The year is 1998. A lot of us spent our time debating whether or not Jack from Titanic could have fit on that floating door, showing our hair stylist pictures of Jennifer Anniston so we could get “The Rachel” cut, and wondering how the heck to use this new thing called “Google”. Over at Petro-Canada, we were launching a new card service, one that would revolutionize the way our commercial customers managed their business with us.

But first, we have to go back a few more years. Petro-Canada was founded in 1975 and made a lot of acquisitions over the years: BP Canada, Gulf Canada and PetroFina, among others. In addition to having retail stations, these companies also had wholesale customers who subsequently became a part of Petro-Canada’s wholesale network: Petro-Pass.

One of the downsides for our wholesale customers was that, depending on the site location they visited and the technical capabilities of the original brand, the technology they would use to fill up was different. It could be a punch card, aka a Hollerith (named after the inventor of computer punch cards), or it could be the more familiar magnetic stripe card. So commercial drivers who wanted to be prepared for all contingencies as well as have access to a Canada-wide network had to carry both cards with them.

In 1998, in an effort to leverage our entire network (retail and wholesale), upgrade an inconsistent technology experience, and address the need to carry a wallet full of cards, Petro-Canada created the SuperPass card for commercial drivers. The Petro-Pass network got a technology makeover, magnetic stripe tech was introduced at all locations and the SuperPass card was issued to commercial members – alleviating the need to carry multiple cards and uniting our wholesale customers under one brand.

Flash forward 25 years and we still love innovating for Canadian businesses. Today our SuperPass card, accepted at every Petro-Canada location as well as 270+ locations in the US through our Travel Centers of America partnership, gives small and enterprise fleet managers unique tools to help manage the security and efficiency of their fleets. To celebrate this milestone with our members, we’ll be launching a few events during the year:

Member Contest April 18-Oct 23 – All SuperPass members will have a chance to win one of 25 prizes of $5,000 just by using their card to purchase fuel during the contest period.  You’ll see this contest advertised on Pump Toppers at both Petro-Canada retail stations and Petro-Pass stations across Canada, through social media and on the radio.

Member Stories – SuperPass helps Canadians keep their businesses moving, and we want to share their stories. We’ll feature SuperPass members from across the country who depend on SuperPass to get their work done. Look for their stories on our website, onsite signage, and on social media.

Partnerships – We are always looking for ways to make SuperPass more valuable to our members. For the very first time, we will offer exclusive offers with partner companies to SuperPass members beyond their fuel transaction. Stay tuned on our website and via SuperPass member emails for more details.

We’re proud to have been a reliable partner for Canadian businesses to manage their fleets for the last 25 years and are looking forward to continuing to innovate and support them for the next 25!