As bp’s convenience business grows – it drives digital innovation

Even as bp quickly grows its convenience business across the US, it’s remaining customer-obsessed by testing seamless digital products to meet their needs. One of those products is bp’s earnify™ app, which enhances, expands and replaces the BPme Rewards program. But it’s more than just an update, it’s a critical component of the business’s long-term vision. The new app is currently being rolled out, reaching more than 7,000 bp, Amoco and TravelCenters of America locations so far.

 

Here’s how earnify™ works 

earnify™ is an app that aims to allow customers to use their digital device to interact with all of bp’s products and services in one place.  Much of the US now communicates digitally – think how often you use your smartphone or tablet each day – and bp is leveraging that through earnify™ to create the most modern and streamlined customer experience possible.

For example, in the future, a truck driver could visit a TravelCenters of America location in Louisiana or Ohio, fuel his or her truck, and pay for the fuel through the app. A family could stop by to charge their EV at a bp station, and use earnify™ to purchase a drink while the car charges. Or a customer could use earnify™ to pay for a Castrol oil change. In addition to an easier shopping experience, each of these interactions turns into rewards points, perks and more.

Over time, bp expects millions of customers to join the earnify™ ecosystem and experience the digital product. As it scales, the company is working to develop new services on the app – including a digital wallet and order-ahead capability along with marketing and analytics. Customers could pay for all services through the digital wallet, order those products or services before reaching the station, and potentially receive advertisements for products that interest them. bp understands that customers adding money into a digital wallet is an important marker of trust in the company. That’s why bp’s digital security team has taken significant security protocols for the earnify™ app. Simply put, protecting customer data is the highest priority.

bp bets big on convenience business

Convenience is one of bp’s five transition growth engines. bp now has more than 8,000 retail sites across 46 states – including the Amoco, ampm, Thorntons, and TravelCenters of America brands. Those locations serve roughly 3 million customers daily, and account for 38% of bp’s global customer interactions each day. In many ways, the growth of bp’s convenience business reflects how the company is investing in America: each location generates dozens of jobs and economic opportunities for their communities.

 

bp is confident that its convenience business will continue to grow. The earnify™ app is potentially a major step toward this goal.

 

The enormous footprint of bp’s convenience business and swath of products is why it’s important that the new digital strategy is initiated here in the US.

bp's larger convenience vision

But it’s more than just earnify™ contributing to bp’s long-term convenience vision. The entire retail operating system – of which the earnify™ app is a part – also includes cloud-based software and support for convenience store owners and operators.

 

Today, if you walk to the register in a convenience store, you’d see a number of different hardware assets – a register, computer, wires and more. bp’s new cloud-based offer will significantly reduce the hardware needed in a store, have a sleeker look and reduce cost for the convenience store owner. And the company will be the one-stop-shop for digital equipment maintenance, upgrades and replacements.

 

As the energy transition moves forward in an unprecedented way, customer preferences and needs are changing, too. People want a seamless digital way to get what they want, how they want it. That’s why bp has spent years developing these new products and long-term vision.

 

This is just the beginning. Expect the company to keep innovation with customers top-of-mind.