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Future Payment Trends. Shell and ExxonMobil take the lead in payment apps

The successful launch of Apple Pay has set the tone for a new form of payment. After years of research and development some fuel retailers have launched their own payment apps. Shell's Fill Up & Go and ExxonMobil's Speedpass+ App stand out as the frontrunners in a marathon soon to be joined by most, if not all major fuel retailers.



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Remote mobile payment has been tipped to be one of the biggest game-changers for the retailing market over the coming years. In the digital age of an interconnected global society smartphones become a bigger part of our lives with each day that passes. 

A match made in heaven: Shell & PayPal

Shell has rolled out a remote mobile payment app for the United Kingdom now accepted in more than 1,000 gas stations – around 50% company owned. Powered by PayPal, the Fill Up & Go app allows drivers to pay for fuel from within their own car. All the driver needs to do is select the amount and scan the QR code displayed at the pump. Once the payment has gone through, the user gets out of the car, leaving the phone in the vehicle, fills up the tank, and leaves. Through the app users can spend between £20 and £150 per transaction.

“It works very well. The only problem is that people don´t really know how to use it yet,” explains Andrew, operator of a Shell station near Macclesfield. Although promising, Andrew doesn´t expect mobile apps to become a mainstream form of payment for “at least 10 years.”

It is estimated that 93% of adult British population own a phone, with 80% of these being smartphones and the vast majority having a permanent internet connection.

“There is going to be an explosion ahead of us and we need to prepare,” said Helen Thomson, Senior Loyalty and Payment Manager, at a presentation of the new Fill Up & Go service in Coventry during the APEA Live 2015 event.

According to Thomson, after three years of research Shell came to the conclusion that queuing was the biggest inconvenience from a customer´s perspective. After a number of payment at the pump trials did not meet their expectations, Shell decided that their system for outdoor payment in the UK would be through a mobile app, allowing those drivers in a hurry to avoid time wasting at the store.

Thomson indentified two social groups which would specially benefit from this service: parents with small children and drivers with physical disabilities.

When asked if less customers going through the shop wouldn´t represent a potential loss of income for the retailer, Thomson argued that 61% of drivers that pull up at the gas station just want to fuel up and leave. “By reducing the number of people in the store, the queues and the stress, the remaining 39% will probably improve their shopping.”

At the Google Play online store, where the app can be downloaded, it has received overall positive reviews scoring 3.8/5 from 17,626 votes. While some people praise its convenience, the fact queues cab be avoided and other features such as updated reward points and emailed receipts, a large number of other users complain that the app itself is quite slow, with problems to login and to read the QR codes. All users stress the need for quality internet in order for the app to function properly.  

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ExxonMobil´s ambitious Speedpass+ app

On the other side of the Atlantic, ExxonMobil has just rolled out the biggest mobile payment app in the market. The Speedpass+ App is now available at 6,000 gas stations across the United States, with the oil giant expecting to reach 8,000 by the end of June. The app supports all forms of mobile payment, including Apple Pay.

The app enables customers to authorize a secure pump payment through the use of cloud-based technology. Customers are able to obtain receipts by email, at the pump, or both. A difference with Shell´s Fill Up & Go is that drivers don´t need to scan QR codes, they just specify the pump number while making the payment.

“We wanted to improve the experience of the consumer at the pump. We designed the app so it´s faster than using a bankcard, which we have proved through a number of time studies,” says Bryant Russell, Americas Mobile Payment Manager at ExxonMobil, in an interview with PetrolPlaza.

For the United States, where there is a huge usage of smartphones and credit card skimming has become an ongoing problem, remote mobile payment represents a very attractive feature.

According to Russell, the Speedpass+ App is very convenient for both customers and retailers. Customers value the fact they don´t have to leave the comfort of their car, especially at the time of very high or low temperatures, while retailers enjoy the easy implementation. Gas station operators simply have to download a feature to the point of sale system. No hardware needs to be installed and no maintenance costs are necessary.

 “Security was our utmost priority when designing the app. Number one is that the consumer’s credit card information is never stored on the phone. We use a cloud-based technology so all the information of our customers is stored in a secured cloud-environment,” explains Russell.

For ExxonMobil, mobile payment was never a question of if but when. Although the company admits that mobile adoption will happen over time, their goal is to be well prepared by having the technology available in the majority its network.

Along with the massive operation in the United States, ExxonMobil has just started a pilot program for Speedpass+ App at 15 gas stations in Canada.

ExxonMobil´s innovative attitude has also made them more popular among wholesalers. “We are seeing a lot of growth in the number of wholesalers that choose the ExxonMobil brand because of the investment we are making in innovation.”

Just as Shell has done in the United Kingdom, ExxonMobil has chosen remote payment over NFC technology as its new outdoor payment system for the U.S. market.

“The feedback we got from our channel partners is that it [NFC] is a very expensive proposition. They see remote payment as a perfect alternative,” says Bryant. 

By Oscar Smith Diamante 

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