- Thread Author
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Hi Guys,
Many of us have been using park plus since quite sometime. While we were discussing best fueling options on one thread was asked to share my experience on the same by @Triman so creating this thread so that members who are new to it can know about the same.
Park Plus is an integrated app dedicated to provision of car related ancillary services such as Finding and reserving parking around an area, Bill payments, Fastag recharges, Challan settlements, Insurance solutions, Car accessories, etc under one head. While I don’t use it for the solutions mentioned above I utilise the app for its two prominent use cases
1. Fueling (Through Purchase of IOCL Vouchers on App)
2. Brand Vouchers purchases (Big Basket, Blinkit, Uber, Myntra, etc)
So in this thread shall be covering the above two aspects only. Other members can pitch in if they know some other good use case for this app.
My fueling requirement is moderate (15-25k) on a monthly basis so since quite sometime was on a lookout for a fuel based card which I can optimize for these spends. I hold Citi IOC (now Axis India Oil Premium) credit card since past 7 years but soon found that almost all the cards who have brand specific tie-up such as Citi-Axis-HDFC with IOC, SBI with BPCL, ICICI-IDFC-BOB with HPCL have far more caveats to take care of in order to utilise them to their fullest extent.
Majority of the times issue stems from swiping the card at the right machine, if the machine is right then one needs to check the PG MCC configuration, if even that is right then many a times one needs to haggle for the credit of respective points with customer care, if points are credited then there is an issue of redeeming them smoothly at the outlet while fueling (which frankly isn’t that smooth while also bearing redemption charges in some cases). I find all of these to be a lot of hassle to take care of just to fuel up my vehicle and save some bucks on it. Sure there are many co-branded card holders who have fabulous experience while holding these cards but that’s the issue which ails these cards and is equally acknowledged by holders who have bore the brunt of these.
Later on when I came into Amex fold then my primary driver used to be MRCC wherein I used to go to an HPCL outlet for fueling (in exact denomination of 1500) so as to hit the monthly milestone benefit while getting zero surcharge benefit on the same. But in this method finding an outlet which accepted one especially in Tier-2 & Tier-3 center was a challenge so this wasn’t fool proof either especially while travelling. (Later on I came to know that Amex was also accepted at some Private fuel stations as well especially on Paytm and ICICI POS so it eased out likewise)
Since past one year I have been using Park Plus app for my fueling requirements and it has been working fine. One can purchase IOCL vouchers on app through credit card which can be redeemed at the nearest IOCL outlet (location of the outlet with distance is shown in the app itself) for fueling for the said amount purchasesd. While purchasing voucher one gets 2% as cashback in their park plus wallet (which can be used for availing ancillary services or redeemed against purchase of future vouchers from the app) till 150/- on a monthly basis. This is valid for the first 5000 users for the day. They also have a park plus fuel currency (like cred coins but quantified in ml instead) which one gets by making purchases on app (including buying vouchers), availing services, spinning wheels, playing quizzes, etc. This fuel balance can be utilised to further buy discounted park plus voucher which are limited in number (mostly at 10% discount) at denominations such as 500/- 1000/- (frankly availing them is difficult since they have now put a cap on its quota and user base has also increased drastically).
So the calculation goes like this:
1. Normal Voucher purchase (regular)
2% Park Plus Wallet
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
2. Special Voucher Discount (By redeeming fuel currency, rare)
10%
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
3. Normal Voucher Purchase (through coupon code obtained by spinning the wheel or other promotion, frequent)
5-10% basis coupon one gets
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
I am able to get 12.5% to 17.65% on an average on my fuel spends through this app at IOCL outlets through Amex Plat Travel card. Considering IOCL’s network and relative ease of usage (to be read as certainty of receiving the benefit on spends made on fuel with relative less hassle) since past one year this is my primary driver for fueling after which the above mentioned option through Amex comes into picture. I am yet to know any other co-branded fuel card which provides this kind of return on fuel spends so till the time I find one suitable for my use case shall stick with it.
Now let’s come to the caveats with this method as there are always some. The biggest hurdle in order to redeem these vouchers is the attendant’s/manager’s awareness of the respective outlet where you are planning to redeem it. Most of the times they don’t know how to redeem it. To tackle this the app provides entire process of redemption step by step just below voucher details and in case if an outlet doesn’t know how to redeem it you can connect with customer care on spot who’ll guide them for redemption. Again many of them straight away refuse redeem them in that case they can be reported to company who’ll ask for the issue, proof and upon its veracity shall provide you with fuel currency as rewards. Now one doesn’t need to fret if they have purchased voucher and couldn’t redeem it on time (yes vouchers have validity usually of 4-5 days from the date of purchase for redemption) as once they expire amount gets credited back to source. But this surely is a little sore point.
