Program rewards accumulate automatically and can be redeemed directly at the pump as quickly as one hour after being earned, without requiring any additional purchases at other retailers, officials said. Rewards may be redeemed toward a single fill-up, up to 20 gallons, for a period of 90 days following the month in which they were earned.
Experts said customer loyalty programs encourage customers to be brand advocates. The programs can improve profitability, increase sales from existing customers and help spread word-of-mouth marketing.
More than 75 percent of American consumers have at least one loyalty card, according to a Jupiter Research study.
Shell launched a loyalty program in 2009 as part of a partnership with Cincinnati-based Kroger. That program allows consumers to earn rewards on groceries that can be redeemed for fuel discounts at participating Shell stations.
Enon-based Speedway LLC took its successful customer loyalty program digital last October with the launch of a free Speedway mobile application. Speedway, which has about 1,460 stores in seven Midwest states, including Ohio, has more than 3.5 million active Speedy Rewards loyalty program members, company officials said.
BP is the nation’s second largest producer of oil and gas, with 21,000 U.S. employees.
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