HOUSTON -- The GetUpside fuel loyalty app is launching in Texas, and Motiva’s wholesalers are participating in the rollout.
The GetUpside app offers consumers cash-back rewards on fuel purchases at participating fuel retailers, as well as the ability to earn cash-back rewards at restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses. Motiva Enterprises LLC formed a strategic partnership with the app’s creator, Upside Services Inc., in November 2017 and has invested in GetUpside’s development. Today, more than 90% of Motiva wholesalers are enrolled in the GetUpside program, and its fuel marketers will lead the Texas market launch.
In Houston, more than 500 gas stations, or 20% of the total fueling sites in the city, will be offering cash-back rewards on fuel through GetUpside. The GetUpside app will also offer cash-back incentives at more than 300 restaurants in Houston.
“Gas retailing is a competitive business, and our wholesalers are looking for innovative ways to drive consumers to their stations and c-stores without having to diminish their bottom line,” said Jeff Rubin, director of marketing and competitive intelligence for Motiva Enterprises. “With more than 100,000 GetUpside transactions happening each week, the GetUpside app is delivering the incremental profit our wholesalers are seeking.”
Gas stations that participate in the GetUpside platform see an average 58% return on investment, according to Upside Services, giving them room to underwrite the discounted fuel price. Upside Services gets a percentage of profit generated from each transaction. Each participating location enjoys a radius of exclusivity in offering the GetUpside program to consumers. For urban sites, this radius extends within a half-mile, while suburban sites get a radius of three-quarters of a mile and rural sites get 1.5 miles.
“With more than 200 successful retail gas stations in the greater Houston area, we know what programs and incentives are going to drive consumers into a station,” said Keith Van Marter, partner of Landmark Industries, a Motiva distributor based in Houston. “By participating in the GetUpside program, we get insight into the buying habits of new customers, enabling us to draw these customers away from our competitors by offering personalized discounts.”
The Texas rollout will continue into Austin and San Antonio, where Motiva and Upside expect hundreds more fuel retailers to join the GetUpside platform by the middle of October. The companies expect more than 1,000 gas stations to participate by the end of the year. As new markets come online, GetUpside ads will run on local and iHeartMedia radio stations.
“We are thrilled to launch GetUpside in Texas,” said Alex Kinnier, co-founder and CEO of Upside Services, Washington, D.C. “With more licensed drivers than any state except California, our expansion of the GetUpside program into Texas will be a game changer for gas retailers and owners of quick-serve eateries.”
GetUpside is currently available in 30 markets in 12 states—Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas—as well as Washington, D.C. In 2019, Motiva and GetUpside plan to introduce the program to wholesalers across the country.
Based in Houston, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products in the United States. It owns and operates North America’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76 brand), Motiva’s marketing operations support more than 5,000 gas stations. Motiva is wholly owned by affiliates of Saudi Aramco.
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