BOSS, the British Oil Security Syndicate, has unveiled a new Payment Watch App, a major enhancement to its industry-leading Payment Watch fuel debt reporting and recovery scheme, designed to help forecourt operators report unpaid fuel incidents faster, improve data accuracy, and recover lost revenue more efficiently.

The new App provides a modern, intuitive platform for recording unpaid fuel incidents such as No Means of Payment (NMoP), Failure to Pay, and Drive-Offs. Developed with flexibility in mind, the Payment Watch App can be used seamlessly across mobile phones, tablets, and desktop devices, enabling forecourt staff to capture and submit reports in real time, wherever they are on the forecourt.

Significantly, the App is intended to replace the paper and manual report forms that have been in use since the Payment Watch scheme was first introduced in 2008, marking a major step forward in the digital transformation of forecourt operations.

Improving Accuracy and Efficiency

The Payment Watch App has been designed to improve the quality and consistency of incident reporting through structured data entry, built-in validation checks, a vehicle registration number checker and real-time capture. By guiding users through standardised fields and processes, the system reduces errors and ensures that all necessary information is completed at the point of entry.

A key feature of the platform is its integration with Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, allowing transaction details such as fuel value, time, and pump number to be automatically populated. This reduces the need for manual input, minimises discrepancies, and creates a more reliable dataset for debt recovery.

Proven Success in Trials

During pilot trials with forecourt operators, the new App demonstrated clear benefits:

• Ease of use, enabling staff to quickly learn and use the system with minimal training
• Improved accuracy, thanks to structured forms and automated data capture
• Faster reporting, with incidents recorded and submitted in real time

These advantages contribute directly to stronger recovery outcomes, as accurate and timely reporting is critical to successfully reclaiming unpaid fuel debts.

Faster Recovery for Retailers

By improving both the speed and quality of fuel debt reporting, the app is expected to accelerate case processing, helping to return money to forecourt operators more quickly.

“By making it easier for staff to capture the right information first time, we are strengthening the entire recovery process,” said Claire Nichol, Executive Director at BOSS. “The result is not only less administrative effort for retailers, but also a quicker return of funds that would otherwise be lost.”

Supporting the Industry

The launch of the Payment Watch App underscores BOSS’s ongoing commitment to supporting the downstream fuel sector with practical, technology-driven solutions. As fuel theft and unpaid transactions continue to pose challenges for the industry, the adoption of smarter digital tools is seen as key to improving resilience and operational efficiency.

The Payment Watch App is now available to participating forecourt operators and is expected to become a central component of the Payment Watch scheme, helping to reduce losses and enhance recovery performance across the UK.