You can now buy fuel with your smartphone

Cape Town - In February 2017, we reported on news that Jaguar and Land Rover has teamed-up with petrol company Shell to offer owners the option to pay for fuel via the touchscreen of their car. The bad news? It's only available in the UK. 

A couple of days ago, we received a press release from Total and Zapper about new technology that allows South African motorists to fill their fuel tanks without carrying cash or cards. 

Available at 300 fuel stations

Total Bonjour and Thrupps service stations have integrated mobile payments with the Zapper app into 300 of their service stations nationwide as a fast payment solution for drivers who want a quick and easy visit.

By scanning a safe and secure QR Code with their smartphone, customers at Total Bonjour can effortlessly top up their tanks without worrying about a forgotten wallet, faulty card chips or waiting for card machines to free up every time they arrive to fill up.  They can simply scan, pay and go at their convenience.

The new payment method also lets you pay for groceries inside their convenience stores and car washes, and for an oil change if needed; as Total’s way of making the petrol station a one-stop-shop where as many errands as possible can be completed in half the time it would usually take elsewhere.

No bank charges

Marisa Barnard, Retail and Convenience Programme Manager said: “Total is always looking for innovative ways to raise the bar on customer satisfaction.  By combining our range of services with Zapper’s easy payment method, we are bringing an added level of convenience to our customer’s day. More convenience at our convenience stores and a more efficient service experience means that Total and Zapper make your trips to the garage quick and easy."

Digital loyalty cards that reward regular patronage with discount vouchers once the spend threshold has been reached, are also available for use at selected Total Bonjour stations. These can be downloaded on the Zapper App Merchant Finder or by scanning a unique QR code inside a Total convenience store.

Zapper’s high security features ensure that personal and private information is encrypted and cannot be copied or cloned for complete user safety. An added advantage of using the app is that there aren’t additional bank charges or hidden service fees.