlas with F1.
- Go to the Contracts Manager app and select Beacons.
- Pick Refueling Service from the dropdown and create the beacon.
- Stay where you are. A refueling ship comes to you, usually a Starfarer, and a player may take the beacon instead of a crewed one.
Docking and buying the fuel
- Look at the tanker and press T to target it.
- Bring your ship close to its docking collar and press Right Alt + N to request docking. The rest of the approach is automatic once it is accepted.
- When you are attached, open the mobiGlas and go to Landing Services.
- Choose how much hydrogen or quantum you want and confirm. Your tanks fill and you are charged at whatever price the tanker has set.
- Press Right Alt + N again to undock.
Refueling NPCs and playersYou are the one carrying the fuel. Buy low, fly out, and sell it on.
Loading your pods
- At a station, buy fuel through the vehicle services app exactly as you would buy cargo.
- Use the manual option to fill each pod separately. A pod holds one fuel type, so the split you load is the split you can sell.
- Quantum is worth roughly five times as much per unit as hydrogen, so think about the mix before you leave.
Making the transfer
- Fly out to the client. The job does not come to you.
- Go to the console on the bridge behind the pilot seat and deploy the boom arm.
- Accept their docking request. Fueling a computer-controlled ship works the same way except that you have to send the request.
- Set your price for each fuel. The automatic setting adds ten per cent to what you paid.
- Open pod management, pick the pod, set the transfer rate, then switch the nozzle to open.
- Close the nozzle or stop the pod when the job is done.
Do not rush the transfer
- Pumping too fast risks an overflow, which damages the nozzle and throws fuel into space that nobody pays for.
- The faster nozzles are worth fitting, but the rate control exists for a reason and a spilled pod costs more than the minutes it saved.
Moving fuel between your own pods
- Use the same bridge console to rebalance mid-flight.
- Press pump on the pod you want to fill and open on the pod you want to empty.
- This is the only way to fix a bad split without flying back to a station.
How refueling pays
Open the money basicsWhich fuel pays, when you pay for it, and why a pod holds only one type.
Two fuels, very different money
Ships burn hydrogen for thrusters and quantum fuel for jumps. Hydrogen is cheap and every ship needs it. Quantum costs about five times as much per unit, so it carries roughly five times the margin on the same pod space. A tanker that fills every pod with hydrogen is doing the most work for the least return.
You buy the fuel first
Fill your pods at a station like any other purchase, fly to the client, and sell it on. The default price the app offers is 10% over what you paid, so your profit is set the moment you buy. Buying at the cheapest station is worth more than flying faster.
One pod, one fuel
Each pod holds a single type, so the split you load at the station is the split you can sell. Get it wrong and you are carrying dead weight to a client who wanted the other one. Contracts say which fuel they want, and that is in the table below.
The ships that can refuel others
Open the ship comparisonWhat each tanker carries, what it costs to buy, and what a full load is worth.
| Ship | Pods | Each | Total | Pod fitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlite | 2 | 12 SCU | 24 SCU | CR-60 |
| Starfarer | 6 | 12 SCU | 72 SCU | CR-60 |
| Starfarer Gemini | 6 | 12 SCU | 72 SCU | CR-60 |
Starlite refueling: carries 2 fuel pods holding 24 SCU in total, which is what decides how large a contract it can finish without going back to a station. A full load of quantum fuel costs about 23,280 aUEC and returns roughly 2,328 on top at the price the app offers by default. It is flyable, but still inside its exclusivity period, so it cannot yet be bought with in-game credits.
Starfarer refueling: carries 6 fuel pods holding 72 SCU in total, which is what decides how large a contract it can finish without going back to a station. A full load of quantum fuel costs about 69,840 aUEC and returns roughly 6,984 on top at the price the app offers by default. Buying one costs 12,568,500 aUEC, from Astro Armada in Area18 and New Deal in Lorville.
Starfarer Gemini refueling: carries 6 fuel pods holding 72 SCU in total, which is what decides how large a contract it can finish without going back to a station. A full load of quantum fuel costs about 69,840 aUEC and returns roughly 6,984 on top at the price the app offers by default. Buying one costs 14,244,300 aUEC, from Astro Armada in Area18 and New Deal in Lorville.
The best fuel nozzle, and the pods behind it
Open the nozzle and pod tablesEvery fuel nozzle by transfer rate, and every pod by capacity and flow.