Apart from this there are issues such as the server of the ITPS machine not working, changing attendants due to shifts/attrition who don’t know about the same (the one who knows how to redeem might be on leave or on a different shift), fueling in busy outlets (they tend to avoid this as it’s a bit time consuming than simply accepting payment vis other modes which are mainstream and resulting increase in queue of customers), etc
I have tried to tackle the above issues by educating owners of the outlet (wherever possible because they are the only constant in an outlet staff can get changed any time and would require education for the same again) apart from attendants/managers of respective outlets which I frequent enough times such that they simply bring out the ITPS machine for redemption as soon as I arrive for fueling, purchasing voucher on spot instead of advance purchase (in case the machine is not working or there is server issue), choosing to fuel on outlets which are not busy or reaching busy outlets on non-peak times.
Sure it took time and effort (in some cases initially time to redeem the voucher took more than 30 mins) but now in hindsight it’s paying off nicely. On my avg fuel spends I am getting benefits worth of 19-26 ltrs of free fuel every month which isn’t bad per se.
No coming to the brand voucher purchase part. They offer deal of the day on brand vouchers wherein apart from certain fixed discount on voucher they provide additional discount on it upon its purchase. For example if an Uber voucher is available at 6% discount then if you unlock the deal you might get additional 4% that is total 10% flat discount on it part from the rewards from your card. It’s very lucrative at times and I recommend to check discounts on brand voucher here once before making a purchase elsewhere. Obviously there are limits on denominations and times one can purchase but it’s usually for the day and next day you can try your luck again.
Additionally for certain brands fuel currency can be used in lieu of discount on vouchers. For example if you redeem 300ml of fuel currency you’ll get 30/- off on a 500/- Zomato voucher so that’s an additional avenue to get a good deal on brand vouchers.
I would like to conclude this thread again on a note like all things it all boils down to use case. If you prefer a particular brand and want a bit fast (but relative uncertain and less discounted) option then definitely go for co-branded cards. But if you are willing to put some time and effort (and if you have moderate to high fuel spends) go with this option with your eyes closed. Yes it’s a bit of a headache initially to redeem it but once everything falls in place it’s as smooth as swiping. As from what I know till now there’s no other option which can beat this yield on fuel spends as of today but if you know any other option to optimize spends made on fuel do enlighten me and fellow members about the same on this thread.
————
If you found my content useful and are looking for a new card you can use my referral for the same
Amex || Tata Neu Card || One Card || SBI Card
Many of us have been using park plus since quite sometime. While we were discussing best fueling options on one thread was asked to share my experience on the same by @Triman so creating this thread so that members who are new to it can know about the same.
Park Plus is an integrated app dedicated to provision of car related ancillary services such as Finding and reserving parking around an area, Bill payments, Fastag recharges, Challan settlements, Insurance solutions, Car accessories, etc under one head. While I don’t use it for the solutions mentioned above I utilise the app for its two prominent use cases
1. Fueling (Through Purchase of IOCL Vouchers on App)
2. Brand Vouchers purchases (Big Basket, Blinkit, Uber, Myntra, etc)
So in this thread shall be covering the above two aspects only. Other members can pitch in if they know some other good use case for this app.
My fueling requirement is moderate (15-25k) on a monthly basis so since quite sometime was on a lookout for a fuel based card which I can optimize for these spends. I hold Citi IOC (now Axis India Oil Premium) credit card since past 7 years but soon found that almost all the cards who have brand specific tie-up such as Citi-Axis-HDFC with IOC, SBI with BPCL, ICICI-IDFC-BOB with HPCL have far more caveats to take care of in order to utilise them to their fullest extent.
Majority of the times issue stems from swiping the card at the right machine, if the machine is right then one needs to check the PG MCC configuration, if even that is right then many a times one needs to haggle for the credit of respective points with customer care, if points are credited then there is an issue of redeeming them smoothly at the outlet while fueling (which frankly isn’t that smooth while also bearing redemption charges in some cases). I find all of these to be a lot of hassle to take care of just to fuel up my vehicle and save some bucks on it. Sure there are many co-branded card holders who have fabulous experience while holding these cards but that’s the issue which ails these cards and is equally acknowledged by holders who have bore the brunt of these.
