Integrated automation system for secure management of cash and credit card sales in gas stations

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] INTEGRATED AUTOMATION SYSTEM FOR SECURE MANAGEMENT OF CASH AND CREDIT CARD SALES IN GAS STATIONS

[0003] Technical Area

[0004] The invention relates to an automation system developed to manage fuel sales safely and without errors through the integration of automation and accounting software.

[0005] The invention particularly relates to an automation system to be used to prevent duplicate transactions in fuel sales, to prevent the customer from leaving the station without receiving payment, and to easily deliver the sales under control at the end of the shift.

[0006] State of the Art

[0007] At present, automation systems monitored and regulated by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) are mandatorily employed at all fuel stations. These systems record the operations carried out during the refueling and sale of fuel, thereby ensuring legal compliance and preventing unregistered transactions. Installed by companies licensed by the EPDK, such automation systems play a crucial role in the supervision of fuel stations. The automation systems control all pumps within the station and collect the data generated during the refueling process in a central software system. However, these systems record only limited information — such as the type and quantity of the dispensed fuel — and cannot differentiate sales based on payment methods (cash or credit card). This limitation renders the systems insufficient in meeting the need for effective supervision and control over sales transactions.

[0008] The existing automation systems operate through a structure in which all pumps are connected to a central automation cabinet located within the station building, and the automation software installed in this cabinet controls all the pumps. The pumps can function only in automation mode and cannot dispense fuel unless a command is received from the automation system. Personnel authorized to operate the pump must initiate the transaction by scanning an ID card that has been registered in the automation system using the reader located on the pump. Through the automation software, the pumps, nozzles, fuel types sold, and attendant ID cards are defined, and necessary inputs are made to the system via password-protected administrator menus. Owing to this configuration, the system tracks every pump and nozzle movement and records detailed transaction data, including the volume of fuel dispensed (in liters), unit price, total amount, date and time of the sale, the license plate number of the vehicle involved, and the identity of the attendant who performed the transaction.

[0009] However, the existing automation systems record sales data solely based on information received from the pumps and do not provide any means for editing or manual intervention in these records. Since the sales data are stored exactly as transmitted to the automation system, verifying their accuracy depends entirely on the discretion of the station personnel.

[0010] In particular, for sales transactions made via credit cards, there is no connection between the automation system and the POS terminals. Because credit card transactions are conducted through an independent POS device, separate from the automation system, all transactions are treated as cash sales within the automation records. This situation necessitates the manual segregation of sales into cash and credit card categories at the end of each shift, resulting in additional workload.

[0011] During this manual segregation process, especially under high workload or during shift changes, there is a risk of incorrect classification or miscalculation of cash and credit card sales, which can lead to time loss and financial discrepancies.

[0012] In particular, the manual entry of credit card transactions into POS terminals that are not integrated with the automation system can lead to various security vulnerabilities and operational errors. For example, an attendant who receives cash from a customer may intentionally fail to deliver this cash to the station manager and instead record the transaction as if it were paid by credit card for the same amount. In such a case, the attendant could keep the cash for personal gain, causing financial loss to the business.

[0013] Furthermore, when a customer who has paid by credit card gives the receipt (slip) to another attendant, discrepancies may arise in the records because the POS device and the automation system are not synchronized. These types of situations necessitate additional verification measures to ensure the accuracy of sales data and pose significant security risks for the business.

[0014] Another issue arises from the manual entry of credit card transactions into POS devices, as there is a risk of entering an incorrect amount — either lower or higher than the actual value displayed on the pump or requested by the customer. In a high-pressure working environment, such errors can easily go unnoticed, resulting in payments that do not correspond to the amount of fuel dispensed.

[0015] If the customer pays less or more than the actual sale amount, this disrupts the station’s income and expense balance and necessitates additional adjustments in accounting records. Since these discrepancies typically require manual verification and correction, the process leads to significant time loss and operational inefficiency.

[0016] Another limitation of the existing automation systems concerns the management of credit-based (account) transactions that rely on the use of ID cards. For vehicles belonging to companies defined as account customers at the station, refueling is carried out by scanning customer-specific account cards instead of attendant ID cards, and these transactions are recorded in the automation system as credit (on-account) sales. However, the invoicing and official accounting processes for such transactions are not performed through the automation system. All transaction data must be manually transferred into the accounting system, and official documents are generated in a separate process. This manual workflow increases the likelihood of accounting errors and imposes additional workload on station personnel.

[0017] In conclusion, although the existing automation systems enable general monitoring of sales, their inability to distinguish between cash and credit card transactions, lack of synchronization with POS devices, and requirement for manual data processing create significant challenges for businesses. The limitations of these systems lead to both security vulnerabilities and losses in time and operational costs. In particular, during peak operating hours or shift transitions, errors and discrepancies frequently occur, thereby necessitating additional verification and control procedures to ensure the reliability of sales transactions. Consequently, the need for an integrated automation system capable of securely managing both cash and credit card sales at fuel stations — eliminating the disadvantages inherent in the existing technology — and the inadequacy of current solutions in meeting this need have made it necessary to develop improvements within the relevant technical field.

