NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Exxon Mobil Corp. has launched a pilot of the Speedpass+ mobile payment application at 27 retail locations in Nashville, Tenn., as a way to enhance consumers' buying experiences.
SpeedPass+ is designed to make paying at the pump quick and convenient. It is a complement to ExxonMobil's existing Speedpass program, designed to appeal to a new segment of technology-savvy Exxon and Mobil consumers.
The company selected Nashville as the pilot market based on the strength of existing business relationships, it said.
The Speedpass+ smartphone application works with existing point-of-sale (POS) technology, giving retailers fast and easy entry into the mobile payment arena and a competitively differentiated way to drive sales and loyalty.
The new mobile application builds on offers already in place including the ExxonMobil Smart Card, return and earn and grocer rewards with Safeway.
Speedpass+ uses geo-location technology to detect and activate a pump for fueling. It is connected to the user's credit or debit card. It works with ExxonMobil private-label credit cards.
The app is available for free download on the iPhone and iPod Touch through the Apple iTunes Store and on Android through the Google Play Market. Users download the app in the Apple iTunes store or in Google Play by searching Speedpass+. Customers can also scan a QR code located on the pump at the participating stores in Nashville, and it will direct them to download the app. In a three-step signup, consumers designate their credit-card payment and receipt preferences.
Bank of America Merchant Services and First Data are providing the transaction processing services.
The app's integrated station locator directs consumers to retail stations. With a touch of the phone, customers can authorize a pump, fill up and go.
Speedpass+ is compliant with strict payment standards and includes a secure payment environment with built-in authentication factors and data security, the company said.
ExxonMobil said that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has found no evidence that using a wireless phone while filling a vehicle with gasoline or in the presence of flammable materials is dangerous. Independent research shows that smartphone technology can be used safely for pump payment, and multiple government agencies are already encouraging consumers to use digital communications methods at the pump.
The company has removed the mobile phone warning decals near the pumps in the Nashville pilot area only and is evaluating how to implement the change across its retail network.
Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products. It market its fuels products to customers worldwide through its branded retail stations and three global business-to-business segments--industrial and wholesale, aviation and marine.
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