Malta: Only 1 in 6 gas stations accept card payments

Malta will increase the number of gas stations which offer bank card payments, in an effort to meet European standards.

Owners of gas stations have until 2019 to update their payment systems in order to accept debit or credit cards at either the till or on the 24/7 self-service dispensers. Presently, only one in six service stations in Malta accepts card payments, reports Times of Malta.

Gas station owners are reluctant to upgrade their payment systems, even though banks have cut their fee for local cards to 0.5%.

“Retailers have to pay at least three times that, but banks acknowledged that this is a different sector as both the cost of fuel and the profit margin of four per cent are regulated,” explained Abigail Mamo, Chief Executive Officer at GRTU, a non-governmental agency that represents small businesses.

“Even so, the owners were reluctant. However, we anticipate that once they start to invest in the upgrade, they will take the opportunity to add the service as there is no doubt that cash handling has its own costs and security risks. And as a customer service, accepting cards is also a competitive advantage – especially for foreigners,” she added.

According to the Maltese newspaper, gas stations will have to spend around €21 million in order to meet the fuelling standards of the European Union, which include safety and environmental measures. 

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