Fueling station transaction system and method

A method of performing a fueling station payment transaction comprising the steps of:

• providing a fueling station payment system comprising a fuel pump dispensing fuel to individual customers;
• a forecourt controller;
• a terminal disposed within said fuel pump, said terminal comprising a processing unit, a memory, a secure card reader, an encryption module and a wireless communication module, wherein said memory has computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by said processing unit, cause said terminal to execute a payment application for facilitating payment transactions;
• at least one secure and tamper proof housing, wherein said terminal is arranged inside said at least one secure and tamper proof housing;
• one or more point of sale systems which communicate with said forecourt controller using established protocols;
• and a gateway device, wherein said terminal communicates wirelessly with said gateway device, and wherein said terminal and said forecourt controller communicate with each other through said gateway device to complete fuel dispensing, and wherein said gateway device communicates with said forecourt controller using said established protocols of said point of sale systems;
• receiving secure payment information from a user through said terminal and encrypting said secure payment information directly using said encryption module;
• and
• wirelessly communicating said encrypted secure payment information directly to a payment processor via said wireless communication module to complete said payment transactions without communicating with said forecourt controller, wherein said payment transactions comprise payment authorization.

A method of retrofitting a fueling station transaction system in a fueling station having a fuel dispensing pump, a legacy smart card reader installed in said fuel dispensing pump, said legacy smart card reader in direct communication with a forecourt controller;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• removing the legacy smart card reader from the fuel pump dispensing fuel to individual customers;
• providing a terminal comprising a processing unit, a memory, a secure card reader, an encryption module and a wireless communication module, wherein said memory has computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by said processing unit, cause said terminal to execute a payment application for facilitating payment transactions;
• said terminal in wireless communication with a payment processor via said wireless communication module such that encrypted secure payment information is transmitted directly between the terminal and the payment processor to complete said payment transactions by encrypting data directly using said encryption module such that said processing unit completes said payment transactions without communicating with a forecourt controller, wherein said payment transactions comprise payment authorization;
• providing at least one secure and tamper proof housing, wherein said terminal is arranged inside said at least one secure and tamper proof housing;
• replacing the legacy secure card reader with the terminal;
• and
• providing a gateway device in communication with said forecourt controller and in wireless communication with the terminal, wherein one or more point of sale systems communicate with said forecourt controller using established protocols, wherein said terminal and said forecourt controller communicate with each other through said gateway device to complete fuel dispensing, and wherein said gateway device communicates with said forecourt controller using said established protocols of said point of sale systems.