Iran begins a Tehran pilot moving the petrol subsidy quota from fuel cards to bank cards

Morteza Zamanian, deputy for economic policy at Iran's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, announced the start of a scheme moving the petrol subsidy quota from fuel cards to bank cards. According to a report by EcoIran citing the Mehr news agency, published on Monday 3 August 2026 (12 Mordad 1405), the scheme has begun on a pilot basis in Tehran and is due to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year.

Zamanian said the measure was implemented in cooperation with the oil and communications ministries and the Central Bank, in line with parliamentary approvals. He added that the plan, held up for years by a lack of coordination between agencies, is now being carried out to identify fuel subsidy beneficiaries precisely and to prevent smuggling and leakage of consumption.

Under the scheme, the fuel subsidy is calculated on the basis of the user's own bank card, which he said minimises the scope for abuse even where a station's fuel card or someone else's card is used. Zamanian stressed that the scheme requires no change to station equipment, imposes no new financial burden on the public, and has no connection to any increase in petrol prices or change in quotas.