STS recently had the opportunity to discuss the use of smart cards with some of the key industry players of the Fuel & Forecourt sector. Recognised as innovators within the world of smart cards STS was asked their opinion on the best way to move this payments area forward. With many things to consider, none more than the customer experience, it seems that there are quite a few options open to the issuers of fuel cards.

However, to come up with a solution that keeps all parties happy will be a real challenge. Retailers have already invested in the standards of EMV and PCI-DSS so they will not want to adopt additional extra technology or standards that do not fit within the scope of these, as it then becomes more costly to manage. They will of course want to keep the cost down, but will not want the impact of any EMV licensing to have a knock on affect to them.

On a positive note, adding smart card capability to fuel cards opens up a world of opportunity. Adding PIN functionality will allow tighter controls on usage and the microprocessor in the card will support multiple application use, allowing the issuers to offer their account holders value added propositions such as purchasing more than fuel on the card or adding loyalty points.

It certainly seems that the way forward for fuel cards is to go smart! However, it's the standards that the cards will work to that is yet to be decided. We look forward to being involved in many more discussions in this sector, offering up our extensive expertise in smart card enablement. Watch this space!

If you are involved in the Fuel & Forecourt arena and would like to discuss the benefits of smart cards please call STS +44 (0)20 8680 0252, email info@stspayments.com or visit our website at http://www.stspayments.com