SAN FRANCISCO -- Shell gas stations are adopting Visa partial authorization, which allows drivers to more easily purchase gasoline at the pump using a Visa prepaid card, Visa USA said. Shell is in the process of expanding this service at stations nationwide.
This solution can prevent declined transactions when the balance on a Visa prepaid card is less than the typical cost of a full tank of gas. The adoption of this solution by thousands of Shell stations nationwide will help to make Visa prepaid cards even easier for consumers to use at the pump.
The adoption of this technology at Shell will help improve customer convenience, the credit card company said. Visa partial authorization gives customers more choice in how they pay for gasoline at the pump.
According to Visa research, partial authorization can help average approval rates increase by up to 25% at automated fuel dispenser (AFD) merchants that use Visa's solution. With this solution in place, gas stations can help ensure Visa prepaid cardholders have a positive and more convenient payment experience at the pump, instead of having to pay inside. It also helps AFD merchants avoid the potential loss of valuable sales.
Visa is focused on building the prepaid category infrastructure to help ensure convenient acceptance and to give consumers greater flexibility to use Visa prepaid cards in more places, said Todd Brockman, senior vice president, prepaid products, Visa USA. With a major oil brand like Shell using Visa partial authorization, consumers can now more easily pay for gas at the pump with a Visa prepaid card. Expanding this functionality also allows financial institutions and merchants to better serve their customers.
A consumer can use a wide range of Visa prepaid cardsincluding, but not limited to, Visa Gift and Incentive cards, Visa TravelMoney, Visa Buxx, Visa Payroll and Visa General Purpose cardsto pay for gasoline at participating stations.
The cardholder inserts the Visa prepaid card at the AFD to begin pumping gasoline. The Visa authorization service checks with the card issuer for funds available for the fuel purchase. If the card only has enough funds to pay for a portion of a total gas purchase, the transaction will no longer be declined, prompting the cardholder to see attendant. Instead, the pump can now be instructed to shut off when the funds on the Visa prepaid card reach zero.
Visa prepaid cards can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, and are protected from fraudulent or unauthorized transactions by Visa's Zero Liability policy in the event the card is lost or stolen, the company said.
Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Co., has a network of approximately 6,000 branded gas stations in the western United States. Shell Oil is a 50% owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining Inc. Motiva refines and markets branded products through approximately 7,700 Shell-branded stations in the eastern and southern United States. Shell Oil is an affiliate of the Shell Group.
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