Forecourt management software decides who can sell fuel, at what price, and whether the litres that left your tanks match the rand in your till. This guide compares what South African options state about features, integrations and pricing, so you can brief a South African fuel management specialist with real questions.
We used vendor pages, press coverage and published price lists, named every source and flagged gaps. We have not tested any product.
Key takeaways
- Forecourt management software is a stack of pumps, controller, POS and back office. Check how each layer links to the next.
- The South African vendors we reviewed publish no prices. The only published figures we found are US plans from about US$50 to US$249 per site per month.
- Integration lists matter more than feature lists. Confirm your exact pump, price pole and tank gauge models.
- Retail margin is a fixed amount per litre, so small shrinkage needs a lot of extra sales to recover.
- Fuel prices change monthly, so ask how new prices reach pumps, poles and the POS.
What should forecourt management software do, and how do the options compare?
Forecourt management software links your pumps, tank gauges and tills so every litre sold is tied to a payment and a stock change. The best option is the one that supports your exact equipment, covers your store if you have one, and shows a written price. Compare integrations first, features second, price third.
How do forecourt software, controllers and tank gauges fit together?
Most confusion comes from vendors using one name for different layers. A controller connects the POS to dispensers, price poles and tank gauges. Gilbarco says its DOMS controller lets you combine any POS with dispensers from brands such as Gilbarco, Wayne or Tokheim, and lists support for more than 100 protocols including IFSF.
So ask two separate questions: does the software support my controller, and does the controller support my pumps and gauges? The answer to the second often decides the install cost.
Chart 1: The forecourt software stack, top to bottom
What it does:
Ask the vendor:
Source: Gilbarco, Arch Retail and vendor pages as cited in this guide. Select a layer for detail.
Which features matter most on a South African forecourt?
Start with the problems you have. Sites with a shop need fuel and store sales in one system. Sites with account customers need debtor control. Sites that lose stock need tank gauge data. Arch Retail notes that many fuel sites run fuel and store on separate systems, each with its own management requirements.
The filter below uses only what each vendor states. Tick your must-haves and see which listed systems say they cover them.
Chart 2: Filter systems by your must-have features
| Tank gauge or stock monitoring | Pump or controller integration | Convenience store POS | Debtor or account customers | Multi-site reporting | Cloud or web access | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbarco Compass | Stated | Stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Stated | |
| Arch Fuel | Stated | Stated | Stated | Stated | Stated | Not stated | |
| Masterfuel | Not stated | Stated | Stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | |
| LS Central | Not stated | Stated | Stated | Not stated | Not stated | Stated | |
| Epump | Stated | Stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Stated | |
| SmartFuel | Stated | Not stated | Stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Based only on what each vendor page or directory listing states. Not stated does not mean not supported, so ask. Examples only, not a full market list.
How do the main forecourt management systems compare?
The table paraphrases pages from Gilbarco, Arch Retail, Masterfuel, LS Retail, Verifone, iTechGuides (Epump), Connected and DOMS. Treat it as a starting shortlist, not a ranking.
| System | Type | Features stated | Integrations stated | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbarco Compass (LIGO) | Forecourt bundle | Embedded POS and back office, web portal, real-time pump and tank status, dry item sales. Designed for sites without a convenience store. | Veeder-Root TLS4B gauge and DOMS PSS 5000 controller | None found |
| DOMS PSS 5000 | Forecourt controller | Links POS to pumps, price poles, car wash and tank gauges. | Lists 100+ protocols including IFSF | None found |
| Arch Fuel | Forecourt plus store | Attendant and vehicle tagging, tank gauging, on-forecourt payment, debtors, loyalty, multi-site product. | Hongyang, Prowalco, Tokheim and Dresser-Wayne pumps. Masterfuel or DOMS controllers. FNB MiniPOS. | None. Page says cost-effective |
| Masterfuel | Fuel system and POS | Wired or wireless, retail POS and a back-office suite. | MiniPOS compatibility. Pumps and gauges not stated. | None. Contact vendor |
| LS Central for forecourt | Cloud POS and ERP | POS, back office and pump control for fuel, retail and food service. | Not on the page we read. Confirm a South African partner. | None found |
| Verifone South Africa | Payments and POS | Pay-at-the-pump and mobile forecourt solutions, plus POS. | Not detailed on the page | None found |
| Epump | Cloud automation | Pump monitoring, tank inventory and a mobile app, per a directory listing. | Not verified | Pricing on request |
| Fuel Connect (Connected) | Funding plus monitoring | Fuel funding, stock monitoring, order assistance, optional cash vault. | Tank gauge, POS, Speedpoints and cash synced to Clarity software. Optional Masterfuel POS. | None. Masterfuel POS can be rented |
| SmartFuel | Forecourt fuel management | Real-time fuel inventory monitoring, data analytics, theft prevention, and convenience store stock, cash flow and accounting. | Ask SmartFuel for your equipment list | Quote on request |
Arch Fuel was reported in 2024 to integrate with the FNB MiniPOS and the DOMS controller.
How much does forecourt management software cost?
We found no South African prices. Arch Retail describes imported forecourt systems as exposed to the exchange rate and relatively expensive, but gives no figures for its own. Published figures we found are in US dollars for North American products: Software Advice lists Petromo from US$50 per site per month, or US$90 with back office, plus US$150 hardware and US$300 for technician installation. iTechGuides lists Petrosoft Edge at US$79 to US$89 per location per month. CoreVue shows US$249 per site per month on Capterra and US$199 on G2.
Use these as order-of-magnitude pointers only. Ask each South African vendor for a written quote covering hardware, installation, subscription, support and travel to your site.
