GasBuddy introduces new mobile payment service

New mobile payments service rolls out at more than 450 Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. GasBuddy’s new mobile payments service has launched at Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and GasBuddy expects to expand the service to other chains in the future.

More than 143 billion gallons of gasoline are purchased a year in the U.S., 99% by swiping a plastic card at the pump or paying with cash. GasBuddy is bringing the antiquated way Americans buy gas into the 21st century with a new fast, easy and secure way for consumers to pay and save on every gallon of fuel with the GasBuddy app at all Love’s Travel Stops (Love’s) locations across 41 states in the U.S.

According to Mobile Marketer, mobile payments are set to be a $49 billion market occupied by heavyweights such as Apple, Google, Walmart and Starbucks. GasBuddy’s smartphone payment service is specifically and exclusively targeted at the $315 billion retail fuel purchases made each year in the U.S.

The new mobile payment feature is an expansion of the popular Pay with GasBuddy card program launched in September 2017, which enables consumers to save on fuel purchases at more than 90% of gas stations across the U.S. Since launch there have been more than 2 million transactions across all 50 states using the Pay with GasBuddy program.

The new, fully-mobile GasBuddy experience is designed to drive additional speed, convenience and security for GasBuddy users and Love’s guests. The new mobile pay feature allows users to arm Love’s pumps using the GasBuddy app from the comfort of their car, as well as take advantage of the Pay with GasBuddy fuel savings program.

After fueling, an e-receipt showing the GasBuddy discount will appear in the app and will also be e-mailed so consumers can easily keep track of all fuel transactions and savings. “Mobile payments are no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ in our business but an essential part of our customer’s experience,” said Dave Frankenfield, vice president of marketing at Love’s. “Love’s is thrilled to expand our long-standing trusted partnership with GasBuddy through the Pay with GasBuddy program to add even more convenience and value at all of our locations.”

GasBuddy is currently working to expand mobile payments with other fuel retailers, and expects to see feature usability in 20% of the nation’s gas stations by the end of 2018. “Every day millions of drivers open the GasBuddy app even before turning on their car engine to decide where to buy fuel,” said Sarah McCrary, CEO at GasBuddy, “Our mobile payments feature enables customer-centric retailers like Love’s to own the entire customer dialog, from pre-trip to the pump and beyond.”

For the last two years, GasBuddy has been assembling management, technology, engineering and operations talent from the likes of PayPal, Cumberland Farms SmartPay and Heartland Payment Systems as it built out a world-class team to commercialize secure consumer payments technology for the $315 billion retail fuel market. The company also has a strategic partnership with WEX, a leading provider of corporate payment solutions.