The days of rummaging through your bag to scramble some cash together at the fuel pump is now a thing of the past thanks to a new cashless and cardless payment option launched on Monday across 112 petrol stations in the UAE.
The new system, known as Vehicle Identification Pass (ViP), is an extension of Emirates National Oil Company's (Enoc) Radio Frequency Identification (RfID) based fuel retailing system, and will be available at all Enoc/Eppco stations.
On an average, users will save around three minutes per each re-fueling transaction, totaling 219 minutes annually for customers refueling their vehicle every five days.
Likely to prove popular for own-ers with two or more vehicles, Burhan Al Hashemi, Managing Director, Enoc Retail told Khaleej Times it expects around "100,000 applications for the service" in the first six months.
"This system promotes better manageability for car owners . We expect it to be popular for families with more than one vehicle as well as business owners. But even for one-vehicle residents, the time-saving aspect is attractive.
"From today, customers can fill out one of the ViP application forms at any one of the stations across the UAE - more than 80 of which are located in Dubai - after which they can purchase the Dh250 per unit Smart Tag for each vehicle.
Residents must show proof of Emirates ID and vehicle registration card and for tourists, a passport and vehicle registration card is needed. Registration is instant once the user confirms the application by following the SMS and email notification.
Part of Enoc's new unified 'ENOCPay' platform, ViP uses an innovative 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.
After every transaction, customers will receive an SMS and an email with the amount de-ducted and the remaining balance in their accounts.
There is no limit on the amount of cars registered under one name and the cars do not have to be registered under the user's name - thus enabling large families or individuals with multiple vehicles to better manage their fuel budgets. Users can top-up their account online or at any of the Enoc/Eppco stations across the country.
In Q3 2016, a mobile application (on both Android and iOs) will be launched alongside the service, where users can manage their accounts using their phone. With Enoc planning to increase its capacity by 40 per cent between 2016 and 2020, an additional 54 stations across the country will host the ViP system.ViP was launched for corporate customers two years ago, with more than 75,000 commercial vehicles benefiting from this tech-nology - 3,000 customers of which saved between four to six per cent annually on their fuel expenses.
For long-term Dubai resident, Arvin Lobatana, ViP sounds like the "smart option".
"It's definitely something I'll look into. It is a helpful alternative, especially if you forget your card or cash," he said.
And Indian expatriate, Chitresh Prajary agreed."For families especially, this is a great service. For instance if your son or daughter drives a vehicle then the parent can manage the fuel expenses remotely meaning their child doesn't have to carry cash for refueling. It's good management. And if it saves time too, that's a bonus."
