pay at the pump in puerto rico?

“Para llenar el tanque a la siete, por favor.”

This is one of the first full phrases of Spanish I learned when I moved to Puerto Rico. The attendant at the Total near our condo was very patient in teaching me how to properly ask for a fill-up.  As proud as I have been to show off my newly acquired Spanish chops, I still missed the convenience of simply paying at the pump. Sadly, gas stations are one area where the customer experience in Puerto Rico is vastly inferior to what one would expect in the states.

A big reason for this is the inability to pay at the pump. In our two years on the island, I have NEVER come across a gas station that offered this option. (though I’ve heard they exist on military installations) I believe the rationale behind this is to force customers into the store to pay so they can be enticed to make additional purchases. But what of other potential customers who see a long line and keep driving?

pay at the pump in Puerto Rico

Well, you can probably imagine my excitement when I discovered that you can in fact pay at the pump in Puerto Rico. Well, at least you can at Puma stations via their Fastpay app! 

After months of heavy usage, I found that the app works great. Using your location, it shows you the closest participating gas stations. Once you arrive, click “Pay” and then scan the QR code on the pump. It asks you how much you want to buy and since I generally want to fill up, I select $50. Any unused amount will be refunded back to your credit card.

There is another app called Gasolina Movil which is probably worth installing as well since it supports a handful of Shell and Gulf stations across the island in addition to Puma. It’s also encouraging to see that Total has come out with its own app called Total e-wallet. However, the last time I checked, it didn’t work on the west side of the island.

In the meantime, Puma FastPay is my personal choice.  Not only is it the most mature app that smoothly enables pay at the pump in Puerto Rico. But, you also receive a 2 to 3 cent discount per liter when using the app, depending on how much gas you buy!

at home in Puerto Rico

I love finding workarounds here in Puerto Rico to make life on this island paradise just a bit more convenient as well. It’s like having your cake and eating it too!