[0018] Brief Explanation of the Invention

[0019] The present invention relates to an automation system developed to securely and accurately manage fuel sales through the integration of automation and accounting software, which meets the aforementioned requirements, eliminates all existing disadvantages, and provides additional advantages.

[0020] Based on the known state of the art, the objective of the present invention is to develop an automation system designed to prevent accounting inconsistencies, operational errors, and security vulnerabilities arising from the recording of sales transactions at fuel stations without distinguishing between cash and credit card payments.

[0021] The purpose of the invention is to integrate sales data received from automation systems into a centralized interface, establish a direct connection with POS devices for credit card transactions, and ensure the secure transfer of such data to the accounting software. Through this configuration, the invention aims to eliminate the need for dual verification, reduce the risk of manual errors, increase transaction speed and security, and minimize the workload during shift handovers.

[0022] Another objective of the invention is to prevent discrepancies — such as cash shortages or surpluses — that may occur during shift changes by ensuring accurate and complete recording of each sales transaction according to its respective payment type.

[0023] Another objective of the invention is to enable the automatic distinction between credit card and cash sales at fuel stations and to integrate payment information into the automation system during the sales process. In this way, for credit card transactions, the transaction amount is directly transmitted to the POS device, eliminating the need for manual data entry and thereby preventing incorrect amount entries.

[0024] Another objective of the invention is to ensure that, once the payment transaction is approved, all relevant information — such as the transaction date, time, card number, and authorization details — is automatically recorded in the automation system and directly transferred to the accounting software. In this manner, accounting errors arising from lost or unsubmitted credit card slips are eliminated, and the station supervisor is enabled to quickly access reliable data regarding the details of each individual sale.

[0025] Another objective of the invention is to ensure that each sales transaction is automatically recorded and fully transferred to the accounting system, thereby enabling the automatic distinction between cash and credit card payments at the end of each shift without the need for manual calculations. This configuration reduces the workload of station personnel while simultaneously enhancing the reliability of sales transactions.

[0026] Another objective of the invention is to facilitate the monitoring of sales targets and performance by enabling the automatic transmission of sales data to the manager via e-mail, particularly during busy shift transitions. Another objective of the invention is to ensure the reliability of shift handover processes for employees at fuel stations, thereby enhancing both operational efficiency and overall security in workflow management.

[0027] The structural and characteristic features of the invention, as well as all of its advantages, will be understood more clearly from the detailed description provided below. Accordingly, the evaluation of the invention should be made in consideration of these detailed explanations.

[0028] Detailed Explanation of the Invention

[0029] In this detailed description, the automation system developed to securely and accurately manage fuel sales through the integration of automation and accounting software is explained solely by way of example for a better understanding of the invention, without imposing any limitation on the scope thereof.

[0030] The invention relates to an automation system that records all stages of sales transactions at fuel stations by integrating them into a unified structure, automatically monitors both sales and payment processes, and facilitates shift handovers. In existing systems, station personnel manually record sales transactions, are unable to distinguish payments as cash or credit card, and frequently encounter problems during manual reconciliation at the end of shifts. The automation system of the present invention automatically transfers the detailed data of each sale — particularly by distinguishing between credit card and cash transactions — into the accounting system and securely stores all related information, thereby ensuring a transparent and reliable shift handover process.

[0031] The automation system of the present invention essentially comprises the following operational steps: entering the vehicle license plate number; selecting the type and quantity of fuel to be dispensed; automatically identifying the attendant who performs the fueling operation; initiating the fueling process; automatically triggering the payment step upon completion of fueling; transferring transaction details to the market sales screen; automatically transferring the transaction details to the accounting system after payment is received; and automatically generating a report of all transaction details at the end of the shift. During the fueling process, data such as fuel quantity, license plate number, pump and nozzle numbers, and transaction amount are simultaneously transmitted to both the market sales screen and the customer display. Upon completion of fueling, the payment amount is automatically sent to the POS terminal. After the payment information is transmitted to the POS device, if the payment is made by credit card, then — following the bank authorization received by the POS terminal — the transaction details including the attendant’s identification data, pump number, nozzle number, vehicle license plate, fuel type, fuel quantity, transaction amount, credit card information, and bank authorization code are transferred to the accounting system. At the end of each shift, the sales details for every attendant are listed and automatically sent to the managers via e-mail. The report generated at the end of the shift separately specifies the details of cash, credit card, and account (on-credit) sales, as well as the total sales amount.

[0032] The operating principle of the aforementioned automation system begins when a vehicle approaches the pump for refueling. The nozzle corresponding to the vehicle’s fuel type is inserted into the tank by the pump attendant. At this stage, the attendant enters the vehicle’s license plate number and the desired fueling amount into the system and presents their personnel identification card to the automation terminal. Through this process, the attendant is authenticated within the system, and authorization is granted to initiate the fueling operation. Once the fueling process begins, all relevant data — such as the vehicle’s license plate number, pump and nozzle numbers, fuel quantity, and transaction amount — are transmitted in real time to both the customer display and the market sales screen. At this point, the customer can verify the transaction details and monitor the fueling process through the on-screen information.

