Abbas Basafa said the instant fuel card issuance plan was launched in February 2026 to reduce processing time and provide faster service, allowing applicants to receive cards within a maximum of 24 hours.

He noted the plan was initially piloted in Tehran. After about two months, preparations began to expand it nationwide, with the goal of equipping all regional offices by April 2026. However, the outbreak of war delayed production, installation and deployment of the devices.

Before the war, 56 instant issuance machines had been installed across 37 regions nationwide, he said.

Production Halt During War

Basafa said that when the war began on Feb. 27, the card manufacturing company and an equipment supplier halted operations due to wartime conditions.

He added that during the 12-day conflict, production of smart fuel cards stopped for nearly two months. At the time, daily production capacity was 15,000 cards, and constraints prevented rapid expansion. After the war, capacity increased to 50,000 cards per day through a focus on instant issuance projects and reverse engineering.

Despite the complete halt in production by the main manufacturer during the war, technical teams and regional units were able to produce about 4,000 cards daily using instant issuance devices and deliver them within a day.

Basafa said 150,000 requests were filed during the war, of which 125,000 applicants received their cards by visiting regional offices. The remaining applicants have not yet collected their cards.

He added that all pending cards have now been produced and handed over to the postal service, and deliveries are expected to be completed within days.

Three Ways to Obtain a Fuel Card

Basafa outlined three methods for applying:

Police +10 offices: Processing takes about 45 days due to administrative steps and data transfer to the manufacturer.

Online system (FCS): Applicants can choose postal delivery or in-person pickup. Postal delivery takes about 7 to 10 days.

Instant issuance (one-day): Applicants select in-person pickup and can receive their card within 24 hours.

20,000 Daily Requests

About 20,000 fuel card requests are registered daily nationwide, Basafa said. Of those, roughly 4,000 are for instant issuance, about 9,000 are submitted online for postal delivery, and around 7,000 are filed through Police+10 offices.

He noted some citizens mistakenly expect all cards to be issued within one day, but only the instant issuance option offers that speed.

Delays Due to Late Pickups

Basafa said congestion at distribution centers is often caused by applicants failing to collect cards on time. When they return days or weeks later, it creates sudden surges and long lines.

He added that plans are underway to equip 240 regional offices with instant issuance devices next month. Talks are also ongoing with the postal service to enable delivery of instant-issued cards by mail in the future.

The highest number of instant issuance requests came from Tehran, Alborz and Khuzestan provinces, he said.