Later on when I came into Amex fold then my primary driver used to be MRCC wherein I used to go to an HPCL outlet for fueling (in exact denomination of 1500) so as to hit the monthly milestone benefit while getting zero surcharge benefit on the same. But in this method finding an outlet which accepted one especially in Tier-2 & Tier-3 center was a challenge so this wasn’t fool proof either especially while travelling. (Later on I came to know that Amex was also accepted at some Private fuel stations as well especially on Paytm and ICICI POS so it eased out likewise)
Since past one year I have been using Park Plus app for my fueling requirements and it has been working fine. One can purchase IOCL vouchers on app through credit card which can be redeemed at the nearest IOCL outlet (location of the outlet with distance is shown in the app itself) for fueling for the said amount purchasesd. While purchasing voucher one gets 2% as cashback in their park plus wallet (which can be used for availing ancillary services or redeemed against purchase of future vouchers from the app) till 150/- on a monthly basis. This is valid for the first 5000 users for the day. They also have a park plus fuel currency (like cred coins but quantified in ml instead) which one gets by making purchases on app (including buying vouchers), availing services, spinning wheels, playing quizzes, etc. This fuel balance can be utilised to further buy discounted park plus voucher which are limited in number (mostly at 10% discount) at denominations such as 500/- 1000/- (frankly availing them is difficult since they have now put a cap on its quota and user base has also increased drastically).
So the calculation goes like this:
1. Normal Voucher purchase (regular)
2% Park Plus Wallet
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
2. Special Voucher Discount (By redeeming fuel currency, rare)
10%
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
3. Normal Voucher Purchase (through coupon code obtained by spinning the wheel or other promotion, frequent)
5-10% basis coupon one gets
+
Rest discount/return based on the card one uses from their portfolio
I am able to get 12.5% to 17.65% on an average on my fuel spends through this app at IOCL outlets through Amex Plat Travel card. Considering IOCL’s network and relative ease of usage (to be read as certainty of receiving the benefit on spends made on fuel with relative less hassle) since past one year this is my primary driver for fueling after which the above mentioned option through Amex comes into picture. I am yet to know any other co-branded fuel card which provides this kind of return on fuel spends so till the time I find one suitable for my use case shall stick with it.
Now let’s come to the caveats with this method as there are always some. The biggest hurdle in order to redeem these vouchers is the attendant’s/manager’s awareness of the respective outlet where you are planning to redeem it. Most of the times they don’t know how to redeem it. To tackle this the app provides entire process of redemption step by step just below voucher details and in case if an outlet doesn’t know how to redeem it you can connect with customer care on spot who’ll guide them for redemption. Again many of them straight away refuse redeem them in that case they can be reported to company who’ll ask for the issue, proof and upon its veracity shall provide you with fuel currency as rewards. Now one doesn’t need to fret if they have purchased voucher and couldn’t redeem it on time (yes vouchers have validity usually of 4-5 days from the date of purchase for redemption) as once they expire amount gets credited back to source. But this surely is a little sore point.
Apart from this there are issues such as the server of the ITPS machine not working, changing attendants due to shifts/attrition who don’t know about the same (the one who knows how to redeem might be on leave or on a different shift), fueling in busy outlets (they tend to avoid this as it’s a bit time consuming than simply accepting payment vis other modes which are mainstream and resulting increase in queue of customers), etc
I have tried to tackle the above issues by educating owners of the outlet (wherever possible because they are the only constant in an outlet staff can get changed any time and would require education for the same again) apart from attendants/managers of respective outlets which I frequent enough times such that they simply bring out the ITPS machine for redemption as soon as I arrive for fueling, purchasing voucher on spot instead of advance purchase (in case the machine is not working or there is server issue), choosing to fuel on outlets which are not busy or reaching busy outlets on non-peak times.
Sure it took time and effort (in some cases initially time to redeem the voucher took more than 30 mins) but now in hindsight it’s paying off nicely. On my avg fuel spends I am getting benefits worth of 19-26 ltrs of free fuel every month which isn’t bad per se.
No coming to the brand voucher purchase part. They offer deal of the day on brand vouchers wherein apart from certain fixed discount on voucher they provide additional discount on it upon its purchase. For example if an Uber voucher is available at 6% discount then if you unlock the deal you might get additional 4% that is total 10% flat discount on it part from the rewards from your card. It’s very lucrative at times and I recommend to check discounts on brand voucher here once before making a purchase elsewhere. Obviously there are limits on denominations and times one can purchase but it’s usually for the day and next day you can try your luck again.
Additionally for certain brands fuel currency can be used in lieu of discount on vouchers. For example if you redeem 300ml of fuel currency you’ll get 30/- off on a 500/- Zomato voucher so that’s an additional avenue to get a good deal on brand vouchers.
I would like to conclude this thread again on a note like all things it all boils down to use case. If you prefer a particular brand and want a bit fast (but relative uncertain and less discounted) option then definitely go for co-branded cards. But if you are willing to put some time and effort (and if you have moderate to high fuel spends) go with this option with your eyes closed. Yes it’s a bit of a headache initially to redeem it but once everything falls in place it’s as smooth as swiping. As from what I know till now there’s no other option which can beat this yield on fuel spends as of today but if you know any other option to optimize spends made on fuel do enlighten me and fellow members about the same on this thread.
————
If you found my content useful and are looking for a new card you can use my referral for the same
Amex || Tata Neu Card || One Card || SBI Card
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