The fuel shortage in Russia is not letting up and is gaining momentum: queues, liter limits, and pumps where the needed fuel grade simply isn’t available. T-Bank, Sber, and Yandex have already rolled out their own fuel availability maps, and now Alfa-Bank has joined them with its own gas station map. It’s the perfect time to fill up your car so you don’t end up searching for a pump at the last minute.
Another fuel availability map
How the Alfa-Bank Gas Station Fuel Map Works
Alfa-Bank’s fuel availability map doesn’t just show a dry list of gas stations — it provides a forecast of whether a specific station has fuel right now. The service covers more than 21,000 gas stations across Russia, works directly in the browser, and is available to everyone, not just the bank’s customers. T-Bank was the first to launch a similar map, followed by Sber and Yandex, so Alfa entered an already heated market.
Alfa’s map visually doesn’t differ from T-Bank’s and Sber’s
To generate data, the bank uses information from partners, fiscal data operators, tens of thousands of POS terminals at gas stations, and other sources processed by artificial intelligence. Thus, Alfa-Bank’s gas station map aggregates information from multiple sources at once. What this means in practice:
- A filter by fuel type to eliminate stations without the needed gasoline or diesel;
- Search for the nearest operating gas station by geolocation;
- Real-time availability check, not just based on recent purchase history.
How to Open Alfa-Bank’s Gas Station Map on iPhone
For now, Alfa-Bank’s gas station map lives in a web version, and they promise to integrate it into the “Alfa-Refueling” section of the bank’s app soon. You can open the service on iPhone like this:
There’s also a built-in button in the app, but it also leads to the website
- Follow this link. No registration or app installation needed.
- Once the service appears in the app, look for the map there, next to fuel payment.
- For quick access, add a website shortcut to your home screen via the “Share” menu and the “Add to Home Screen” option.
The quickest option, just like with competitors, is to open the map in a browser without extra installations. Keep in mind that the gas station map and the refueling service are not the same thing. In the latter case, you can only refuel at partner gas stations if you have an Alfa-Bank card.
Alfa-Bank, Sber, or T-Bank Gas Station Map — Which to Choose
We compiled a gas station map comparison in one table. In short: Alfa wins with diverse data sources, Sber’s gas station map wins on scale, and T-Bank offers the most detail on fuel grades.
| Parameter | Alfa-Bank | Sber | T-Bank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | more than 21,000 gas stations | 23,000 gas stations | more than 20,000 gas stations |
| Data sources | partners, fiscal data operators, POS terminals | payments from 100 million customers | transactions from 55 million customers |
| Fuel filter | gasoline and diesel | no, promised later | forecast for AI-92 and AI-95 |
| Driver reports | no | no | yes |
| In-service payment | coming soon in “Alfa-Refueling” | “Refueling” service | “Fuel” service |
There’s also a fourth option. Yandex Refueling for iPhone lets you not only find fuel but also pay for it right from the car without standing in line at the register. The optimal strategy right now is simple: keep several maps handy and compare them before heading out, because no one yet has a unified database with real tank levels.
Is Alfa-Bank’s Gas Station Map Worth Using
The transition button has already been built into the app
The service really helps if your region is experiencing fuel shortages or if you’re driving to an unfamiliar city and don’t want to drive around empty pumps. Relying on multiple data sources should provide a more accurate picture than a forecast based on one bank’s transactions alone, although this can only be verified in practice.
That said, keep in mind the limitation: this is a forecast, not a reading from tank sensors. A station could have sold its last liters a couple of minutes ago, and the map would still show green. So don’t remove that jerry can from the trunk just yet, and before a long trip, cross-check with several services.
