FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Convenience-store retailer Cumberland Farms gave away one year of free gasoline to Kenneth Hobart of Wilmington, Mass., who was fueling up on October 1 when the brand hit a major milestone of $1 billion of gas purchased through its SmartPay Check-Link program.
"We wanted to celebrate the $1 billion SmartPay milestone, and we are thrilled that the person pumping gas at that moment is such a dedicated and loyal SmartPay user," said David Heilbronner, senior manager of brand strategy at Cumberland Farms. "We hope he enjoys lots of great motorhome and bike trips on Cumberland Farms over the coming year."
The retailer launched the SmartPay program in January 2013. Over the last 12 months, transaction volume has more than doubled and continues to grow rapidly, making SmartPay Check-Link the most popular method of payment at the pump--exceeding any single debit brand, credit brand or cash.
“Two years ago, SmartPay was an entirely new concept, so it's incredible to see that we have already hit the $1 billion mark in terms of sales through the program,” said Dave Banks, Cumberland Farms' chief information officer. “We have saved our customers more than $33 million on gas to date with SmartPay.
In addition to saving 10 cents on every gallon of gas, mobile app customers receive a free Farmhouse Blend coffee or a free Chill Zone beverage for every 30 gallons of gas they purchase. To date, Cumberland Farms has given away 1.5 million free drinks via SmartPay Rewards. Cumberland Farms' major suppliers have also partnered with the retailer on its reward program, providing free coupons on a variety of in-store products.
After the initial success of SmartPay Check-Link, Cumberland Farms launched SmartPay Business in July 2014. Similar to the brand's program for consumers, SmartPay Business enables business owners to save 10 cents on every gallon of gas, every day for their entire fleet of vehicles. It also allows business owners to track the gas consumption and mileage of individual users via an online portal to better manage their fleet's fuel consumption and increase savings.
Framingham, Mass.-based Cumberland Farms operates nearly 600 convenience stores across eight states in the Northeast and Florida.
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