According to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, Abbas Basafa said the production capacity for personal fuel cards has increased and so have the number of requests. He said officials have found that many of the cards people are seeking to replace are fully functional and actively used, but owners are applying for new cards simply because the previous owner’s name appears on them.

Basafa said the names were printed on cards issued before 1402, but that practice has since ended. He said fuel cards belong to the vehicle, and whether or not a name appears on the card does not affect its validity. “It does not matter whose name is printed on the back of the card,” he said.

He added that during vehicle transfers, the new owner’s identity is verified based on the vehicle’s VIN, which is unrelated to the name printed on the fuel card. Therefore, if a person is the legal owner of the vehicle, there is no need to replace the card even if it carries another person’s name.

Basafa said the printed names on older fuel cards have led to a large number of unnecessary replacement requests. “People should not pay costs, wait in lines or request new cards for this reason,” he said. “The current card is valid for fueling and monthly crediting. Imported, government and non-subsidized vehicles also do not need new fuel cards.”