In 2006, Morrisons Supermarkets partnered with Atos Worldline to revolutionize its fuel business with the launch of a new Business Fuel Card. This five-year contract marked a significant step for Morrisons, particularly following the successful integration of Safeway sites, as they aimed to expand their presence in the retail fuel market. A key feature of this new card was its compliance with EMV standards, making it the first Chip & PIN based fuel card in the UK retail sector.
Atos Worldline was selected to manage the full suite of services associated with the fuel card. This encompassed everything from application processing through a web portal with telephone support, to credit checking, insurance, and comprehensive account holder database management. The services also included transaction processing, such as online authorization, invoice and statement production, and the provision of management information. Furthermore, Atos Worldline handled credit and debt risk management services, ensuring robust customer support.
One of Atos Worldline’s strengths was its high approval rate for new applications. This capability was crucial for enabling Morrisons to expand its business account revenues and increase its market share within the competitive fuel sector.
Atos Worldline’s extensive understanding of the fuel market’s needs and its proven ability to support customers in optimizing business account relationships through payment solutions were key factors in securing the contract.
With years of experience processing cards and payments for various large fuel organizations, Atos Worldline offered a complete end-to-end solution. This included transaction authorization, data acquisition, application processing and fulfillment, credit checking and insurance, account holder management, and merchant reimbursement for card payment transactions.
According to Phil Maud, Director of Petrol Filling Stations at Wm Morrisons, Atos Worldline was chosen due to its considerable expertise in fuel card management services. He emphasized their understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the sector, as well as their technology focus and innovation. Peter Phillips, Business Unit Director at Atos Worldline, highlighted that the Morrisons fuel card would be the first of its kind in the UK retail fuel market, emphasizing its EMV compliance, Chip & PIN security, and adherence to Morrisons’ business needs.