It's been all over the news, and we hear it from our retailers - petrol theft from drive-offs has increased by 62% compared with a year ago,* as instability in the Middle East drives up fuel prices. So here, we round up some smart tech solutions to help combat them.
Prevent drive-offs with OPT prepay
Securing payment authorisation before fuelling firmly closes the window of opportunity for drive-offs. So one sure-fire option to stop drive-offs is fitting Outdoor Payment Terminals (OPTs) that require card authorisation before the nozzle activates. If the card isn’t authorised, fuelling does not begin. OPTs are common in mainland Europe and we have recently seen a surge in forecourt operator interest here is the UK.
MADIC's MG PAY OPT can be ordered with new pumps or retrofitted into existing pumps, to avoid larger capital costs. Once fitted, three modes offer flexibility;
- Mixed mode - choose to pay in-store or on the OPT
- Pump only - pay by OPT (prevents drive-offs)
- Shop only - pay in-store only
These modes can easily be switched between, so forecourt owners can work out what works best for their business.
For a seamless customer experience, the MG PAY OPT takes UK fuel cards and contactless payment. As well as giving customers the option of fuelling out of hours - with the associated uplift in revenue for forecourt owners.
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Set in-store prepay rules with evoPOS
A cost-effective solution to prevent drive-offs for forecourt retailers is to set pumps to in-store prepay mode with evoPOS. This requires no additional hardware and means motorists must come in-store and pay at the POS before they start fuelling.
Retailers can configure in-store prepay rules to automatically apply during higher-risk periods. Tom Highland, Highland Group says,
At night we move some sites to in-store prepay mode, which works well and prevents drive-offs entirely.
Prepay controls can be applied across the entire forecourt or targeted to specific pumps that are more vulnerable to drive-offs (often those on the far side of the forecourt). Retailers generally put signage up to alert customers when pumps are in prepay mode.
Deter drive-offs and recover losses with CCTV/ANPR
We partner with CCTV/ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) providers to bring the latest in secruity technology to our retailers.
This means transaction data from the POS can be matched to CCTV images taken on the forecourt, helping drive-off investigation and debt recovery.
ANPR recognition prevents drive-offs by alerting staff to backlisted vehicles or people, so cashiers can block the pump before fuelling starts. Valli Forecourts saved an estimated £630, 000 in drive-off losses in 2024 thanks to blacklisted vehicle alerts.
Forecourt owner Rob Gerrish had CCTV installed two years ago and says,
Since we’ve had VARS CCTV installed it has slashed our drive-off loss to a fraction of what it was. Across my three sites, drive-offs were costing us £12,000 a year. The system has acted as a huge deterrent for would-be drive-offs, as well as flagging blacklisted vehicles.
At MADIC we're enhancing our CCTV/ANPR integration by putting blacklisted alerts directly on the POS screen (previously alerts appeared on a separate monitor). This means cashiers have fewer screens to focus on and are more likely to take action on flagged alerts.
As a forecourt technology company we are championing the tech solutions that exist to tackle drive-offs. Allowing retailers to balance security, operational efficiency, and customer convenience.
If you would like further information on any of the technology we've talked about here, please get in touch.
* BBC
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