Shell $aver Card to Launch Next Year

HOUSTON -- Shell Oil Products US released more details about its Shell $aver Card, a new electronic check payment method available to consumers starting Jan. 5.

As previously reported by CSNews Online, Shell and Motiva unveiled the Shell $aver Card at the 2008 Shell National Conference and Trade Show held last week, announcing the company will be "the first major gasoline retailer to nationally launch an electronic check payment method."

The card will provide consumers a convenient way to pay for purchases through a direct link to their checking account, and offer savings on each gallon of fuel pumped at participating Shell stations, according to an announcement by Shell this week.

Shell wholesalers and retailers also will benefit from the card’s flat, per-transaction merchant service fee that is lower than third-party debit and credit cards. The Shell $aver Card offers up to a 50-percent merchant service fee savings per transaction vs. the costs to accept third-party credit cards, the company said. All Shell $aver Card transactions will be routed through the Shell network by payment processor First Data, and each transaction will be processed using First Data’s TeleCheck check verification services.

Additionally, based on the results of a 2007 Shell pilot program that offered the option of e-check payment technology, wholesalers and retailers saw customer loyalty increase by as much as 40 percent through consumer conversions to this payment method.

The Shell $aver Card will be the latest addition to the Shell portfolio of payment options.

"We are pleased to soon introduce the Shell $aver Card, a payment solution that’s right for just about any debit or third-party credit card holder out there," Elizabeth Hudson, U.S. Consumer Cards, Shell Oil Products US, said in a statement. "The Shell $aver Card will provide a money-saving alternative to consumers who prefer to pay for gasoline or diesel purchases directly from a checking account."

The Shell $aver Card, which will be issued to consumers from Shell, has no application or annual fees and will offer a promotional savings of 5 cents per gallon on Shell fuel purchases until June 1, 2009, and 2 cents per gallon thereafter. The card can be used at participating Shell-branded stations for all purchases except lottery tickets. However, the discount applies only to gasoline and diesel purchases, according to Shell.

Consumers interested in obtaining a Shell $aver Card will be required to pick up an inactive card at a participating Shell-branded station to start the application process.

Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Co., has a network of approximately 6,100 branded gasoline stations in the Western United States. Motiva Enterprises LLC refines and markets branded products through approximately 8,100 Shell-branded stations in the Eastern and Southern United States.
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