Chevron Singapore, which operates the retail brand Caltex, introduced Singapore’s first fuel payment app that offers Caltex’s fastest and easiest mode of payment yet. Aptly named CaltexGO, the mobile payment app delivers an alternative hassle-free refueling experience from the comfort of your car. The integrated app’s digital eco-system does away with wallet fumbles and helps consumers easily locate a service station, enjoy automatic loyalty LinkPoints collection, exclusive mobile offers, and electronic receipts at their fingertips.
In partnership with NTUC Link, the Plus! loyalty program also enables motorists to earn rewards through fuel purchases (1 litre: 3 LinkPoints), Car Washes ($1 spend: 1 LinkPoint) and car services ($1 spend: 3 LinkPoints). LinkPoints can be redeemed for rewards or as instant rebates to offset purchases, such as future Caltex fuel purchases. Customers can also purchase a Plus! card at $10 for a one-time membership fee at any Caltex service station and receive $15 worth of Caltex fuel e-vouchers.
CaltexGO responds to key consumer pinch points identified in the retail brand’s recent consumer insights analysis. Refueling can be seen as a chore which drivers strive to mitigate. Having to wait for a pump, long payment queues, and the complexity related to loyalty and payment systems were the top inconvenience grouses by drivers at service stations.
With the new mobile payment app, motorists pulling into their neighborhood service station need only launch the app with a payment card registered, indicate their pump number and confirm the payment details after refueling. The frictionless digital transaction is designed for motorists to get more out of every journey, and never miss a relevant promotion or loyalty point again.
“The fuel payment app is a step change for the local petrol station industry, and aligns with Singapore’s pursuit towards a cashless economy,” said Chevron’s General Manager of Products for Singapore, Shahid Ahmed. “We’ve listened to our customers’ demand for fast and friendly service, and this is another payment option to help motorists get back on the road in less time towards a more enjoyable journey.”
The handy fuel payment app spent a year under aggressive development, with co-creation and ideation support from Visa International, and quiet trials by local Caltex friends and family. As part of its new digital transformation, Chevron has opted for an agile approach to its first mobile payment solution, listening closely to user feedback and learning from industry best practices towards developing a minimum viable product for fuel payment.
CaltexGO is now accepted at Caltex service stations island-wide. The potential size of the prize has also proved an incentive for Chevron, given the corresponding appetite in the Singapore pilot market. A 2016 report commissioned by the Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS) highlighted that Singapore’s mobile penetration rate sits at 149 percent – one of the highest in the world.
Hamburg-based market research firm Statista confirms this as an ongoing trend, citing Singapore’s mobile point of sale (POS) payments segment transaction value at US$844 million in 2018, with expectations to grow by more than a third come 2022 with 1.9 million mobile payment users.
Safety requirements at the service station have not changed. Drivers should use their phones, after their vehicle’s engine is switched off, inside an enclosed stationary vehicle or when inside the convenience store.
Mobile phone use remains a source of distraction, with increased personal safety risks from unpredictable vehicular traffic on the forecourt. As a safety precaution, customers are reminded to be mindful of their surroundings and focus on the refueling task at hand.
CaltexGO is available from app stores for any device running on Apple iOS 10/Android 5.1.1 or later. Motorists enjoy an additional 2 percent off their first mobile payment transaction. For more information, visit CaltexGO website.
