Fleet Card Startup AtoB Signs an Exclusive Network Deal With Mastercard

AtoB, a 4-year-old payments platform for the trucking industry, announced Monday that Mastercard Inc. will be the exclusive network for its commercial card program.

AtoB’s platform provides such tools as fleet cards, direct-deposit payroll, and access to bank accounts. The San Francisco-based fintech’s fuel card offers discounts of up to 84 cents per gallon and advanced analytics for fleet operators that includes data to prevent potential card fraud.

Cardholder benefits from the Mastercard connection include digital-identity and behavioral-intelligence technologies that enable fleet operators to detect fraud in real time and automatic enrollment in Mastercard’s Easy Savings program. The Easy Savings program offers rebates of up to 1% for fuel purchases and up to 4% at hotels and restaurants. AtoB says this comes on top of discounts and savings available through its own platform, such as discounts on truck repairs and maintenance through such partners as Pep Boys.

The agreement will also let cardholders leverage Mastercard Send, Mastercard’s peer-to-peer money-transfer network, to pay drivers upon completion of a job, pay driver per diems, and enable secure payments to carriers.

All cards on AtoB’s platform are issued by Celtic Bank, a Salt Lake City-based bank specializing in small-business loans and commercial financing, according to the company’s Web site.

“This new partnership with Mastercard will accelerate our commitment to delivering modern payment and logistics tools to help fleet managers track spending, save money, and strengthen overall fleet performance,” AtoB chief executive and co-founder Vignan Velivela says in a statement. “The majority of fleet companies are small businesses, which must operate with maximum efficiency in a competitive market.”