ATLANTA -- RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. is the latest convenience retailer to join the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) single-platform mobile wallet initiative.
"We believe mobile commerce holds the potential to greatly improve the shopping and payment experience of our guests," RaceTrac CEO Allison Moran said in a statement provided to CSP Daily News. "This is particularly true in the convenience and fuel channels, where the speed of the transaction is of utmost importance."
"It was critical to us that the mobile-payment solution we chose for RaceTrac be accepted at a wide range of other merchants frequented by our guests. This made MCX a clear choice," she said.
MCX is backed by more than 30 leading merchants that process more than $1 trillion in payments annually and operate nearly 80,000 stores. It is particularly strong in the convenience and fuel channels, where its members, in addition to Atlanta-based RaceTrac, include 7-Eleven Inc., Dallas; Shell Oil Products US, Houston; Sunoco Inc., Philadelphia; Alon Brands, Dallas, Wawa Inc., Wawa, Pa.; Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa.; QuikTrip Corp., Tulsa, Okla; and others.
Major non-C-store merchants include Walmart and Target, as well as Banana Republic, Baskin Robbins, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Buy Buy Baby, Christmas Tree Shops, CVS, Darden Restaurants, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's, Dunkin' Brands, Face Values, Gap, HMSHost, Hobby Lobby, Hy-Vee, Kmart, Lowe's, Meijer, Michaels, Old Navy, Price Rite, Publix Super Markets, Sam's Club, Sears, Shop Rite and Wakefern Foods.
The initiative has not announced a rollout date.
Development of the mobile application is underway, with an initial focus on a flexible solution that will offer merchants a customizable platform with the features and functionality needed to best meet consumers' needs. The application will be available through virtually any smartphone.
"The initial MCX solution will be primarily barcode- and cloud-based, which will allow it to work on the broadest array of smartphones and at a wide range of merchant locations, where barcode payments can be accepted without major new capital expenses," Jeremy Mullman, spokesperson for Irving, Texas-based MCX, told CSP Daily Newsin January.
RaceTrac operates approximately 300 retail gasoline convenience stores in seven metro markets, including Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Dallas, Miami, New Orleans, and Orlando. The company recently added new stores in Jacksonville as part of its Florida expansion. It also has more than 300 RaceWay locations.
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