LOL! Wal*Mart has met their match!

[jazzimov]

I can't give out details, but I was on a second conference call today with WalMart today. They are wanting to expand to Fleet Cards, which we can do.

BUT, they want a single processor to give them one report like they have with Consumer Credit Cards!



They are so out of their league, it's hard to explain to then WHY it won't happen. Sure, it's WalMart. They're used to hearing "NO!" and then they find someone to tell them "YES!".

Except there is no one to tell them yes. They don't understand the basics - they are trying to relate to Consumer Cards which is a completely different world. They are trying to force Fleet transactions into Consumer transactions, which is trying to force a round peg into a square hole.

We came up with a "work-around" which would satisfy their needs, but they didn't want to hear it because it didn't fit their preconceptions.

To me, this is hilarious - because it's WalMart who are used to getting what they want - but in this case what they want doesn't exist! And the only way it will exist is if all Fleet companies combine into one, which the FTC won't allow because that would create a monopoly. Trust me, my company has had it's share of "monopolistic practices" lawsuits and still does, just because we do what others won't or can't.

Wal*Mart - "please proceed...."

[Ed Suspicious]

1. Fleet card as in all fuel tanks get filled at the same fuel company and the cost gets charged to a

a, lets say, a BP credit card? I'm not sure I understand what they want to do. Am I close?

[jmowreader]

2. I think you have the beginnings of the idea

They're a universal fuel credit card. Say you're the phone company. You know your service trucks need fuel but you don't know what gas stations will be in the areas they go to, so instead of getting a BP or Conoco card, which would only allow your guys to fuel at BP or Conoco, you sign up with WEX or Voyager and they can top off at any gas station that takes that card, which is most of 'em. (There's also Comdata but that's a solution for big trucks; I've been to a shitload of gas stations in my time and the only ones who take that card are truck stops.)

[Ed Suspicious]

3. Thank you.

[Ed Suspicious]

4. So they problem is that there is no one card that has coverage nation wide? They'll be stuck using

multiple cards because of the lack of blanket coverage? If that's the case why couldn't they have their IT staff pull together a condensed report? Not real time enough for them?