Not true. My AirBP Sterling card has a mag strip and I used it the self-serve machine in Colmar 10 days ago. Worked fine.
Yes, you are right, sorry. I confused it with a different card i just used yesterday (not aviation related). Yes, mine has the strip too – but I have only used it manually in Toussous once (fuel truck driver copied the number).
glider12000 wrote:
Why not just use the RocketRoute Fuel app? https://www.euroga.org/forums/hangar-talk/6968-air-bp-fuel-app
I’m quite happy with the app. I order before the flight, which only requires entering airport code and accepting the price. Fuel release is sent to the fueler a few minutes later. When I arrive, I don’t have to present anything. Fueler has the release and I only need to sign ammount delivered. Credit card is charged a few days later.
That is of course correct (AIR BP is widespread, unlike TOTAL which is mostly confined to France) but how many of those locations do not accept Visa or Mastercard also? IME, it is just certain self service machines installed by AIR BP, or the result of their takeover of some other company. Carcassonne was one such example. Presumably AIR BP are doing that restrictive practice for exactly the same reasons as TOTAL are doing it, but it isn’t clear what it is, other than a blunt exploitation of a monopoly position which gives both companies the confidence to force the use of an in-house card.
On renewal of the card, Air BP actually encouraged me to use RocketRoute Market instead. Since I wanted to keep access to French self-service machines, I insisted on getting the card renewed.
lionel wrote:
Since I wanted to keep access to French self-service machines, I insisted on getting the card renewed.
Self-service stations are not only in France. Last year I came across them at EKRK, ENBR and ENKJ IIRC. That was 3 out of 7 airports I visited on one trip.
ENAL did not have Avgas at all. At Sandefjord ENTO I had no other option than Visa. At Malmö ESMS I did not refuel, and Allendorf EDFQ has a particular setup.
The problem paying with Visa is that you can rapidly hit against the debit limit which I try to keep as low as possible in order to minimize the damage in case of fraud.
zuutroy wrote:
By the way BP also want a deposit now. Not sure how much yet though.
We haven’t heard about that in Sweden.
I have not heard anything so if there is a change it would appear to be only for new customers.
