Dive Brief:
- C-store chain Smith Oil Company signed an agreement for a new loyalty app that will allow customers to pay for fuel from their phone, according to a recent press release.
- Smith Oil will use retail technology company Liquid Barcodes’ C-StorePay platform, which aims to simplify paying at the pump while getting rid of swipe fees.
- The app will use automated clearing house (ACH) payments, which is a bank-to-bank payment method that the press release says will save “at least 1.5% in fees.”
Dive Insight:
Smith Oil’s app is expected to be available sometime early in the first quarter of 2023, Saurabh Swarup, general manager, North America, for Liquid Barcodes, wrote in an email.
To use the mobile payment system, customers will simply connect their bank account to the app. Then when they stop at the gas station, they can select their pump in the app, fuel up and pay from the phone. The app can then share in-store offers, tempting the customer to step inside.
“We want to be more than just a fuel provider to our customers; we sell time and convenience and by offering the opportunity to quickly fuel up, pay and be on their way, we will be rewarding them with extra minutes in their day,” said Michelle Fluharty, secretary/treasurer, Smith Oil Company, in the release.
The press release also says C-StorePay’s setup allows for quicker registration, collects less personal data and has no multi-day wait for bank authorization. Fairfax, Virginia-based Liquid Barcodes first brought the program public in October, and said it uses Verifone’s cloud-based sales and site management programs.
“We are really excited about this unique partnership with Verifone as this allows for a greater synergy between applications to deliver a truly convenient experience for both Verifone customers and end consumers,” Swarup said in the press release.
This update to Smith Oil’s loyalty program will include its rewards program, as well, which currently is focused on a punchcard-style system.
Smith Oil joins many other convenience stores updating their apps to boost ease of use and convenience. Fastlane added a car wash subscription service to its app in November, and United Dairy Farmers has added a price lock for fuel. Liquid Barcodes has worked with c-store chains such as Stinker Stores, Circle K and 7-Eleven.
New Cumberland, West Virginia-based Smith Oil operates 12 stores in Ohio and West Virginia.
