MiFuel, a solution that lets drivers pay for fuel using their mobile phones, is now available from Micros Systems.

Drivers register, then pay for petrol purchases by accessing MiFuel on their smartphones.

From inside their car, the customer simply logs in, indicates which pump they’re using, and then fills their tank with the amount of fuel required. Once the nozzle is replaced, payment is taken through the customer’s PayPal account and an electronic receipt is delivered instantly.

The system also allows customers to locate a petrol station that offers the mobile pay at pump service, using GPS.

For the forecourt operator, MiFuel is fully integrated with the pos system (whether Micros or not), providing real-time visibility of all transactions just as if they were being processed at the counter.

MiFuel can also include marketing information, allowing operators to show offers and promotions for fuel and food and drink to customers as they fill their tanks.

Mike Garner of Woolmer Service Station, where MiFuel is currently being piloted, said: “We are very excited about this new payment method. We have many drivers for whom this service is ideal. For example, our disabled customers and parents with children in the car, but it offers extra flexibility to everyone with a smartphone.”

“This is very exciting news for our industry,” said Jon Dunman, vice president, convenience and fuel solutions, at Micros. “Our research suggests that between 30% and 40% of visitors to a petrol station will only buy fuel. MiFuel ensures that those customers can fill up and go, while keeping the queues down inside the store for the other 60% to 70% that want to browse the shelves.”