Gas stations and C-stores have stepped up their game in the mobile app market. It’s no surprise that ExxonMobil has updated its app with several integrated features including payment, loyalty points, and personalized marketing offers.
Its mobile app does not require pulling out the plastic, but instead allows purchases to be made from inside the car or near the pump. More than 75% of gas sold in the U.S. comes from gas station/C-store combined venues.
The mobile app market is very crowded among gas retailers and C-store partners. So beyond brand loyalty, per gallon discounts should be between 5 to 10 cents per gallon to entice drivers to stop for gas. Then customized offers can be the draw to get customers to visit the C-store to buy food and drink items—which is where the real profits are.
A CSP Daily News article, excerpted below, covers the topic further:
ExxonMobil has debuted an app that combines its Speedpass Plus mobile payment app with its Exxon Mobil Rewards Plus loyalty program.
The new Exxon Mobil Rewards Plusapp was designed and developed in partnership with IBM iX and is hosted in IBM’s public cloud to provide users with a more secure payment method at the pump. It replaces Speedpass Plus, which ExxonMobil introduced in 2016. The new app offers the same benefits as Speedpass Plus with additional savings and personalized offers, the company said.
Through the Exxon Mobil Rewards Plus app, users can pay from inside their car without having to insert a card at the dispenser or use its keypad. Payment information is never transmitted to the pump or the store, which offers a greater degree of security and avoids the risk of card skimmers, the company said.
Users can also track and manage loyalty points and get discounts on fuel and in-store purchases with the new app. They receive 3 cents per gallon (CPG) in points each day in rewards. Those who visit an Exxon- or Mobil-branded site from Nov. 5 to Feb. 1, 2020, will earn 5 CPG in points when paying with the Exxon Mobil Rewards Plus app. Premium status members will earn 10 CPG in points on purchases of Synergy Supreme Plus premium-grade fuel.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Service at Mercator Advisory Group
