Digitization continues to advance and now also includes fueling. Mobile payment directly at the pump offers major growth opportunities and future security for service stations, as the digitization market is growing steadily and providers who do not follow suit run the risk of being pushed out of the market.

Completing the payment process directly at the pump using a smartphone or smartwatch is not only a considerable advantage for customers; gas station operators also benefit from the digitalization of refueling.

Improved processes and filling up around the clock

In addition to improved operations that enable more customer throughput at peak times with the same staffing levels, it is also possible for service stations to operate unmanned around the clock.

Payments are then possible as both pre-auth and post-pay methods through integration with the PACE Connected Fueling platform. Pre-auth refers to a pre-authorizing payment method in which the customer first sets an amount of money in the app and can then start the refueling process; the customer can then draw as much fuel as the allocated money pays for. Post-pay, on the other hand, is often found at gas stations with a gas station store. Here, the tank is first filled and payment is made afterwards.

More customer loyalty

At a gas station, customers can pay with Post-Pay during the day when the station is open for business, and as soon as the station closes at night, they can continue to fill up with Pre-Auth. This also increases customer loyalty, as the service station is open to customers around the clock.

During the store’s opening hours, waiting times for fuel-only customers are reduced and, at the same time, so are waiting times for customers who want to purchase something in the store, as the queue at the checkout is shorter. 

Connecting to the PACE Connected Fueling Platform

All these advantages and many more can be achieved by connecting to the PACE Connected Fueling platform. It is Europe’s leading technology platform when it comes to mobile payment directly at the pump and is the only one in Europe to enable payments via smartwatch.

The platform was developed in close cooperation with service stations and can fulfill a wide range of station-specific configuration requirements. 

In general, the PACE Connected Fueling platform acts as a “virtual cashier” and handles communication with the gas station’s POS system. The customer thus receives important information such as the status of the refueling process, the total cost of the drawn fuel and later the receipt directly via app on the smartphone. The payment process at the pump only works if the customer is on site. To check this, the app has access to the location of the customer’s smartphone and can therefore prevent them from receiving information without being at the gas station.

POS system integration

If a customer wants to use mobile payment at the pump, the employee at the service station is informed and the POS system is provided with all other billing-related information. For this communication to run smoothly, the respective POS system has to be connected to the PACE Connected Fueling platform. By now, PACE already has numerous existing integrations with different POS system manufacturers. 

If a service station works with such an already integrated POS system, the next step is only to transfer the station‑specific data and to activate the respective service station.

Of course, the platform can also be connected if the POS system has not yet been integrated. PACE has created a standard interface that is publicly documented and can be used by POS system manufacturers to integrate PACE Connected Fueling.

Information exchange

If the POS system manufacturer wants to work without this interface, PACE and the manufacturer arrange a new, shared interface in order to achieve an optimal result for service station operators as well as customers.

The PACE team accompanies the entire integration process and also provides answers to all questions which may come up while connecting or afterwards.

In summary, the integration of a service station or service station chain means relatively little effort for the operator and can be implemented in just a few steps, depending on the POS system.