Eye on Retail: 7-Eleven pilots voice payment for fuel

A convenience giant is rewarding customers for purchasing fuel with as little contact as possible.

7-Eleven Inc. is piloting a new fuel loyalty program at participating stores in North and South Orlando, Fla., North Texas, and Woodbridge, Va. The program is designed to provide contactless payment options to reduce touch and drive instant savings at the pump.

The internally developed technology allows customers to pay for fuel contact-free through the 7Rewards loyalty program found in the 7-Eleven app by using mobile payment options or Siri shortcuts on their iPhone. 7-Eleven says it is the first retailer to offer voice command-based payment for gas via Siri functionality.

Customers who use the program will receive a discount of 11 cents per gallon on the first seven fill-ups on all fuel grades; after which fuel loyalty members will receive a three-cent per gallon discount on all fuel grades. The per-gallon discount applies to purchases of up to 20 gallons will automatically show on the pump display.

Fuel loyalty members must be at a participating store and have a verified phone number in their 7Rewards loyalty program account. To activate voice payment and fuel discounts before stepping out of their car, customers can select or tell Siri to select the fuel pump number and the desired fuel amount. They can also choose the full tank option or pre-select their desired amount of fuel.

To pay via the 7Rewards loyalty program in the 7-Eleven app, customers can upgrade the 7-Eleven app to the most current version and set up a credit or debit card under payment in account settings. The app also accepts Google Pay or Apple Pay mobile wallet payments. Customers select their fuel pump number and choose a preferred fuel amount. To complete the purchase, they then authorize the payment through the app.

To set up Siri voice payment on iPhones, customers can create a Siri shortcut in the most up to date 7-Eleven app. On the payment confirmation screen of the fuel loyalty program, customers will be prompted to set up a customized Siri shortcut that they can use at the pump. Once set up, customers won't have to open their app during future visits to get the fuel rewards or pay. Instead, they only have to instruct Siri using their new shortcut to select a pump and authorize payment.

Customers can also participate in the fuel loyalty program without utilizing the 7-Eleven app or voice commands. Program members can type in their 7Rewards verified phone number at the pump to obtain fuel rewards.

"Adding fuel savings takes the 7Rewards loyalty program to the next level," said 7-Eleven chief digital officer Tarang Sethia. "Fuel loyalty offers value with an elevated experience that allows customers to pump, pay and be on their way all without taking out their wallet. A contactless payment experience and fuel discounts, that’s how we give customers power in the driver's seat."

The fuel discount offer is only available at participating stores via the 7Rewards loyalty program.

Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 70,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America.