[0033] When the fueling process is completed, the payment phase is automatically initiated. For the payment transaction, all fueling details recorded in the system are automatically transferred to the market sales screen. On this screen, information such as the vehicle’s license plate number, pump and nozzle identifiers, fuel quantity, and transaction amount are displayed in full detail, thereby eliminating the need for the market attendant to manually enter any data. The market attendant directs the customer who wishes to pay by credit card to the POS terminal, and the transaction data are automatically transmitted to the POS device. Through this automation process, the attendant completes the transaction without any manual data entry, thereby eliminating potential input errors. Once the transaction is approved on the POS terminal, the system records all related details within the accounting software integrated into the automation system.

[0034] Detailed data for each transaction are transferred to the accounting system. These data include information such as the identity of the pump attendant, pump number, nozzle number, vehicle license plate number, fuel type, fuel quantity, transaction amount, credit card details used, and the bank authorization code. In this way, every transaction is recorded completely together with all relevant information. After the payment transaction is approved, a transaction receipt is printed from a printer connected to the automation system, and two slips are generated from the POS terminal. One of these slips is handed to the customer, while the transaction receipt is given by the customer to the pump attendant. The customer receives all documents, thereby completing the transaction and leaving the station.

[0035] One of the significant advantages of the mentioned automation system is that all operations are instantly recorded through full integration within a single system. Common issues encountered in existing systems — such as incomplete or incorrect data entry, lost credit card slips, and manual entry errors — are minimized in this system. Since all transactions are recorded in real time through the described automation structure, both station personnel and managers can securely and easily monitor operations at the end of each shift. For example, personnel can automatically generate their end-of-shift reports and review detailed information regarding cash, credit card, and account (on-credit) sales in a comprehensive manner.

[0036] Another advantage provided by the aforementioned automation system is the complete integration of credit-card transactions with the system, enabling transaction amounts to be transmitted directly to the POS terminal. In current implementations, the market attendant is required to manually input the amount into the POS terminal for each transaction, which gives rise to erroneous data entries. In contrast, because transactions are automatically forwarded to the POS device in the present automation system, manual data entry is obviated, thereby reducing staff workload and enhancing transaction reliability. Moreover, by integrating credit-card transactions with the accounting system, all relevant data — including which pump attendant performed a given transaction and which card was charged — are persistently recorded within the system.

[0037] The invention further provides the advantage of enabling station managers to monitor sales in real time and to obtain complete end-of-shift reports. The automatically generated end-of-shift report comprises, for each attendant, the sales details, the cash and credit-card transactions performed, and the total sales amounts. Furthermore, these reports are delivered to managers via e-mail, thereby facilitating more effective oversight of operations. By virtue of this system, all data generated following each sales transaction are automatically archived, obviating the need for the station manager to prepare sales reports manually.

[0038] In conclusion, the developed automation system according to the present invention integrates sales and payment operations at fuel stations, enables error-free data recording, and ensures that end-of-shift reconciliations are performed rapidly and securely. Unlike existing applications, in the proposed system, credit card transactions are automatically transmitted to the POS terminal, while all related details are simultaneously integrated into the accounting system. Through these features, the system reduces the workload of both station personnel and managers, minimizes manual operational errors, and ensures that all sales transactions are securely recorded. With these combined advantages, the described automation system provides a reliable, fast, and cost- effective solution for managing sales and payment operations at fuel stations.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An automation system that records all stages of sales transactions at fuel stations by integrating them into a unified structure, automatically monitors both sales and payment processes, and facilitates shift handovers, characterized in that; entering the vehicle license plate number; determining the type and quantity of fuel to be dispensed; automatically identifying the attendant who performs the fueling operation; initiating the fueling process; automatically initiating the payment step upon completion of the fueling process; transferring the transaction details to the market sales screen; automatically transferring the transaction details to the accounting system after payment is received; and• automatically generating a report of all transaction details at the end of the shift.

2. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of simultaneously transmitting the fuel quantity, license plate number, pump and nozzle numbers, and transaction amount to both the market sales screen and the customer display during the fueling process.

2. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of transmitting the payment amount to the POS terminal upon completion of the fueling process.

3. The automation system according to claim 2, characterized in that after the payment information is transmitted to the POS terminal and, in the case of a credit card payment, upon receipt of bank authorization by the POS terminal, the system comprises the step of transferring the transaction details to the accounting system.

4. The automation system according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises the step of transferring to the accounting system the attendant’s identification information, pump number, nozzle number, vehicle license plate number, fuel type, fuel quantity, transaction amount, credit card information used, and bank authorization code.

5. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that after completion of the payment transaction, it comprises the step of printing one transaction receipt and two POS slips, one of which is provided to the customer.

6. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of listing the sales details of each attendant at the end of the shift and transmitting said details to the managers via e-mail.

5. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of specifying separately, in the report generated at the end of the shift, the details of cash, credit card, and account (on-credit) sales together with the total sales amount.

6. The automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of storing all data generated during each transaction within a data recording module and automatically performing shift handover operations for the personnel.