BP Implements a Payment App for their Gas Stations

The UK oil and gas giant is rolling out a mobile payment solution across their British network. The goal is to avoid that drivers should wait at checkout. This announcement fits in the group’s overall digital transformation strategy.

The new app called BPme relies on card information stored beforehand by the driver, so he can pay for fuel refills from his mobile phone, in his vehicle. The idea is to cut down waiting time, speed up the payment step, and ultimately enhance users’ experience.

The driver has to confirm the pump number from the app and click “Start Fuelling”. Once his refill completed, a receipt is automatically sent via e-mail for payment validation.

The app is available for free in iOS and Android. It has been implemented at more than 500 BP locations. BP aims for nationwide rollout by this spring.

Comments – An increasingly strategic service for oil and gas companies

For “pay-at-the-pump” transactions, mobile payment solutions are interestingly faster and convenient, this accounts for the interest paid by drivers. Oil and gas companies have been launching many services with these benefits in mind, by way of making things easier for their customers. Shell, for instance, lets their customers rely on PayPal to pay for fuel from their mobile phone; they also partnered with Jaguar to present an in-car payment feature. Total, for their part, already implemented a contactless mobile payment solution for all Total, Total Access and Elan gas stations.

Considering the challenges brought along by the digital era, and growing popularity of mobile apps and other digital payment services, BP chooses to propose their own solution, too. This is the first time this UK giant launches such an option, they are then the latest company to focus on this mobile trend. However, unlike former launches, BPme proposes additional features: in addition to payments, the app connects to the driver’s Nectar account, enabling him to view his transaction history, locate nearby BP gas stations and offset his carbon emissions… For these companies, value-added services are central to assert customers’ loyalty, improve their KYC and enhance the services they implement at gas stations.