Allstar Business Solutions has chosen smartcard specialist Oberthur Technologies (OT) as its partner for its  chip-and-pin fuel card.

The company said chip-and-pin technology will improve card security and usability for its 1.1 million UK cardholders.

Allstar already offers chip-and-pin on its 'One' card through its work with OT, but all new customers will now be offered it as standard while current customers will be migrated over to the new technology over the coming months.

The 'EMV' chips contain microprocessors which make it harder for fraudsters to steal card users' details. EMV, which stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa: the three companies which originally developed the technology, is commonplace across the UK and the rest of Europe for cards issued by banks.

The technology is less widespread for other payment methods, such as fuel and supermarket cards, and as a result these payment methods can be at greater risk of fraud or misuse, according to Allstar parent company Fleetcor.

Allstar will be implementing EMV across all its new generation of fuel cards, with OT assisting in EMV setup, artwork design and personalisation.

Peter Bridgen, managing director of Fleetcor UK Fuel Cards, said: “Alongside an enhanced service and product offering, improved security is central to all future product developments.

“Our partnership with OT, which has a great track record in EMV migration, marks an important step forward for us to ensure that our product is not only the best, but the most secure on the market.”

Eric Duforest, managing director of OT’s financial services institutions activity, said: “OT is delighted to bring its experience in the smartcard industry to help EMV projects become a reality, as we do in the US market where we are leading EMV migration.

“We are proud to support the enhancement of fuel card features such as Allstar’s.

“We are convinced this is a step forward to fight against payment fraud and to enhance customer experience including contactless payment.”

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