The fuel nozzle sets how fast fuel moves, and speed is a real trade rather than a free upgrade. Push too hard and you risk overflowing the transfer, which damages the nozzle and throws fuel into space. There is no single best fuel nozzle: the quick ones are for clients you trust to sit still, and the slow ones are for everyone else.
| Nozzle | Rate | Of fastest | When to fit it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bendix | 1.27 | 100% | Fastest available |
| Ezra | 1.09 | 86% | Quick, and still steady |
| Torrez | 1.07 | 84% | Quick, and still steady |
| Lindstrom | 1 | 79% | Slow and safe, for a client you do not trust to hold still |
| RN-7s | 0.83 | 65% | Slow and safe, for a client you do not trust to hold still |
| Norfield | 0.73 | 57% | Slow and safe, for a client you do not trust to hold still |
| Marlin | 0.52 | 41% | Slow and safe, for a client you do not trust to hold still |
| Harkin | 0.52 | 41% | Slow and safe, for a client you do not trust to hold still |
4 further entries are left out: the boom arm itself, which carries no rate, and the tanker’s own built-in nozzle, which is part of the ship rather than something you fit.
| Pod | Size | Holds | Hydrogen flow | Quantum flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSX-EX | 2 | 16.8 SCU | 0.45 | 0.45 |
| Nemec | 2 | 16 SCU | 2.15 | 2.15 |
| FuelPod AI STOR Big | 2 | 14.3 SCU | 0.54 | 0.54 |
| GSX-RF | 2 | 14.3 SCU | 0.54 | 0.54 |
| Gargant | 2 | 12.4 SCU | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| CR-60 | 2 | 12 SCU | 1.16 | 1.16 |
| Rumford | 2 | 12 SCU | 2.06 | 2.06 |
| GSX-HP | 2 | 6.2 SCU | 0.54 | 0.54 |
| Bonito | 2 | 4.8 SCU | 1.7 | 1.7 |
What your tanker can fill in one trip
Pick your tanker and the list cuts itself down to the clients it can finish on a single load. The test is whole pods rather than total capacity, because a pod carries one fuel type: a client wanting both hydrogen and quantum uses at least one pod of each, however little of either it needs. If what you actually want is tank sizes and quantum range for your own ship, the Fuel & Jump Range Tracker covers that in far more detail.
Select_Tanker
198 ships listed. Aegis Javelin and the Vanduul Mauler Destroyer are left out: their fuel figures run hundreds of times larger than any other hull, and they are capital ships no one is going to ask you to fill.
The contract ladder
Refueling contracts come from one organisation, and they open up as your standing with it rises. Each rung asks for bigger clients: the first jobs are a single light fighter, the last are capital ships and whole fleets. The fuel column is what a full fill of that client list would take, so treat it as the worst case rather than a promise.
| Standing | Reputation | Contracts | Biggest full fill | Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | 0 | 18 | 23.4 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Jr. Contractor | 800 | 6 | 7.8 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Contractor | 2,200 | 9 | 24.9 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Sr. Contractor | 5,800 | 9 | 52.2 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Veteran Contractor | 15,000 | 9 | 54.8 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Head Contractor | 38,000 | 9 | 106.4 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, Stanton |
| Elite Contractor | 95,250 | 5 | 113.4 SCU | Nyx, Pyro, PyroNyx, Stanton |
| Standing | Job | Fuel | Clients | Full fill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 very small | 0.9 H |
| Neutral | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 very small | 0.9 H |
| Neutral | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 very small | 0.9 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small | 1.8 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small | 1.8 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small | 1.8 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small, 1 small | 4.4 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small, 1 small | 4.4 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very small, 1 small | 4.4 H |
| Jr. Contractor | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 medium | 7.8 H |
| Jr. Contractor | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 medium | 7.8 H |
| Jr. Contractor | Single ship | Hydrogen | 1 medium | 7.8 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 small, 1 medium | 13 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 small, 1 medium | 13 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 small, 1 medium | 13 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 medium | 23.4 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 medium | 23.4 H |
| Neutral | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 medium | 23.4 H |
| Contractor | Single ship | Quantum | 1 large | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 2 small, 1 medium | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Single ship | Quantum | 1 large | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 2 small, 1 medium | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Single ship | Quantum | 1 large | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 2 small, 1 medium | 7.7 Q |
| Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 1 medium, 1 large | 24.9 H |
| Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 1 medium, 1 large | 24.9 H |
| Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 1 medium, 1 large | 24.9 H |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 3 large | 23.1 Q |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 3 large | 23.1 Q |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Quantum | 3 large | 23.1 Q |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 large | 51.3 H |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 large | 51.3 H |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 large | 51.3 H |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Both | 2 medium, 1 large | 32.7 H + 19.5 Q |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Both | 2 medium, 1 large | 32.7 H + 19.5 Q |
| Sr. Contractor | Convoy | Both | 2 medium, 1 large | 32.7 H + 19.5 Q |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 6 medium | 46.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 6 medium | 46.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 6 medium | 46.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 large, 2 medium | 49.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 large, 2 medium | 49.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 large, 2 medium | 49.8 H |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Both | 4 medium | 31.2 H + 23.6 Q |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Both | 4 medium | 31.2 H + 23.6 Q |
| Veteran Contractor | Convoy | Both | 4 medium | 31.2 H + 23.6 Q |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very large | 75.6 H |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very large | 75.6 H |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 2 very large | 75.6 H |
| Head Contractor | Single ship | Both | 1 capital | 59.3 H + 31.5 Q |
| Head Contractor | Single ship | Both | 1 capital | 59.3 H + 31.5 Q |
| Head Contractor | Single ship | Both | 1 capital | 59.3 H + 31.5 Q |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Both | 1 very large, 2 large | 72 H + 34.4 Q |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Both | 1 very large, 2 large | 72 H + 34.4 Q |
| Head Contractor | Convoy | Both | 1 very large, 2 large | 72 H + 34.4 Q |
| Elite Contractor | Fleet | Both | 1 capital | 59.3 H + 31.5 Q |
| Elite Contractor | Fleet | Both | 1 capital | 59.3 H + 31.5 Q |
| Elite Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 very large | 113.4 H |
| Elite Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 very large | 113.4 H |
| Elite Contractor | Convoy | Hydrogen | 3 very large | 113.4 H |
Fuel figures assume every client is completely empty, which is the worst case. What a contract pays is worked out when it finishes, from the fuel that actually moved, so no payout is listed for any of them. A further 26 contracts exist in an unfinished state and are left out, since they cannot currently be accepted.
How long the climb takes
Reputation is the one reward these contracts pay reliably, so it is worth knowing what it costs up front. The first ranks arrive quickly and then the curve turns hard.
| Standing | Reputation | Jobs for this rank | Total so far | Contracts | Biggest full fill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | 0 | start here | 18 | 23.4 SCU | |
| Jr. Contractor | 800 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7.8 SCU |
| Contractor | 2,200 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 24.9 SCU |
| Sr. Contractor | 5,800 | 18 | 36 | 9 | 52.2 SCU |
| Veteran Contractor | 15,000 | 46 | 82 | 9 | 54.8 SCU |
| Head Contractor | 38,000 | 115 | 197 | 9 | 106.4 SCU |
| Elite Contractor | 95,250 | 287 | 484 | 5 | 113.4 SCU |
About 484 completed contracts to reach Elite Contractor, and 59% of that is the final rank on its own. The early ranks come quickly, so the question is whether you want the biggest jobs badly enough to run the middle of the ladder. Reputation is the only fixed reward on these contracts, and it is what the climb buys.
Where to buy fuel
Hydrogen is flat
It costs 196 aUEC per SCU at all
21 stations that stock it, so there is no shopping around to
do. At the default price that is about
19.6 aUEC per SCU of profit to you.
Quantum is where the money is
It runs 970 to
978 aUEC per SCU across 21 stations,
which is about 97 aUEC per SCU of profit, roughly
5 times what
hydrogen returns for the same pod space.
Your price is set at the pump
The default charge is 10% over what you paid,
so the station you buy at decides the whole run. You can set your own price
instead, but a client who can read a commodity screen knows what you paid.
| Fuel | Station | System | aUEC / SCU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen | Levski | Nyx | 196 |
| Hydrogen | IO North Tower – Area 18 | Stanton | 196 |
| Hydrogen | Admin – Stanton Gateway (Nyx) | Nyx | 196 |
| Hydrogen | Admin – Pyro Gateway (Nyx) | Nyx | 196 |
| Hydrogen | Admin – Nyx Gateway (Pyro) | Pyro | 196 |
| Hydrogen | Admin – Stanton Gateway (Pyro) | Pyro | 196 |
| Quantum | Admin – Megumi Refueling | Pyro | 970 |
| Quantum | IO North Tower – Area 18 | Stanton | 978 |
| Quantum | Admin – Nyx Gateway (Stanton) | Stanton | 978 |
| Quantum | Admin – Stanton Gateway (Nyx) | Nyx | 978 |
| Quantum | Admin – Pyro Gateway (Nyx) | Nyx | 978 |
| Quantum | Admin – Nyx Gateway (Pyro) | Pyro | 978 |
Before you fly out
Load the right split
A pod holds one fuel type, so decide the mix before you leave the station. Quantum is the money, but a client who only needs thrusters will not buy it, and a pod of quantum you cannot sell is capital sitting in your ship.
Check the job against your pods
The larger contracts ask for more fuel than a single load can cover, and you are the one doing the flying. The ladder lists the worst case for each rung, so compare that with your total pod capacity before you accept, because a second trip back to a station is your time.
