ATLANTA -- VeriFone Systems Inc. and National Payment Card Association (NPCA) debuted a mobile payment and rewards solution that enables convenience store and petroleum retailers (CSPs) to provide customers with smartphone-based payment options at the pump.
Using VeriFone's Smart Fuel Controller and NPCA's mobile payment solution, c-store and gas station operators with VeriFone payment acceptance systems can quickly implement a fixed low-cost mobile payment and rewards program built on existing infrastructure used for merchant branded debit cards.
"Consumers are increasingly drawn to rewards-based fuel purchase programs and they expect to be able to use their mobile phone to complete transactions at the pump," said Dan Yienger, senior vice president and general manager of Petroleum for VeriFone. "NPCA and VeriFone are showing how easy it is for CSPs to offer mobile payment and reward options to customers that increase loyalty and sales."
VeriFone Smart Fuel solutions make it easy for CSPs to offer forecourt pump point-of-sale (POS) payment without incurring the cost of installing new dispensers. The Smart Fuel Controller combines pump and paypoint support into a single unit, simplifying installation and maintenance, and eliminating the need for third-party interface devices to integrate pay-point management with in-store POS systems.
Merchants can develop their own mobile app, or apply their brand to a mobile app supplied by NPCA, to enable customers to pay for purchases and receive loyalty incentives using their smartphones.
"Many consumers today would rather utilize the capabilities of their smartphones versus pulling out their wallets," said Danilo Portal, COO of NPCA. "Using this solution, retailers can easily and cost-effectively create mobile loyalty programs that attract and reward high-value customers--without having to replace their existing payment infrastructure."
NPCA's debit-based payment programs provide retailers with the ability to drive customer loyalty and reduce the cost of payments. Fuel discounts are funded from interchange savings that retailers would otherwise pay to banks. Payment processing is done by NPCA using the automated clearing house (ACH) system to clear debits to cardholder checking accounts and net settle with retailers each day. The company holds five patents related to the processing and methods for ACH-based decoupled debit and mobile payments.
The VeriFone and NPCA mobile payments solution will be available for beta testing in November.
NPCA, based in Coconut Creek, Fla., is a leading provider of brick-and-mortar alternative payment with 77 merchants throughout the United States. NPCA's patent portfolio contains dozens of independent claims for methods of payment and systems for ACH decoupled debit. NPCA is a member of the EFT Network, which is a part of the Electronic Check Council of the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), the rule-making body for all electronic funds transfers made through ACH.
San Jose, Calif.-based VeriFone is a global leader in secure electronic payment solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical markets.
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