Fuelling with the Setel app, to some folks, is convenient. After all, you just need to activate the pump from the comfort of your car, step out, and start fuelling. You don’t have to go all the way to the counter to make your payment, and while I personally think using a credit card is more convenient, not everyone…well, own a credit card.

But on the other side of the coin, there are also folks who think that fuelling with Setel is more complicated than it should be. The interface may be difficult for some to navigate, and on older or less powerful phones, the app may not run particularly well, negatively affecting the user experience.

And that is where the new Setel Lite app comes in. As its name suggests, it is essentially a “lighter” version of Setel that retains only the necessary features for a faster, simpler fuelling process. I had the opportunity to review the new app ahead of its launch sometime in Q2 2023, and I’m quite a fan of it.

Throughout the article, you will see shots of the Setel Lite app first, followed by equivalent images of the standard Setel app for the sake of comparison. Anyway, when I first launch the Setel Lite app, the much simpler interface is a drastic change over the regular Setel app’s more cluttered and “busy” appearance. It is stripped to the bare necessities – which I love – and the refuelling button is front and centre.

When I click on the purchase fuel button, I’m directed to a page to select my pump number. Unlike the regular app, where I have to swipe to find my pump number if it’s beyond the sixth one, the Setel Lite app has all of the pumps displayed on one page. Not only is this more practical, it’s also easier to make sense of at a glance.

The latter is especially true, given that the standard Setel app has both the pump number and amount of fuel I want to purchase displayed on the same page. The Setel Lite app, on the other hand, separates these two elements to different pages. Again, a more practical (and simpler) approach to fuelling.

After I’ve set the amount of fuel I want to get, I’m prompted to punch in my passcode to activate the pump. After that, I just have to wait for the pump to be activated and step out to start fuelling. Oh, it’s worth noting that at this stage of the fuelling process, the Setel Lite app doesn’t have extra visuals at the bottom of the page to purchase more items.

Once I’ve fuelled up with the Setel Lite app, I’m greeted by a page with the amount of Mesra points I’ve earned – which is Petronas’ reward system – with a receipt of my purchase. There’s also a slider to rate how likely I am to recommend the app to my friends. This is similar to the standard Setel app, but the Setel Lite app doesn’t have the prompt to view my membership, which I personally prefer for a cleaner visual experience.

And…that is what it’s like to fuel up with the Setel Lite app. For users that just want to refuel their cars without all the extra features afforded by the full Setel app (myself included), the Setel Lite app is certainly more appealing to use. I can still activate the pump from inside my car, the process is more straightforward, and I can continue to earn Mesra points seamlessly.

But the Setel Lite app does have some noteworthy limitations. The payment method, for one, is only limited to Setel Wallet or Family Wallet. In contrast, the regular Setel app allows users to add their credit or debit cards to make payments. Wallet upgrade – which increases the balance limit from RM500 to RM5,000 – can only be done through the full Setel app too.

Of course, the standard Setel app is also more feature-packed. Not only can you use it to purchase fuel at Petronas stations, you can also redeem your Mesra points for rewards through the app and use your Setel Wallet balance for various payments.

But all things considered, I wouldn’t say that the Setel app is “better” than Setel Lite and vice versa; it all comes down to your personal preference. Yes, the regular Setel app is more comprehensive and versatile, but if you don’t use the extra features or your phone can’t run the app well, then the simplicity and lightweight nature of the Setel Lite app may appeal more to you.

Setel Lite will be launched sometime in Q2 2023. At the moment, it’s only set to be available on Android devices through the Google Play Store and Huawei AppGallery. No word yet on Setel Lite’s availability on iOS, though we reckon it will arrive on the platform sooner or later.