Engen Petroleum (Engen), South Africa’s leading petrol and diesel retailer, has announced a breakthrough in forecourt convenience and safety. Motorists can now pay by credit card for their fuel at 600 Engen 1-Stop and Quickshop service stations across the country.

Pierr Roodt, Engen retail marketing manager, says thanks to the company’s trail-blazing re-negotiation of bank fees on VISA and MASTERCARD transactions, dealers can now offer competitively-priced fuel, even if paid for by card.

Engen’s good-news announcement follows a law amendment that allows dealers to accept credit cards, partly to accommodate the massive influx of international visitors expected in 2010.

Roodt says Engen fully agrees with government thinking. “We want to extend an African Welcome to all visitors, including football lovers from around the world next year.” He says. “We’re gearing up to offer a world-class retail experience that is both more convenient and safer than before.”

Engen won’t compel dealers to accept credit cards, but Roodt says it makes sense to take MASTERCARD and VISA cards, on which a much lower fee will now be levied.

He says the initiative is an industry-first for Engen. “We believe we are the only network with the ability to speedily action this initiative, across all our Quickshop and SEFT-enabled sites, numbering about 600.”

In the next two weeks, Engen’s automation department will enable all its Secure Electronic Fund Transfer (SEFT) devices, operated by merchants choosing to participate.

Consumers are advised to look out for ‘credit card accepted’ signage at participating forecourts.