What is Enhanced Authorization Controls?
Enhanced Authorization Controls – Proximity / Tank Controls helps fleets detect and combat fuel fraud by using data derived directly from the vehicle. By capturing vehicle location pings and tank level readings the Comdata authorization system can evaluate the distance between the merchant pump and truck. In addition, gathering fuel level readings enables fleets to control and eliminate potential misuse by limiting the authorized number of gallons to an amount equal to the tank’s available capacity.
Fuel Managers can configure ‘decision rules’ that automatically apply when the system is triggered by suspicious activity, such as buddy fueling, skimming, fuel theft, card counterfeiting, and other illegal activity.

Today, most trucks include a GPS/ELD device providing location and truck level data back to their fleet. By creating a fuel proximity/tank capacity profile and mapping their vehicles/units to the profile, fleets have the ability to leverage the ELD data at the time of the drivers’ fuel purchase.
To enable the proper evaluations to occur at the time of fuel purchase, Comdata will request truck ping and tank level data from the GPS/ELD providers at regular intervals (i.e., every five minutes). The data received is held on file allowing for the most recently received data to be utilized at the time of the card swipe.
When the card is swiped, the unit number entered by the driver is used to lookup the last known location and tank level of the unit and to define the fuel proximity/tank capacity profile for the evaluation. Based on the profile settings, the evaluation can decline or authorize the transaction based on the customers’ profile parameters. In addition, an alert can be sent highlighting evaluations that occur outside of the profile settings.
To enjoy enhanced authorization controls, fleets must configure proximity and tank level tolerances, alert preferences, and age of data thresholds within their Comdata customer portal or with the help of their Account Manager. Fuel Managers can use the Telematics/Proximity Alerts screen in the customer portal to see and download evaluated transactions.
Enhanced Authorization Controls – Proximity/Tank Capacity is best suited for those fleets looking to further enhance their fuel fraud prevention strategies through an automated and controlled way. While fleets of any size can leverage this offering, it is most often utilized by those with greater than fifty trucks.
With Enhanced Authorization Controls – Proximity / Tank Capacity, you can:
- Stop fraud in its tracks.
- Eliminate fraud by setting up thresholds, which can restrict the quantity of fuel purchase or decline.
- Receive alerts when a fueled vehicle is above the predefined percentage of a fuel tank’s capacity.
- Access streamlined tracking and reporting on fuel purchases by vehicle.
Resources
Use the materials to learn more about Enhanced Authorization Controls.