Press Release: Smith Oil Company Offers Instant Gas Discounts Through New Fuel Pay App
West Virginia-based Smith Oil Company releases ACH-only fuel pay app, saving thousands in payment processing fees
August 23, 2023 – FAIRFAX, VA – Building on the success of Smith Oil’s current rewards program, Liquid Barcodes has developed a Smith Oil branded mobile application that allows customers to pay at the fuel pump via ACH debit with just a few taps on their smartphone and receiving an instant discount through price rollback at the pump.
Smith Oil Company, headquartered in New Cumberland, WV, operates twelve retail locations serving the Ohio Valley in both Ohio and West Virginia.
This revolutionary new app powered by Liquid Barcodes C-StorePay is integrated seamlessly with their current POS system and uses the trusted Stripe payment system. Customers simply drive into any of Smith Oil’s fueling stations, swipe to choose the fuel pump number in the app, link their bank account on their first visit in five easy steps to activate the pump, fuel up, and go. Customers save ten cents off per gallon every time they fuel up with the app.
Smith Oil has opted to accept only ACH transactions on the app to quickly authenticate bank account information in just five simple steps that take less than a minute to complete. Other solutions in the convenience and fuel retailing industry require upwards of thirteen steps, collecting many points of personal data, and a 2-day waiting period for bank authorization. This cumbersome process for consumers has led to extremely low adoption rates.
With sky-high credit card processing fees in the convenience industry, processing payment via ACH saves retailers at least 2.0% in fees which can translate to thousands of dollars year over year.
In addition to the sizable fuel discount, the App offers customers the ability to refer a friend and includes a store locator with opening hours and a list of available services, as well as the ability to map to the nearest store.
“For the past 50 years, Smith Oil Company has offered customers quality service and products at a great price. We strive to give our fuel and convenience customers a fast, easy, and enjoyable experience whenever they visit our stores. 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 are rewarding them with extra minutes in their day. Customers have been thrilled at the offer and initial adoption has exceeded our expectations,” says Michelle Fluharty, Secretary/Treasurer, Smith Oil Company.
Liquid Barcodes, a global industry leader in app-based loyalty and subscription programs, takes great pride in offering the American convenience industry C-Store Pay, an innovative product that makes paying for fuel, in-store merchandise, and subscription programs easy and frictionless for customers while substantially reducing credit card fees for retailers.
“We are proud to partner with Smith Oil to introduce this revolutionary technology to their customers,” says Saurabh Swarup, General Manager – North America for Liquid Barcodes. He adds, “We are really excited about bringing C-StorePay, a truly differentiated solution of turning on the pump and paying for fuel directly from the bank account via the mobile app to the US industry. Now, hundreds of convenience retailers and gas station operators across the US can take advantage of this solution and significantly drive up their fuel margins by saving millions of dollars on credit card swipe fees which continues to burden the industry every day.”
Swarup continues, “Moreover, consumers don’t need to worry about getting out of the car and inserting their card at the dispenser to release the pump. With winters around the corner they can simply drive up, select the pump number, release the nozzle, and get out only to select the fuel grade and start fueling thus offering a truly frictionless experience for them. I am confident that many retailers would love to take advantage of this fully integrated app solution.”
A demonstration of the Liquid Barcodes fuel pay solution at the NACS Show in 2022 encouraged Smith Oil Company to move quickly to offer their customers the utmost in convenience technologies. Liquid Barcodes will again be exhibiting at the 2023 NACS Show in Atlanta in early October at booth B3716 in the Technology area.
About Smith Oil Company
Smith Oil Company was started in 1969 by brothers Bernard and William Smith. Their goal was to provide quality products and services at an affordable price. Their first location was on State Route 43 in Wintersville, Ohio. This location is still a full-service site where they pump gas for no additional charge. Since then, Smith Oil has grown to have twelve retail locations serving the entire Ohio Valley in both Ohio and West Virginia. Bernard and William have since retired but the company is still family run out of the corporate headquarters in New Cumberland, West Virginia. Smith Oil proudly sells everyone’s favorite convenience store items along with other items customers love including home decor, pampered pet items and toys.
About Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes Inc, based in Fairfax, Virginia, is a leading global loyalty and digital marketing technology company specializing in the convenience and foodservice industries. Their proprietary cloud-based technology platform allows retailers to create and manage their digital marketing campaigns, including subscriptions, with a proprietary process called the “customer connection cycle” to engage, promote and reward customer activities in real-time across digital and media channels.
Liquid Barcodes has a variety of solutions to meet the individual needs of convenience retailers, ranging from a complete loyalty platform to specific add-on modules for existing loyalty programs. Features such as rewards, gamification, AI and machine learning, and subscriptions for a variety of products and services are customizable to suit retailer needs.
For more information, contact:
Saurabh Swarup, General Manager, North America, saurabh.swarup@liquidbarcodes.com
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