By Teryani Mwadzaya
TotalEnergies Communications Manager Robert Kigweru engages Carol Mukaba of Forrester Nation team on the new TotalEnergies Card ; CARDeal Imeweza activations. TotalEnergies used the event to onboard car group members onto the card’s three payment modes: mobile app, physical card, and virtual card via OTP. Photo Courtesy Total Energies
NAIROBI, Kenya — TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya has launched a new-generation TotalEnergies Card to curb rising cases of fuel fraud, card cloning, siphoning and unauthorized spending that continue to cost Kenyan fleet operators millions of shillings annually.
The new card replaces the company’s 25-year-old Total Card, which has been the industry standard for fleet management since the late 1990s, with a fully digital mobility and payment platform designed to seal loopholes exploited under the traditional system.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya Managing Director Thibault Flichy said the decision to evolve the card was driven by direct feedback from business customers who were increasingly struggling with lack of visibility and control over fuel expenditure.
“For over 25 years, Total Card has been more than just a payment tool. It has been a trusted partner that kept vehicles moving and operations running without disruption. But the operating environment has changed. Our customers told us they were losing money through fraud, siphoning and misuse. This new generation is our response – an evolution built on the same foundation of reliability, but now powered by technology that gives every litre accountability,” Flichy said.
Fuel fraud remains a major pain point for Kenya’s transport and logistics sector. Industry estimates show that fuel accounts for between 35 and 40 percent of total fleet operating costs, with siphoning, inflated dispensing, use of company cards on private vehicles, and card cloning ranked among the top three sources of losses for SMEs, corporates and logistics firms.
Under the old system, fleet managers often discovered fraud days or weeks later during reconciliation, when funds had already been lost. The new platform is designed to shift control from reactive to real-time.
A TotalEnergies service station attendant assists a motorist to process a secure mobile payment. The new card uses RFID vehicle tags and OTP verification to lock transactions to specific vehicles, preventing use on unauthorized Photo Courtesy Total Energies
TotalEnergies Communications Manager Robert Kigweru said physical cards had become the weakest link in the chain, with cases of lost cards being used by unauthorized persons and cards being swapped between vehicles.
“Previously, if a driver lost a card or if a card was cloned, the manager had to call us to block it. That delay created a window for fraud. Now, the manager has the power in his own hands. He can blacklist or whitelist a card, transfer funds, set limits and unblock a card instantly through a secure extranet portal without having to contact TotalEnergies,” Kigweru explained.
The new system also introduces a major shift towards cardless transactions. Customers can now choose between three payment modes – physical card, mobile application, and virtual card via One-Time Password (OTP) – ensuring that even if a driver does not have a physical card or internet access, the transaction remains secure and traceable.
According to TotalEnergies, the platform is built for Kenya’s rapidly evolving digital economy where speed, security and transparency are critical. The company noted that businesses are under pressure to improve governance of operating expenses while simplifying tax compliance and audit processes.
The card will be accepted across TotalEnergies’ extensive network of over 200 service stations countrywide for fuel, lubricants, LPG, Bonjour shop products and car wash services. The company has already started onboarding customers through its retail network and affinity groups, including recent activations with motorist groups such as CARDeal Imeweza, where members were taken through the three payment modes.
TotalEnergies attendant verifies a new generation Fleet Card using a point-of-sale terminal. The card is locked to a specific vehicle using RFID technology to prevent unauthorized use and fuel siphoning. Photo Courtesy TotalEnergies
Flichy said existing customers will be migrated in phases to ensure a smooth transition, with live demonstrations, guided sessions on digital account management and dedicated support teams deployed across the country.
“This is not just a product launch. It is a commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. We listened to our customers and went back to the drawing board. Today we are introducing growth, not just replacement,” he added.
The launch comes at a time when Kenyan businesses are accelerating adoption of cashless and digital payment systems to tame rising operating costs and improve operational efficiency. With instant wallet funding, credited funds now reflect immediately and can be used straight away, eliminating downtime associated with delayed funding.
TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya is part of the global multi-energy company TotalEnergies, which operates in over 130 countries. In Kenya, it runs one of the largest service station networks and has provided fuel management solutions for over two decades.
Key security and control features of the new generation card include RFID vehicle tags that lock the card to a specific vehicle to prevent use on unauthorized vehicles, pre-authorization for accurate fuel dispensing, PIN protection and instant SMS alerts for every transaction, spending controls to set daily, weekly or product-specific limits and restrict purchases to fuel only, ability to blacklist or whitelist cards instantly via extranet, mobile app integration for real-time balance and transaction tracking, virtual card via OTP for cardless and secure payments, instant wallet funding and on-the-spot fund reallocation between cards, and consolidated invoicing for simplified tax compliance and reconciliation.
