OREANDA-NEWS. February 18, 2011. As of February 2011, Magistral-Card, a subsidiary of TNK-BP, had sold more than 300,00 fuel cards, 4,000 of which were issued as part of a programme to support small and medium-sized businesses. The programme is already helping participating companies to drive down fuel costs, exercise real-time control over fuel use, and consistently improve their performance, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

Magistral-Card has broken new ground with its Fuel Online programme, enabling small corporate vehicle fleets to carry out all their fuel supply operations, from executing contracts to managing payments and monitoring transactions, over the internet.

“The Fuel Online programme is designed for corporate clients consuming up to 5,000 litres of fuel per month and is unique in Russia”, says Irina Taruta, head of business strategy management and development at Magistral-Card. “It has already attracted around 2,000 members who see fuel cards as an effective means of supplying their corporate fleets with fuel, as well as monitoring and managing fuel costs.”

Fuel Online cards are accepted across the Magistral-Card service network in Moscow, St.Petersburg, Saratov, Belgorod and a further nine regions around Russia. In the second half of 2011, there are plans to extend coverage to the entire TNK-branded retail network, as well as partner services stations within the Russian Federation.

Magistral-Card was founded in 1999 and is one of the leading operators of noncash fuel payments in Russia. It became part of the TNK-BP group of companies in 2008.

Magistral-Card serves its corporate clients through three main programmes: Russian Transit, International Transit and local programmes in Moscow and St.Petersburg.

The 300,000 or more fuel cards issued by the company are accepted at over 2,600 service stations in Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia and Poland and a further 19,000 stations in Western Europe.