WEX SecureFuel AI to screen fleet fuel purchases before approval

WEX SecureFuel AI will be added to the company’s WEXOnline platform on Aug. 3 for North American fleet customers, the payments company said in a July 29 press release. The tool is designed to identify potentially unauthorized fuel transactions before they receive approval, using card data, vehicle information and artificial intelligence models.

The launch extends WEX’s fraud controls for commercial fleets at a time when fuel costs remain a sensitive operating expense for transportation and service businesses. WEX said SecureFuel uses more context around each purchase to reduce unnecessary denials while helping customers stop suspicious activity.

How does WEX SecureFuel AI work?

SecureFuel draws on WEX fleet card transaction data, real-time vehicle information and AI-based fraud models, according to the company. The system evaluates purchase details including fuel volume, fuel type and merchant location, then combines that information with telematics data to assess whether a transaction appears legitimate.

Telematics refers to data from vehicles or fleet systems, such as information that can help connect a vehicle’s activity with a fuel purchase. WEX said customers can turn on SecureFuel inside WEXOnline using telematics provided by WEX or supported third-party providers.

The company said the tool is meant to flag suspicious behavior without generating excessive false positives. In fleet payments, a false positive can mean a legitimate driver is stopped from completing a purchase, creating operational delays for the fleet manager and the driver.

Carlos Carriedo, chief operating officer for Americas Payments and Mobility at WEX, said in the release that fraud decisions depend on the quality of the information behind them. He said SecureFuel gives WEX a fuller view of each purchase and can help customers stop unauthorized transactions without adding avoidable disruption for drivers, particularly in a fuel market with price volatility.

Why is WEX adding AI to fleet fuel payments?

WEX has been expanding its use of artificial intelligence across its business, which includes mobility payments, corporate payments and benefits administration, PYMNTS reported in April. PYMNTS also reported that mobility accounts for about half of WEX’s annual revenue.

Fuel cards generate transaction records that can show patterns such as purchases outside approved networks or repeated fueling activity that merits review, WEX Chief Digital Officer Karen Stroup told PYMNTS in an interview posted in June. She said AI can detect those anomalies quickly and bring them to managers’ attention before problems grow.

WEX Chair, CEO and President Melissa Smith also discussed the company’s AI work during an April earnings call, according to PYMNTS. She said WEX was embedding AI into workstreams and product development to improve operational efficiency and payment workflows for customers.

The SecureFuel rollout places that strategy inside a core WEX market: fleet and fuel payments. For commercial fleet operators, the value of the tool will depend on how accurately it can distinguish fraudulent or unauthorized activity from legitimate driver purchases, using transaction and vehicle data at the point of authorization.

This story draws on original reporting from PYMNTS.