Petron has announced that its customers will no longer be subjected to a RM200 pre-authorisation hold when using MyDebit ATM cards at its self-service petrol pumps in Malaysia.

The move, which was done in collaboration with Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the operator of the MyDebit card scheme, serves to make things more convenient for Petron customers as they no longer need to endure having their funds held for up a few days.

“With 42 million ATM cards in circulation, virtually every customer carries an ATM card which they can use to pay for their fuel purchases, said Peter Schiesser, group CEO of PayNet, at the recent launch the “FUEL-YoooH MyDebit Je with your ATM Card!” campaign at Petron Bandar Baru Kulim.

“As Malaysia’s national debit card scheme, our priority is the rakyat. MyDebit is the only card scheme in Malaysia that does not hold RM200 at petrol pumps. When a petrol chain accepts MyDebit payments, consumers can select the amount of fuel that they wish to purchase and only that amount is blocked during fuelling,” he added.

“If consumers refuel less than the amount selected at the start, the excess amount is credited back to their bank account immediately after fuelling is done. Holding RM200 for up to 3 days even when a motorcyclist fills RM2 of fuel is a burden. MyDebit and the 22 participating banks are putting consumer interests first by doing away with this practice,” explained Schiesser.

“We are honoured to collaborate with PayNet to enable the use of MyDebit ATM card at Petron stations and create a new payment option for our customers. In a move to support a cashless society, all Petron customers can now experience an even easier, faster, more seamless and convenient payment process using their ATM cards at the fuel pumps. This underscores our commitment to provide innovative products and services as well as the best ‘Petron experience’ to our customers,” commented Faridah Ali, general manager of Petron.

To mark the roll-out of the new system, Petron and PayNet also launched a new campaign to reward motorists who use their ATM cards for fuel purchases. All you need to do is make a minimum fuel purchase worth RM5 (or more) at any Petron station from now until March 13, 2020 to earn an entry to a contest where you stand to win up to 84 prizes, including two Proton X70s, while four weekly winners will walk away with RM500 Petron gift cards.