Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tap ‘n Fuel?
Tap ‘n Fuel is an NFC-based fleet fuel payment solution. The mobile app allows a fleet owner to manage their fuel spend by allocating funds from the user’s bank account to a pre-paid wallet, where funds can be allocated to a particular vehicle. Through NFC technology, a safe and cardless payment mechanism, Tap ‘n Fuel enables a driver to refuel the vehicle at any participating Shell service station in South Africa.
Steps to Get Started
1. Download the Tap ‘n Fuel app from the Apple AppStore or Google Play Store.
2. Register with your company details and verify your email address.
3. Fund your pre-paid wallet via PayFast or EFT.
4. Add your vehicle/s to your account to order your NFC stickers for door-to-door delivery.
5. Our courier delivers your NFC-stickers on step-by-step onboarding guide.
6. Apply the NFC sticker to your fleet vehicle, and link the NFC sticker to the corresponding vehicle via the app.
7. Now your fleet can refuel at your nearest participating Shell service station.
2. Register with your company details and verify your email address.
3. Fund your pre-paid wallet via PayFast or EFT.
4. Add your vehicle/s to your account to order your NFC stickers for door-to-door delivery.
5. Our courier delivers your NFC-stickers on step-by-step onboarding guide.
6. Apply the NFC sticker to your fleet vehicle, and link the NFC sticker to the corresponding vehicle via the app.
7. Now your fleet can refuel at your nearest participating Shell service station.
How do I access Tap ‘n Fuel?
The Tap ‘n Fuel mobile app is available to download from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. After download, you need to register your business, load your vehicles, and fund your pre-paid wallet. You will only be able to activate your account if you have funded your pre-paid wallet.
How do I activate my account?
Activation of your account occurs by linking your vehicle(s) to the NFC sticker(s) in the mobile app. You can only link vehicles after you have funded your pre-paid wallet.
You must activate your account within 7 (seven) business days of receipt of your NFC sticker(s) and use Tap ‘n Fuel within 60 calendar days of activation, failing which a replacement fee of R 95,00 per NFC sticker will be deducted from your pre-paid wallet. We’re sure you’ll understand that this is simply to recover our costs if you choose not to activate or use Tap ‘n Fuel.
How much does it cost to use Tap ‘n Fuel?
Using the basic version of Tap ‘n Fuel has no cost.
The basic version includes standard functionality like creating a single pre-paid wallet for all your vehicles combined and access to standard dashboards and reports, including a cost centre report and a fuel cost report for your fleet and each vehicle.
When are replacement fees charged?
We will charge a replacement fee of R95-00 per NFC sticker only in the following circumstances:
1. A damaged NFC sticker.
2. A non-activated account, i.e., an NFC sticker that has not been linked to a vehicle within 7 (seven) business days of order delivery.
3. An idle account, i.e., an account that has not used Tap ‘n Fuel to refuel within 60 calendar days of activation.
The replacement fee will be deducted from your pre-paid wallet, and a replacement NFC sticker can only be issued if there are sufficient funds available in your pre-paid wallet.
How do I manage my fleet fuel spend with Tap ‘n Fuel?
Tap ‘n Fuel uses PowerBI business analytics services by Microsoft to provide interactive visualisations of your fleet fueling data.
Quickly view the movement of your fleet’s fuel activities. Get a snapshot of total rand value spent, the total volume of fuel, successful and failed transactions, active vehicles refuelling and more. Need more detail? Tap on the dashboard to drill down into transaction data or filter by month.
Four dashboards are included in the Tap ‘n Fuel app. Click the links below to view a video of the dashboards:
- My Summary Data
- Successful Transactions
- Failed Transactions
- My Fleet Dashboard
GETTING STARTED WITH THE MOBILE APP
Is the Tap ‘n Fuel app compatible with my Android or Apple phone?
Yes, it is compatible with Android (optimal version is 10.0) and IOS (optimal version is 14.0)
How do I create an account?
After downloading the Tap ‘n Fuel app, you need to register your company and verify your email address. When this is done, you’ll have a Tap ’n Fuel account.
How do I register my business?
