Visa USA today announced that Shell stations are adopting Visa partial authorization, which allows drivers to more easily purchase gas at the pump using a Visa prepaid card. Shell is in the process of expanding this service at stations across the U.S.

Visa was first to develop this innovative solution, which can prevent declined transactions when the balance on a Visa prepaid card is less than the typical cost of a full tank of gas. The adoption of this solution by thousands of Shell stations nationwide will help to make Visa prepaid cards even easier for consumers to use at the pump.

The adoption of this technology at Shell will help improve customer convenience, a key factor in the Gasoline Retailing business. Visa partial authorization gives customers more choice in how they pay for gasoline at the pump.

According to Visa research, partial authorization can help average approval rates increase by up to 25 percent at automated fuel dispenser (AFD) merchants who use Visa’s solution. With this solution in place, gas stations can help ensure Visa prepaid cardholders have a positive and more convenient payment experience at the pump, instead of having to pay inside. It also helps AFD merchants avoid the potential loss of valuable sales.

“Visa is focused on building the prepaid category infrastructure to help ensure convenient acceptance and to give consumers greater flexibility to use Visa prepaid cards in more places,” said Todd Brockman, senior vice president, prepaid products, Visa USA. “With a major oil brand like Shell using Visa partial authorization, consumers can now more easily pay for gas at the pump with a Visa prepaid card. Expanding this functionality also allows financial institutions and merchants to better serve their customers.”

How Partial Authorization at the Pump Works

A consumer can use a wide range of Visa prepaid cards – including, but not limited to, Visa Gift and Incentive cards, Visa TravelMoney, Visa Buxx, Visa Payroll, and Visa General Purpose cards – to pay for gas at participating stations.

The cardholder inserts the Visa prepaid card at the automatic fuel dispenser to begin pumping gas. The Visa authorization service checks with the card issuer for funds available for the gas purchase.

If the card only has enough funds to pay for a portion of a total gas purchase, the transaction will no longer be declined, prompting the cardholder to “see attendant.” Instead, the pump can now be instructed to shut off when the funds on the Visa prepaid card reach zero.

Visa prepaid cards can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, and are protected from fraudulent or unauthorized transactions by Visa’s Zero Liability policy in the event the card is lost or stolen.