Maxol, Ireland’s largest family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, announced it has launched a new customer loyalty app with never-before-seen features in the Irish market.
After more than a century serving Irish customers, Maxol’s 240+ stores and service stations are located throughout Ireland and have enjoyed global recognition for their best-in-class operations, store design and offers. Having recently been recognized in 2021 as the winner of the NACS Best Store Award for Europe, Maxol’s new loyalty app provides next-level convenience to Irish customers.
Maxol’s new loyalty programme is designed to reward customers for purchasing fuel, food and beverage items, and other services. What really makes this programme unique is the new FuelPay feature that allows contactless payment for fuel purchases directly through the app. Customers can pay for fuel with their smartphone and the process is completely cashless, fast and easy. A very interesting feature for fuel retailers, especially in the US where companies could save thousands in credit card fees with ACH. This is the only app in Ireland that offers FuelPay and soon it also be available to all Maxol fuel card customers.
Brian Donaldson, Maxol Group CEO, commented: “As a family-owned Irish company we have a strong network of loyal customers that have helped us grow from strength to strength. This app is another milestone in continuing to reward and retain loyal customers and help move our business forward, both digitally and technologically. This is the only app in Ireland that offers FuelPay, a first to market and easier way for our customers to pay for fuel. By having our loyalty programme on a digital platform, it enables us to help make buying fuel and shopping at Maxol easier and more convenient for our customers.”
Maxol’s Loyalty Programme at a Glance
The Maxol loyalty programme was conceived following in-depth research on global best practices for loyalty programmes in convenience retail and includes two main elements in addition to FuelPay, “stamps” to reward frequent purchases on coffee and car wash and “stars” to reward recent visits and referrals.
Mindful of those on the go, the app has a station finder feature that will locate the nearest Maxol service station quickly and if a customer is having an issue trying to figure out the right oil for their car, they can use the Maxol Engine Oil Advisor feature to steer them in the right direction. According to Maxol’s Chief Information Officer, Declan Costello, “The app has been developed to offer a wide range of other services which Maxol wants to be able to offer to their customers on one digital platform, creating a shop window for Maxol in the palm of customers’ hands.”
Customers can also track purchases of ROSA Coffee, Maxol’s proprietary coffee brand, using the digital loyalty stamp card, continuing its generous offer of every sixth coffee for free. The platform also includes a digital car wash stamp card, rewarding app users with every fifth car wash free.
Maxol is inviting customers who download the loyalty app to be part of a new community of Gold Star Members. Customers with the loyalty app who spend €5 in-store or €30 on fuel will receive a gold star. When a customer collects 10 gold stars over a 90-day period, they become a Gold Star Member, which gives them access to more offers and treats. Gold Star Members will receive a third offer every month exclusive to them.
Irish convenience stores are globally famous for their delicious foodservice offers and Maxol Deli is no different. Serving a wide variety of premium hot and cold food options freshly made each day, Maxol Deli prominently displays a range of menu items on the app, enticing users with vibrant pictures of sandwiches, wraps, salads bowls, snack pots and plenty of offers and deals.
“The new Maxol mobile app is a game-changer in the Irish convenience retailing market, bringing all the diverse elements of the Maxol business together,” explains Costello. Users can locate their nearest store, learn more about Maxol and even book holidays using Maxol Hotel Breaks travel service.”
Sustainability and Community are Important to Maxol
Now in its fourth generation as a family-owned business, Maxol focuses on family and being at the heart of local communities.
The app prominently promotes Maxol’s Certified Carbon Offset programme, developed in partnership with GreenPrint, ensuring its customers neutralize their environmental impact when they fill up with premium fuel. This sustainability initiative was created in response to consumer demand, with CEO Brian Donaldson highlighting that “never before has the planet been so important to so many people.”
Integral to their pledge of environmental responsibility, legacy loyalty cards will be phased out as members are transitioned to the mobile app for all rewards and redemptions. Further, customers will continue to be rewarded with discounts for refilling using the ROSA Keep Cup while earning stamps toward free beverages.
Collaborating with Technology Partners is Important
With several components operating synergistically in the app, Costello applauds the strong partnerships forged with technology providers. The app was designed and developed by Liquid Barcodes in partnerships with Opayo by Elavon and Tokheim to streamline payment collaboration with point-of-sale systems in order to ensure a simple and intuitive solution for customers. “Working with global service providers gives us access to retailer best practices around the world,” adds Costello in regard to these technology partnerships.
Liquid Barcodes loyalty platform is powering loyalty and payment programmes for industry leaders across several global markets, offering unique subscription, mobile payment, gamification, loyalty and personalization capabilities and has developed this app for use across all of Maxol’s company owned service stations in the Republic of Ireland. Learn more about Liquid Barcodes at LiquidBarcodes.com.
About the Author
Carolyn Schnare, Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes
Carolyn Schnare has been involved with the convenience retailing industry for two decades with extensive knowledge of customer engagement and marketing, sustainability, and community outreach. Prior to Liquid Barcodes, Schnare worked at NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) in a variety of roles from event production to membership and most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives and host and producer of the popular industry podcast, Convenience Matters.
Test Drive the Maxol Loyalty App with FuelPay
Maxol
Maxol, Ireland’s largest family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, announced it has launched a new customer loyalty app with never-before-seen features in the Irish market. Maxol’s new loyalty program is designed to reward customers for purchasing fuel, food and beverage items, and other services. What really makes this program unique is the new FuelPay feature that allows contactless payment for fuel purchases directly through the app.