Follow the on-screen registration prompts, which includes:
• Company Name
• Trade Name
• Company Registration Number
• VAT Number
• Address
• Province
• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Telephone
• Mobile number
After registering, you will receive an email to verify your email address. Once you have verified your email address, you will be registered to use your Tap ‘n Fuel and fund your pre-paid wallet.
How do I add a vehicle to my account?
You need to configure your fleet by adding vehicles to your account.
From the “Configure My Feet” sub-menu, select “Add a Vehicle”. Follow the prompts by adding the vehicles’ registration number and choosing the relevant make, model and variant from the dropdown lists provided. Select “Save” to load the vehicle onto your profile. The “Your Fleet” screen provides a complete list of all the fleet vehicles currently linked to your account.
How do I order NFC stickers?
From the “Manage NFC” sub-menu, select “Place New Order”. You will be directed to a new window. Follow the prompts by adding your delivery address. Be sure to include the correct details, including the contact person and contact number at the delivery address to which your NFC stickers will be couriered. You can order one NFC sticker at a time or select the “Add more” option at the bottom to add multiple orders. Select “Submit” to place your order.
How do I link a vehicle to an NFC Sticker?
From the “Manage NFC sub-menu”, select “Link to vehicle”. Follow the prompts by either scanning the NFC sticker with your smartphone’s camera or manually enter the barcode found on the NFC sticker.
PRE-PAID WALLET & ACTIVATION
What is a pre-paid wallet?
A pre-paid wallet is a virtual wallet that is a holding account where funds from your primary bank account can be saved, in this case, for the sole purpose of paying for fuel at a participating service station by using Tap ‘n Fuel.
How do I fund or top up my pre-paid wallet?
You can fund your wallet via Instant EFT using PayFast, or via traditional EFT payment via your preferred banking partner. Within the Tap ‘n Fuel app, navigate to the “My Wallet” sub-menu. Here you can view your wallet account number, available funds, and the options available to top up your wallet.
How long do I wait before my Tap ‘n Fuel account is active?
Your account is active as soon as the funds in your pre-paid wallet are cleared and you have linked your unique NFC stickers to your app. Be sure to provide accurate courier details to limit delays or returns.
ORDER & COURIER
How long does order delivery take?
Tap ‘n Fuel is couriered to your chosen delivery address and takes between 1 and 3 business days, depending on your location. Should your order not arrive within 3 business days from the date of order, please email tapnfuel@gilbarco.com quoting your Company Registration Number in the subject header. Alternatively, you can contact our 24-hour helpdesk to assist.
What do I receive with each order?
You will receive the following:
- One free NFC sticker with a unique barcode per order
- An onboarding toolkit with a step-by-step guide
HOW DOES NFC PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY WORK?
What is NFC?
Near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that lets NFC-enabled devices communicate with each other.
Near-field communication is the ultimate in connectivity. Being an NFC-based solution, Tap ‘n Fuel transfers information between your NFC sticker, applied to your vehicle, with the handled terminal used to tap the sticker. This information includes your pre-paid wallet balance to authorise payment for a fuel transaction.
What is the difference between NFC and RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a type of passive wireless technology that allows vehicle tracking or matching. The system has two basic parts: tags and readers. The reader provides radio waves and gets signals back from the RFID tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information.
The most significant difference is that RFID uniquely identifies a vehicle through radio waves, signalling information to each other, whereas NFC allows devices to communicate with each other using tapping or touch. This is typically used for new generation tap ’n go functionality like bank cards and wearable watches.
RFID technology offers stricter control mechanisms without human intervention, whereas NFC offers convenience but requires a human to facilitate a transaction. Read more about our RFID automatic vehicle identification technology here.
How do I refuel with an NFC Sticker?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on refuelling using NFC:
• The driver informs the attendant of Tap ‘n Fuel when they arrive at a participating service station.
• The attendant fetches the station’s handheld financial payment terminal and taps the Tap ‘n Fuel NFC sticker applied to the windshield.
• The attendant asks for the vehicle’s odometer reading and enters the reading and pump number onto the handheld financial payment terminal.
• Tap ‘n Fuel checks your wallet balance and authorises the fuel transaction for approval or refusal of payment.