Not every request is genuine
Some contracts on offer are decoys. A refueling ship is slow, lightly armed and stationary while it works, which makes it worth the trouble to ambush. Treat a request in a quiet part of space with the same care you would a distress beacon.
Fill figures are a ceiling
The fuel numbers assume the client is completely empty, which is the worst case rather than the usual one. A ship that limped in on fumes will take the full amount; one topping up before a long jump will take far less, and you are paid for what actually moves.
Buy low, then fly
Because the default price is a fixed percentage over what you paid, the station you buy at sets your profit for the whole run. Hydrogen sells at the same price almost everywhere, but quantum moves between stations, so it is worth knowing which ones are cheap.
Standing is the real gate
Contracts appear as your reputation with the club rises, and the bigger jobs need a great deal of it. The early work is thin, so the first stretch is about building standing rather than making money.
Refueling questions
Which ships can refuel other ships in Star Citizen?
Starlite, Starfarer and the Starfarer Gemini. Both Starfarers carry six fuel pods and the Starlite carries two, so the Starlite is the small, cheap way into the job and the Starfarer is the one that can finish a large contract without going back for more. No other ship can transfer fuel, and it is not something that can be fitted to one.
How do you refuel a ship in Star Citizen?
If there is no tanker nearby, open your mobiGlas with F1, go to the Contracts Manager app, select Beacons, and create a Refueling Service beacon. A refueling ship will come to you. When it arrives, target it with T, get close to its docking collar and press Right Alt and N to dock. Once you are attached, open the mobiGlas again, go to Landing Services, pick how much hydrogen or quantum you want, and confirm. Press Right Alt and N to undock when it is done.
How do you fill fuel pods on a Starfarer?
At a station, exactly as you would buy any other cargo, through the vehicle services app. Use the manual option to put fuel into each pod individually, because a pod holds one type only and the split you load is the split you can sell. Once you are flying you can still move fuel between your own pods from the bridge console by opening one pod and pumping into another, which is the only way to fix a bad split without going back.
How long does it take to reach the top refueling rank?
Around 484 completed contracts, and the work is very unevenly spread. The first two ranks take a handful of jobs each, while the last one on its own is more than half the total climb. Reputation is the only reward these contracts pay reliably, since the money depends on how much fuel actually changes hands, so the ladder is what you are really working through.
Which fuel nozzle is best in Star Citizen?
It depends entirely on who you are fueling. The quickest nozzle moves fuel roughly two and a half times faster than the slowest, which matters when you are working through a convoy, but pushing the rate up is what causes an overflow, and an overflow damages the nozzle and sprays fuel into space that nobody pays for. A steady middle nozzle is the sensible default, and the quick ones are worth fitting when you trust the client to hold still. The table above lists every fuel nozzle with its rate.
Starfarer or Starfarer Gemini for refueling?
For refueling itself there is nothing between them. Both carry six pods of twelve units, so both fill exactly the same clients in exactly the same time, and the Gemini costs a little over a million and a half more. The Gemini is the militarised version, so you are paying for how it handles being shot at rather than for anything to do with fuel. Buy the standard one unless you expect trouble.
Is refueling profitable in Star Citizen?
It is steady rather than rich. The price offered by default is 10% over what you paid, so a full load of quantum fuel in a Starfarer costs 69,840 aUEC and returns about 6,984 aUEC on top, while the same pods filled with hydrogen return roughly 1,411 aUEC. The money is in quantum and in buying it cheaply, not in flying more runs.
How much fuel does a ship hold?
It ranges from under a single unit on a light fighter to around sixty on the largest hulls. The table above lists both tanks for every ship in the game, along with what a full fill costs and what you can charge for it. Many small ships carry no quantum tank at all, so they can only ever buy hydrogen from you.
What standing do you need for refueling contracts?
The first jobs are open to anyone at neutral standing, and the ladder runs up through several ranks to the largest fleet contracts, which need a great deal of reputation. Each rung asks for bigger clients rather than more of them, so the jump in fuel needed between the early and late contracts is far larger than the jump in numbers suggests.
How much do refueling contracts pay?
The payout is worked out when the job finishes, from how much fuel actually changed hands, so there is no fixed figure to quote for any of them. What is fixed is the reputation, which is what gets you the larger contracts, and the blueprints some of them reward. Judge a contract on the fuel it will take and the standing it pays rather than on an advertised number.
Hydrogen or quantum fuel: which should you carry?
Quantum, wherever the contract allows it. It costs about five times as much per unit and the default price is a percentage, so the same pod space earns roughly five times as much. The catch is that a pod holds only one type, and a client who wants thrusters filled will not take quantum, so most runs end up carrying both.
