Tcs-tank Card Service Gmbh

What Tcs-tank Card Service Gmbh does

TCS – Tank Card Service GmbH is a privately held German company (GmbH) headquartered in Cologne that, for more than 30 years, has processed card payments at gas stations on behalf of mineral oil companies and station operators. Its core business is a multi-card clearing network that accepts Girocard (credited via house banks), international credit cards (processed daily through certified acquirers), and major fleet cards (DKV, UTA, euroShell, Routex, Novofleet), serving more than 5,000 connected gas stations with day-precise transaction recording. The company is managed by Geschäftsführer André Novak, has no disclosed parent or external investors, and operates exclusively in Germany.

Name

Tcs-tank Card Service Gmbh

Legal name

TCS – Tank Card Service GmbH

Website

https://tcsgmbh.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TCS Tank Card Service GmbH is a Cologne-based German payment processor that, for over 30 years, has cleared card payments for more than 5,000 gas stations and provides MTS-K fuel-price compliance and pricing optimization services to mineral oil companies and station operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment processing services for fuel retail

akta.pro primary industry

Fuel Card & Fleet Payment Programs (TLABAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fleet Maintenance & Repair Spend Payments (Service Network Cards, Pay-at-the-Pump/Shop) (TLABAMAJ)

Keywords

• Card payment clearing
• Gas station payment processing
• Fleet card acceptance
• Fuel price transparency reporting
• EV charging settlement

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Card Payment Clearing: Transaction fee-based revenue from processing card payments at gas stations. Includes clearing for Girocard (credited via home bank), international credit cards (daily via certified acquirers), and diesel/fleet cards (submitted to card issuers like DKV, UTA, euroShell, Routex).
2. Pricing and Data Services: Revenue from providing market pricing data and competitive intelligence for fuel price optimization. Includes competitor data maintenance and price validation services for gas station operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

TCS – Tank Card Service GmbH operates a B2B payment processing platform that enables German gas station operators, mineral oil companies, E-Mobility providers and charge point operators to accept and clear cashless card payments (Girocard, international credit cards, and fleet/fuel cards). The offering bundles three services: Clearing for full card acceptance and daily settlement, MTS-K for automated regulatory fuel-price reporting to the Markttransparenzstelle, and TCS-Pricing for market-driven fuel price optimization. The company currently processes transactions for more than 5,000 gas stations and reports price data from over 1,800 stations to the MTS-K MDM portal.

Product overview

TCS – Tank Card Service GmbH offers a unified payment processing platform with three integrated modules: Clearing for processing card transactions (debit cards, credit cards, and fleet cards), MTS-K for mandatory fuel price transparency reporting to German regulatory authorities, and TCS-Pricing for dynamic fuel price optimization. The company has processed electronic payments at over 5,000 gas stations for over 30 years and is expanding into electric vehicle charging transaction billing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TCS Clearing Full clearing network enabling German gas stations to accept and settle cashless card payments, including Girocard (credited via house bank), international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club) settled daily via certified acquirers, and diesel/fleet cards submitted directly to issuers such as DKV, UTA, euroShell and Routex for credit. Built and maintained to current standards, including SEPA transition of Girocard and ELV transactions in close cooperation with the German credit industry.
• MTS-K (Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe) Service Regulatory compliance service that automatically transmits price-change and opening-time data from connected gas stations to the MDM portal of the German Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe, fulfilling the August 2013 legal reporting obligation for price-authority companies (PHI). Currently covers over 1,800 gas stations, transmitting price changes and opening hours in minute-by-minute intervals, with an easy-to-use capture portal offered to customers lacking the required technical setup.
• TCS-Pricing Fuel pricing optimization service that aggregates relevant market data for price determination, with competitor data maintained per station or per group, automated validation routines ensuring prices stay within customer-defined parameters, and the ability to trigger price changes immediately or on a scheduled basis based on competitor moves, margin and customer strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Day-precise processing of all cashless transactions at connected stations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DKV (DKV Euro Service)coreOthersFleet card clearing partnership. Diesel and fleet card transactions are directly submitted to DKV for credit processing.
• UTA (United Truckers Association)coreOthersFleet card clearing partnership for truck and commercial vehicle fuel cards.
• euroShellcoreOthersShell fleet card clearing partnership for commercial fuel card transactions.
• RoutexcoreOthersFleet card clearing partnership for Routex commercial fuel card network.
• AVIA InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with AVIA International fuel brand for card acceptance and clearing services at AVIA station network.
• WestfalenminorOthersRegional fuel brand partnership for card acceptance.
• TotalEnergiesminorOthersMajor oil company partnership for card acceptance at TotalEnergies stations.
• EssominorOthersInternational fuel brand partnership for card acceptance at Esso stations.
• OIL! Tanken & ServiceminorOthersGerman fuel brand partnership for card acceptance.
• NovofleetminorOthersFleet card clearing partnership for Novofleet commercial fuel card.
• German Credit Industry (Kreditwirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with German credit industry for SEPA transition of Girocard and ELV transactions. Joint testing ensures smooth transition of payment standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• PACE Telematics GmbH: German connected-car/fleet telematics platform with fuel card and payment integrations; competes at the intersection of fleet payment processing and mobility data services in Germany.
• Wirelane GmbH: German provider of EV charging management software including payment and settlement for charge point operators; overlaps with TCS's emerging EV charging payment services for a similar CPO customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Worldline: Pan-European payment processor offering merchant acquiring and card acceptance across multiple verticals including fuel retail; competes with TCS for large German fuel brand merchant relationships.
• Concardis (Nexi Group): Major German payment processor (now part of Nexi) providing card acceptance and POS solutions to retail including gas stations; broader portfolio than TCS but overlaps on gas-station merchant acquiring.
• PayOne GmbH (SIX Payment Services): German/Swiss payment service provider offering card acceptance and POS terminals to retail including fuel stations; broader portfolio but overlapping customer base with TCS.

Direct peers

• integration1 GmbH: German software and services provider focused on fuel retail station management, payment and back-office workflows; closest functional peer to TCS in serving German gas station operators with payment and operational tooling.
• LogPay Finance GmbH: German B2B payment platform specializing in fleet, fuel and mobility cards; directly competes with TCS in fleet card clearing and settlement for German commercial vehicle operators.
• Heidelberger Payment GmbH: German payment service provider focused on unattended terminals and fuel station payment processing; directly comparable to TCS in serving the same German fuel retail merchant segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tcs-tank-card-service-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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