Now use your credit or debit cards to pay for LPG refills
New Delhi   17-Nov-2015

Starting this month, you would not need to leave cash with your maid or security guard to pay when the LPG delivery man reaches your doorstep with the refill. Consumers of three cooking gas suppliers — Indane (IOC), BharatGas (BPCL) and HPGas (HPCL) — would be able to book and pay for their LPG refills ‘on the move', with the facility of online payment being rolled out across the country. This follows the success of a pilot project in Pune which was monitored closely by the petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, said a senior official privy to the development.

“The idea is to allow consumers to book and pay on the go. After booking and making the payment for the refill, a pre-paid voucher would be generated at the distributor. The consumer would get SMSs and emails confirming the payment and status of delivery,” the official explained.

The system will work as follows: There would be two mechanisms to pay for LPG refills using a credit or debit card, internet banking, or mobile wallets such as PayTM. In the first mechanism, a LPG consumer can book the refill online after creating a log in I'd on www.mylpg.in and pay for it. The facility could be availed on the mobile app too.

The consumer will have to pay the market price on the particular day for the cylinder, while subsidy amount would be credited to the linked bank account after delivery of the refill. This facility would be made available to consumers in November. “This would help consumers who are working and not available at home when the cylinder deliver person arrives. Nowadays, many consumers use smartphones and it would be convenient for them,” added the official quoted above.

In the second mechanism, which is expected to be rolled out in December, the distributor would issue a smart card and PIN to the consumer. The LPG refill could be booked over telephone or SMS. The delivery person would bring with him a device, similar to one in shops and restaurants, where the consumer need to swipe the smart card and verify his details with the PIN. Following this, he can pay using his credit or debit card.

While the option of paying via a credit or debit card, internet banking, or mobile wallets such as PayTM are being made available for LPG buyers, the mode of cash payment on delivery would continue to exist.