Fuel Loyalty Rewards via Real-Time Pump Transaction Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pay-at-the-pump fuel purchases lack the capability for real-time or near real-time loyalty rewards offers due to unknown transaction amounts and insufficient user interfaces, restricting users from interacting with loyalty programs until after settlement.
Innovation Solution
A system that analyzes multiple transactions from a single fuel purchase, identifies the final transaction amount, and communicates with a user's personal device to offer loyalty rewards or redemption options in real-time, without requiring changes to existing fuel pumps or forecourt controllers, utilizing an enhanced processing system that integrates with loyalty platforms to identify user accounts and provide interactive rewards choices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a test transaction is entered before fueling to authorize the payment instrument, then the payment authorization is obtained, but the actual transaction amount remains unknown and real-time loyalty offers cannot be made
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing the payment instrument and authorizing it with a test transaction before the actual fueling occurs. This ensures payment validity is established in advance, allowing the fueling process to proceed without interruption while the actual transaction amount is still being determined.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the fueling process and tracking the actual transaction amount as it accumulates. Once the fueling completes and the final amount is known, the system uses this feedback information to determine eligibility for loyalty rewards and communicates the results to the user's personal device.
2Measurement precision
If the transaction amount is determined after fueling completes, then the actual purchase amount is known, but real-time or near real-time loyalty offers cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary communication channel by sending loyalty offer information to the user's personal device (smartphone, tablet, or wearable). This intermediary allows the system to provide real-time or near real-time loyalty offers without requiring additional hardware at the fuel pump, bridging the gap between the fueling process and the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions the user interface from the traditional pump display to the user's personal device, adding a new dimension to the interaction. This allows loyalty offers to be communicated and selected asynchronously, eliminating the need for synchronous interaction at the pump while maintaining real-time offer capability.
3Ease of operation
If a user interface is provided at the pump for loyalty interaction, then real-time offer selection is enabled, but the system requires changes to existing fuel pumps and forecourt controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing users to interact with the loyalty program through their own personal devices rather than requiring pump-based interfaces. Users can view offers, make selections, and complete transactions using their smartphones or other personal devices, eliminating the need for modifications to existing fuel pump hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by using the user's existing personal device as the interface, which they already possess and are familiar with. This approach eliminates the need for proprietary pump-based interfaces and allows the same system to work with any standard fuel pump and forecourt controller, regardless of manufacturer or model.
4Adaptability or versatility
If loyalty information is pre-entered before the transaction, then the user can participate in loyalty programs, but the user experience is cumbersome and requires additional steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically identifies the user through the payment instrument information already captured during the test transaction. This self-service approach eliminates the need for users to manually enter their loyalty information, as the system retrieves and associates the correct user profile automatically based on the payment method used.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of the user during the test transaction phase, before the actual fueling begins. By capturing and processing the payment instrument information in advance, the system has already established user identity and loyalty program eligibility, so no additional input is required from the user during the fueling process.
Data Source
AI summary
A processing system for fuel transactions analyzes transactions for symbols indicating a purchase amount and directs information about the purchase to a loyalty platform. The loyalty platform may identify and communicate in real time or near real time with a personal device associated with the purchaser of the fuel. A user interface of the personal device may allow the purchaser to review and select options for processing the fuel purchase using value from a loyalty program account. The selected option may be used to modify fuel purchase parameters prior to settlement of the transaction or simply add points to the user loyalty program account.