Wireless payment at Enoc/Eppco stations

Enoc/Eppco stations are going high tech with a new wireless payment option. The new service, known as VIP (Vehicle Identification Pass) is available across the various Enoc/Eppco stations and customers have started buying and sticking these Salik-like tags on their vehicles.

Sales team and promoters wearing the yellow VIP uniforms will be interacting with customers about the new payment cards packets available at Dh250 and a major media campaign has been kicked off as part of the new cashless service, which has already been used by a number of corporate customers for its zero-cheating features.

Over 75,000 commercial vehicles are already using the VIP tags and from Sunday this service has been extended to the general customers. The new product was demonstrated at the Enoc Al Tawar station near the Dubai International Airport on Sunday morning.

“Enoc/Eppco customers can now experience easier, faster and safer refuelling visits to all service stations. Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) has announced the extension of its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based fuel retailing system to all customers across its service stations network,” officials announced at a press conference. Customers who have the tags in their vehicles can also pay cash. Customers can reload the tags sitting at home or office.

The Vehicle Identification Pass is a completely automated and paperless system without the need for cash, fuel cards or receipts. All vehicle owners have to do is to buy the packet, stick it to their vehicles like a Salik tag, drive into the service station, refuel with the help of an attendant and drive off.

Many corporate clients are already using the service, and the necessary infrastructure is in place already as part of the fuel automation system that has been going on in these fuel station. Enoc and Eppco stations are decorated with new hoardings that highlight the smarter, faster, easier and cashless way of refuelling.

“Part of Enoc’s new unified ‘EnocPay’ platform, ViP uses a technology which consists of a securely encoded electronic security tag mounted near the fuel tanks. This allows the nozzle to automatically recognise the fuelling preferences individuals have set for their car, calculate the amount of fuel filled from the dispenser, and deduct the money automatically from the individual’s ViP account,” officials announced. “This speeds up the refuelling process and enables customers to better manage their accounts and set budgets for each fuelling transaction.”

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO of Enoc, said: “The ViP offering is an outcome of our commitment to advancing the Dubai Government’s Smart City initiative. Innovation lies at the core of all our offerings which eventually is aimed at enhancing customer experience and satisfaction.” The ViP system uses radio-frequency to log in the details of the purchase at a secured database at Enoc, which calculates all parameters associated with the customer account.

All 112 stations from the Enoc/Eppco network will have a one-stop shop in which customers can purchase the ViP smart tag and get it installed on the vehicle, all in one location.

 The ViP package will be sold at Dh250/unit. Customers can set up as many personal vehicles per account, thus enabling large families or individuals with multiple vehicles to better manage their fuel budgets. The documents required to register for ViP are: Emirates ID for residents or passport copies for visitors, and the vehicle registration card.

After every transaction, customers will receive an SMS and an email with the amount deducted and the remaining balance in their accounts. In addition, registered customers will have access to a dedicated portal where customers can log in to access their information in real time and manage fuel budgets, as well as top-up their accounts.

Top-ups can also be made with cash or card at all c-stores in service stations.  The ViP service has been preferred by corporate customers due to its zero cheating features and paperless cashless transactions involving the vehicle drivers and fuel attendants.

Burhan Al Hashemi, Managing Director, Enoc Retail, said: “Since we launched ViP for corporate customers two years ago, over 75,000 commercial vehicles, including 8,000 taxis, were able to benefit from this technology. Over 3,000 of our commercial customers were able to save four to six per cent annually on their fuel expenses and reduce waiting time at the stations, thus increasing their operational efficiency.

“Now, by extending this service to the general public, we are passing on the benefits of this technology, which are real and time-tested. We hope ViP also becomes a unique tool for people to plan their budgets as all information related to their fuel usage becomes available at the click of a button.”

Enoc expects to eventually launch the ‘EnocPay’ mobile app, which will aggregate all current and future payment methods into a single interface. It is expected to be available on iOS and Android phones by Q4 2016

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