Chart 3: Three-year cost builder in rand
Total over the term: R0
Average per site per month: R0
Subscription share: 0%
Illustrative. Defaults are one US vendor’s published plan (Petromo), not a South African quote. Enter your own quote and today’s exchange rate.
How much does shrinkage cost against a thin retail margin?
The South African Petroleum Retailers Association’s chair said, as reported by MyBroadband, that stations earn the same rand margin per litre whether fuel costs R25 or R40. The Central Energy Fund’s price release approved a petrol retail margin increase of 4.9 cents a litre from 2 September 2026. Lost litres are bought at full cost but earn only that margin when sold, so recovering them takes far more sales than the loss itself.
Chart 4: Small shrinkage against a thin margin
Illustrative arithmetic with example inputs. Check your actual cost and margin. A national retail margin figure is published in the monthly price release.
Reconciliation is how you find those losses. The Irish Health and Safety Authority guide explains wet stock reconciliation as comparing delivered, sold and remaining stock, with variances caused by leaks, evaporation or theft, and Gilbarco sets out the manual and automated approaches. Our guide to fuel reconciliation shows how to run it.
Price changes add another risk. Prices are adjusted on the first Wednesday of each month, announced on a Monday with zone schedules published on the Tuesday. In May 2026 the department corrected a diesel calculation late on Tuesday, and Daily Maverick reported some stations may have missed it. Ask how your software pushes new prices to pumps, poles and the POS. See also our page on fuel theft prevention.
Checklist: what to ask before you sign
- Which pump, price pole and tank gauge models do you support, and in writing?
- Which controller does the system use, and who commissions it?
- Does it include POS for my store, or only fuel?
- How are account customers and debtors handled?
- How do prices update after the monthly adjustment?
- What happens to sales when the connection drops?
- Which reports are standard, including wet stock and shift reports?
- Can I export my data if I leave?
- What is the total cost: hardware, installation, subscription, support and travel?
- Can I speak to a reference site with similar equipment?
If you are unsure how much system you need, answer the five questions below and use the result to shape your quote request.
Chart 5: How much system do you need?
Tick the needs that apply to your site.
Illustrative guide, not a vendor test. Use it to shape your shortlist and quote request.
When is replacing your forecourt management software not the right move?
- Your losses come from deliveries or leaks. Better tank gauging and reconciliation come before new forecourt management software.
- Your pumps or controller are not on the new system’s supported list. Hardware replacement may cost more than the software.
- You have a single pump island and a reliable manual log.
- Your supplier or oil company mandates the system.
- You cannot export your history, which could break stock and tax records.
Forecourt management software: frequently asked questions
What is forecourt management software?
Forecourt management software connects your pumps, tank gauges and tills so each litre sold is tied to a payment and a stock change. Most systems add shift reports, pricing control and wet stock reconciliation. Some also run the convenience store, account customers and multi-site reporting, so check which of these you need.
How much does forecourt management software cost in South Africa?
The South African vendors we reviewed do not publish prices. Published figures we found are US plans, such as Petromo from US$50 per site per month plus hardware and installation. Ask for written quotes covering hardware, installation, subscription, support and travel, and convert at today’s exchange rate.
Can forecourt management software work with my existing pumps and tank gauges?
Often yes, through a forecourt controller. DOMS lists support for more than 100 protocols, including IFSF, and Arch Retail names Tokheim, Dresser-Wayne, Hongyang and Prowalco pumps. Support depends on your exact models, so ask the vendor to confirm them in writing before you buy.
Do I need a separate system for my convenience store?
Not necessarily. Arch Retail says many sites run separate systems for forecourt and store, and its Arch Fuel combines them. Gilbarco’s Compass bundle is designed for sites without a store. If you sell inside, ask whether store stock, cash and fuel reconcile in one system.
How does forecourt management software handle monthly fuel price changes?
South African fuel prices are adjusted monthly, on the first Wednesday. Good forecourt management software lets you schedule the new price and push it to pumps, price poles and the POS together. Ask how it handles a late correction, as happened with the May 2026 diesel announcement.
What is wet stock reconciliation and does the software do it?
Wet stock reconciliation compares fuel delivered, fuel sold and fuel left in the tank to spot leaks, evaporation or theft. Forecourt management software can automate it when linked to an automatic tank gauge. Ask whether it captures deliveries, shows daily variance and flags unusual trends.
Talk to a South African forecourt management software specialist
If you want a second opinion on your shortlist, explore SmartFuel’s forecourt fuel management solutions. SmartFuel is a South African fuel management company with more than 20 years of experience, trusted at 600+ sites and based in Johannesburg.
Ready to review your site? Contact the SmartFuel team or call +27 11 615 3437. You can also read our fuel management provider guide.
Sources
- Gilbarco: Compass forecourt management bundle
- Gilbarco: DOMS PSS 5000 forecourt controller
- Gilbarco: PSS 5000 forecourt controller data sheet
- Arch Retail: Arch Fuel
- ITWeb: Arch Fuel solution enhanced by latest fuel integrations (27 August 2024)
- ITWeb: Arch launches Arch Fuel (5 October 2022)
- Masterfuel
- Connected: Fuel Connect
- LS Retail: forecourt and convenience store
- Verifone South Africa: petroleum
- iTechGuides: Epump
- Software Advice: Petromo
- iTechGuides: Petrosoft Edge pricing
- Capterra: CoreVue
- G2: CoreVue pricing
- Central Energy Fund: price release for 2 September 2026
- MyBroadband: June 2026 fuel price adjustments
- Daily Maverick: diesel price correction (5 May 2026)
- The Citizen: fuel price adjustment May 2026
- Health and Safety Authority (Ireland): wetstock reconciliation guidance
- Gilbarco: Reconciliation explained