• If all authorisations are approved, the handheld terminal notifies the attendant of successful authorisation.
• The pump is authorised, and refuelling starts.
• Once the transaction is concluded, you can view your data and manage your fleet fuel expenses via your dashboard reporting in the Tap ‘n Fuel app.
MOBILE APP TROUBLESHOOTING
I forgot my username
Please send us an email at tapnfuel@gilbarco.com to change your account details.
My email address is not working
Please send us an email at tapnfuel@gilbarco.com to change your account details.
My NFC Order table data is blank or incorrect
Please contact our 24-hour helpdesk at 0860 100 353 or send an email to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com quoting your company registration number in the subject line.
My dashboard’s data is blank or incorrect
Please contact our 24-hour helpdesk at 0860 100 353 or send an email to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com quoting your company registration number in the subject line.
I’m getting an error stating “Unable to contact Server”
Make sure that your device has an internet connection. Either connect to Wi-Fi or move somewhere with a better cellular data signal.
The app crashed unexpectedly. What should I do?
Close the app and run the application on your device again. If the crash continues, please send us an email at tapnfuel@gilbarco.com
My wallet balance is incorrect
Please contact our 24-hour helpdesk at 0860 100 353 or send an email to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com quoting your company registration number in the subject line and attaching a screenshot of the relevant transaction from your banking app or bank statement.
The Tap ‘n Fuel site finder is not working
Make sure that your device has an internet connection. Either connect to Wi-Fi or move somewhere with a better cellular data signal.
My vehicle list is blank or incorrect
Please contact our 24-hour helpdesk at 0860100353 or send an email to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com quoting your company registration number in the subject line.
I forgot my password
On the login page, tap on “Forgot your password?” and follow the prompts by entering your email address to reset your password.
CANCELLING TAP ‘N FUEL
I don’t want to use Tap ‘n Fuel anymore. Now what?
You can choose to cancel the use of Tap ‘n Fuel by removing the NFC sticker from your vehicle and storing it in a safe place where unauthorised access cannot be gained. Unused funds will remain in your wallet, subject to hibernation processes.
Because Tap ‘n Fuel has no cost to the user, there are no conditions for cancelling. Simply stop using the app and NFC stickers. Remember that each NFC sticker has a unique barcode linked to your pre-paid wallet. It is your responsibility to prohibit unauthorised access to your NFC stickers and pre-paid wallet.
Before stopping use of Tap ‘n Fuel, you have to:
a. Use all of your remaining funds in your pre-paid wallet. Unused funds cannot be credited or reimbursed.
b. Remove the NFC sticker from your vehicle.
c. Destroy the NFC sticker by cutting it up and discarding the parts (follow the same process as when you destroy and bank credit or debit card).
d. Submit evidence thereof to the App Operator within no later than 30 days to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com
2. Delete the Tap ‘n Fuel app from your smartphone.
Without NFC stickers or funds, drivers will not be able to Tap ‘n Fuel.
How do I de-register my account?
a. Please send an email to tapnfuel@gilbarco.com notifying them of your de-registration.
b. Delete the Tap ‘n Fuel app from your smartphone.
b. Delete the Tap ‘n Fuel app from your smartphone.
What happens after I’ve de-registered my account?
Upon cancellation, your Tap ‘n Fuel user profile will be deleted. You will receive an email confirmation when this action is completed. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more details.
Where can I access the Terms and Conditions?
You can access the latest terms and conditions here.
PARTICIPATING SERVICE STATIONS
At which service stations can I use Tap ‘n Fuel?
Tap 'n Fuel is available at all participating Shell service stations in South Africa. You can find and navigate to the nearest participating Shell service station via the Tap ‘n Fuel Site Finder within the app. From the main menu, navigate to “Site Finder”. To find a Tap ‘n Fuel site, simply search for the site using the search bar or “Use your Current Location” to find a Tap ‘n Fuel site near you.
How long does the refuelling transaction authorisation take?
Tap ‘n Fuel only takes a few seconds to check authorisations and pre-paid wallet fund availability.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
I want to speak to a human.
Should you not find an answer in the FAQ section, please contact our 24-hour helpdesk at 0860 100 353 or email tapnfuel@gilbarco.com.