Technology/Services

Wawa Takes Stand Against Surcharges

Launches advertising campaign to alert consumers about fuel credit-card fees
WAWA, Pa. -- Wawa Inc. said that beginning June 1, it has launched a no-surcharge advertising campaign, in an effort to educate customers about fees that an increasing number of retailers charge when customers purchase fuel with credit cards. The practice is to post a fuel price that seems low; when the transaction is paid for with credit, however, several cents per gallon are added with minimal disclosure. Wawa, on the other hand, offers one low price for both cash and creditand never imposes a credit surcharge in any of its 270 stores with gasoline.

Through billboards, [image-nocss] banners and full-page newspaper ads in select New Jersey markets, Wawa will alert customers to be on the lookout for credit surcharges and draw attention to a price structure that can be confusing. The advertising campaign will take place in Sicklerville, Blackwood, Williamstown and Turnersville, N.J.

"At Wawa, we are committed to simplifying the lives of our customers, and in some cases, this means making concepts as easy to understand as possible," said Howard Stoeckel, Wawa's president and CEO. "We realize people might not be aware that they are paying more for gasoline when using credit and that retailers may be advertising their cash price, not the price customers will actually pay if they use a credit card. We are encouraging people to pay attention to the fine print, and let all customers know that there is never a surcharge for paying for fuel with credit at Wawa."

Wawa has a long history of avoiding surcharges going back to 1995, when the first ATMs were installed in stores, and Wawa refused to apply an upfront surcharge to our customers. Since then, Wawa has remained committed to offering one low price for both cash and creditand never imposing a credit surcharge.

"We believe in pricing that is fair and simple to understand, which is consistent with our core purpose and our core values," said Stoeckel. "We will continue to be driven by our desire to delight our customers by providing the best pricing possible for fuel and other products that we carry."

Wawa, Pa.-based Wawa operates more than 560 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Foodservice

Opportunities Abound With Limited-Time Offers

For success, complement existing menu offerings, consider product availability and trends, and more, experts say

Snacks & Candy

How Convenience Stores Can Improve Meat Snack, Jerky Sales

Innovation, creative retailers help spark growth in the snack segment

Technology/Services

C-Stores Headed in the Right Direction With Rewards Programs

Convenience operators are working to catch up to the success of loyalty programs in other industries

Trending

More from our partners