Q. If they extend it to non-Kuwaitis (which technically shouldn’t be too complicated), this would be useful.

A. in Phase 1, PACI plans to issue Smart Civil ID to Kuwaitis only while in Phase 2, it will be extended to Expatriates.

Q. The new civil id card better be a good card , each time you give it at the pump reduces it lifetime (chemical exposure,elements etc) .

A. The new Civil ID cards are PVC composite cards with quite a few security measures including a Screen Lamination making it very durable and secondly the Chip use in these cards has a life of more than 1 million swipes/inserts which overall makes it a durable card to be used for multiple purposes

Q. So if loose my I’d anyone can just use the money in it without a pin code?? Just like a visa card, except visa needs at least a signature, and is insured for fraudulent use??

A. in case of loss/theft of the card, you can call Soor customer service at 1841010 and the card will be blocked instantly to avoid misuse.. the balance on your card will then be transferred to the new card obtained by you. Also, please note that the Fuel transactions are normally KD 3 to KD 5 only which limits the risk of misuse greatly.

On the other hand if you have a Prepaid fuel card and if you lose the card then you lose the money in it as well, which is not the case with Civil ID cards. Also, the photo on card is matched with the customer to add another level of security…

Q. Wait – is this the same electronic Civin ID card most people *cant* get until their current card expires? Thats what 2015?

A. Already PACI has issued more than 135,000 smart cards to Citizens.. and you can apply for the new card even before it is expired.

Q. KNET fee
A. The Civil Id can be funded online using KNET card on KNET payment gateway.. the KNET charges are not passed to customer giving full value for your money… while all other prepaid cards have an additional charge for the card.

Q. Security and privacy
A. The payments and records are as secure as any other banking transaction as it is used through the same ISO standard payment system used for the banks. Regarding the Privacy, the Soor Fuel Marketing is committed to the privacy of its customer and we DO NOT store/sell/transfer any information that is not printed on the card… BTW dont forget that PACI has tested it themselves first.

Q. ATM and other Cards, Competition
A. This is an additional method of payment for customers. It is not meant to replace the Master/Visa/ATM cards. In fact ALFA itself has a Prepaid & Postpaid Cards for its customers if they wish to buy one.

The ALFA Prepaid cards called “ALFA Fillup” are available in KD 20, KD 30, KD 50, KD 70 & KD 100 denominations and Post paid cards called “ALFA PLUS” can be used as much with payment due after the month of use. Again for the postpaid cards, there is NO hidden charges for these cards.

Just to reassure, your money is safe & secure with the Fuel Company (Soor Fuel Marketing Company) and we guarantee to honour ALFA cards in all our stations or your money would be refunded if you are not satisfied or happy with the service.

Thanks.

Rajeev

Thanks

Regarding the ALFA stations, these stations are in existance for years the brand has recently been changed to ALFA which should NOW be visible to everyone going to ALFA Gas station.

Appreciate your feedback about the registration process. We are fixing it to make more user friendly and soon you will see a positive change.

Further, the registration is only one time task and next time you can Add Funds to your account with minimal effort.

Thanks.

Rajeev

This is one additional method of payment introduced to provide one more choice to the Citizens of this country and to improve convenience.

Trust me gentlemen this was probably the one project where NO public money was spent and there is no hidden so called Carbon Taxation on the customers.

I would strongly suggest you to try it once to see how convenient and simple it is and you can start with as little as KD 5.

Further, the safety of your money is guaranteed by the Fuel Company directly instead of a small third party company in case of other fuel cards in the market.

As it is mentioned on the Website, There are NO Charges whatsoever for the customer. All costs are picked by the Soor Fuel Company the owners of ALFA Brand Stations.

Regarding the ALFA stations, these stations are in existance for years the brand has recently been changed to ALFA which should not be visible to everyone going to ALFA Gas station.

Good luck and keep watching. I will inform you about the other undocumented features for this service in my next post.

Drive Safe and dont forget to try ALFA… its a brand new way to pay.

Rajeev.