In 2006, Atos Worldline, a subsidiary of Atos Origin, secured a five-year contract with Morrisons Supermarkets to manage their new Business Fuel Card. This card was groundbreaking as the first of its kind in the UK retail fuel market to be fully EMV compliant and Chip & PIN enabled, providing enhanced security and peace of mind for business users.
Following the successful integration of Safeway sites, Morrisons sought to significantly expand its retail fuel operations. The launch of this business-to-business fuel card, featuring EMV compliance and Chip & PIN technology, was a key element of this growth strategy.
Morrisons selected Atos Worldline to oversee all aspects of the fuel card program. This included managing application processing through a web portal with phone support, conducting credit checks and insurance assessments, maintaining the account holder database, processing transactions (including online authorization and invoice/statement generation), providing management information, handling credit and debt risk management, and delivering comprehensive customer support services.
A significant advantage of Atos Worldline’s service was its industry-leading approval rate for new applications. This capability has a proven track record of helping clients substantially increase their business account revenues and capture a larger share of the market.
Atos Worldline’s deep understanding of the fuel market’s specific needs, combined with its demonstrated ability to empower clients with innovative payment solutions, were critical factors in securing the contract.
Atos Worldline possesses extensive experience in processing card and payment transactions for numerous major fuel organizations, encompassing credit, debit, loyalty, fuel, fleet, and charge cards. Their system delivers end-to-end solutions, from transaction authorization and data acquisition to application processing, credit checking, and account management. These solutions provide tangible benefits and measurable customer growth within the highly competitive fuel market.
Phil Maud, Director of Petrol Filling Stations at Wm Morrisons, stated that Atos Worldline was chosen due to their considerable expertise in delivering and developing fuel card management services. He emphasized their clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges within the sector, as well as their ability to meet Morrisons’ specific business requirements with technological focus, innovation, and a blend of creativity, knowledge, and experience.
Peter Phillips, Business Unit Director at Atos Worldline in the UK, highlighted the contract as a strong foundation for future collaboration. He emphasized the uniqueness of the Morrisons fuel card as the first EMV-compliant, Chip & PIN-based card in the UK retail fuel market, incorporating the necessary security and compliance features to meet Morrisons’ business objectives.