In times of rising fuel prices, you can partially compensate for extra expenses by using loyalty programs of gas station chains. But who offers car owners the most profitable "benefits" that can most significantly offset the spike in fuel prices?
The answer to the question of which gas station chain offers the most favorable loyalty program was given by specialists from the capital's "Institute of Consumer Expertise," who conducted monitoring of major gas station chains across Ukraine. Importantly, this study consisted of several stages and included absolutely everything – from the ease of obtaining and registering a card to its use in chain stores that have nothing to do with the highly specific sphere of car owner services. To determine the benefit, experts simulated a situation in which a regular customer of each chain filled up 100 liters of fuel, receiving some points or a discount in return.
The subject of the research was eight loyalty cards covering the services of almost 15 gas station chains: "FISHKA" (OKKO); "Pride" (WOG); "Shell Smart" (Shell); "DiakuyOU" (KLO); "Card of Benefits" (Lukoil); "MAXI" (TNK); "Level" (Socar); "PLUS" (BRSM Nafta). In each study, experts assigned scores to participants in the form of points, which ultimately made it possible to identify the most attractive loyalty program in terms of financial benefit for a regular customer. As the study showed, in the end, you can save the most on your family budget by using the "PLUS" card (BRSM Nafta). Other participants also have discounts, but, as they say, there are nuances. However, let's take it in order.
Getting a card
According to research by specialists from the Institute of Consumer Expertise, in general, gas station chains offer car owners three options for obtaining a loyalty card. The first, the most attractive because it is the simplest, is free card issuance and filling out a short questionnaire, which can be dropped into a special box at the gas station or registered on the website. This option is offered at almost all gas stations.
The second option requires fulfilling certain conditions, or rather, initial financial "investments." Most often, you need to purchase fuel or related goods for a certain amount. This option remains at the Socar network ("Level"), where you need to spend 300 UAH.
The least interesting way for car owners to get a card is to buy it. This method of obtaining "loyalty" is practiced by the TNK network ("MAXI"), though you have to pay a symbolic 10 UAH for the card.
Also important when getting cards is how many duplicates you are given and in what form. Although no gas station chain leaves car owners without a spare "key," some provide one additional card, others two, and some even three.
In general, loyalty cards are issued willingly and without problems, unlike the situation a year earlier, when getting a card was problematic. The only network where it was not possible to get a card was the former "Lukoil." As explained in the company, this is due to the change of owner and rebranding of stations. However, discounts are still provided on old cards.
It is also worth mentioning the cards themselves. As a rule, these are ordinary "plastic" cards with a magnetic stripe. And only the "BRSM-Nafta" network has an unusual card. The main difference of "PLUS" cards is the built-in RFID chip. This technology is tens of times more expensive than ordinary plastic cards, but it also has many advantages. Special terminals are installed at gas stations where you need to hold the card, and the consumer can immediately see information on the screen about the discount amount, the saved amount, and also how many points are needed to reach the next level (the discount is cumulative). In addition, as the company assures, such cards cannot be forged, and they have a much longer service life. And it is more convenient for customers – you don't have to take it out of your wallet to make a transaction (the magnetic impulse works even when the card is in the wallet).
Financial benefit
At the moment, due to a significant drop in sales, many networks offer fuel discounts, although previously points could mainly be exchanged for related goods (car wash, hot dogs, coffee, windshield washer fluid, etc.). In the current difficult economic situation, motorists are most interested in gasoline discounts, so the focus of the study was on this aspect. The smallest discount is offered by the former "Lukoil" network – only 15 kopecks per liter, slightly more – about 23 kopecks at TNK ("MAXI"). "FISHKA" (OKKO) has a larger discount – 35 kopecks per liter, but there is a condition – you need to fill up "to full," which is not affordable for everyone now. In addition, on March 12 this promotion at OKKO will end. The "Pride" card (WOG) also has a discount not per liter, but in money. When filling up for 300 UAH, you can get 15 UAH on the card, which can be used to pay for fuel. In terms of the discount amount, the offer from WOG turned out to be profitable under the loyalty program, but you need to take into account the price per liter of fuel and the fact that the promotion is valid until mid-April. The "DiakuyOU" system (KLO) does not offer fuel discounts, limiting itself to accruing bonuses for every hryvnia spent, according to the scheme 1 hryvnia – 1 bonus. The "PLUS" loyalty program (BRSM-Nafta) offers its users a fuel discount of 24 to 48 kopecks per liter. This network also has special offers, for example: filling up "to full" a customer can increase their discount by another 20 kopecks per liter, and when buying coffee, tea, a hot dog, or pastries at the gas station, the customer gets an additional 10 kopecks to their discount. The discount varies depending on how much fuel is filled during the month. As a result, among loyalty programs, the "PLUS" program (BRSM-Nafta) turned out to be the leader in the long term, which, in addition to getting a real discount in the receipt at each refueling depending on the points already accumulated on the card, also has quite low fuel prices compared to competitors.
Partners
During the study of loyalty programs of gas station chains, experts from the Institute of Consumer Expertise analyzed the possibility of using cards in other areas of life, i.e., outside gas stations. This opportunity is provided by four participants in our review – the cards "FISHKA" (OKKO), "DiakuyOU" (KLO), "MAXI" (TNK), "PLUS" (BRSM Nafta). Having these cards at your disposal, you accumulate points or get a discount when buying goods, for example, in some supermarket chain, using bank services, having lunch and dinner in restaurants or cafes, buying a mobile phone in a mobile communication chain store, etc.
Each of these gas station chains has built partnerships with different companies. For example, "DiakuyOU" cards from KLO can be used to accumulate and use points in restaurants and cafes. The only "but" is that KLO is found only in a few regions.
The network covered by "MAXI" cards from TNK covers more areas of life, as they are also valid in clothing stores, sporting goods stores, electronics stores, restaurants, beauty salons, insurance companies, and banks, etc. It would seem that such a "zone for accumulating and using points and discounts" is very profitable, but if you delve deeper into how this system works, it turns out that privileges, or rather points, received from one partner cannot be used with a partner who gives a percentage discount on goods and services, and vice versa. Thus, the possibilities of using the card turned out to be significantly less.
In turn, the "FISHKA" card from OKKO works with all its partners on a point system. This loyalty system is the most universal, as it allows you to accumulate and spend points with any of the partners. Among "FISHKA" partners are a supermarket, electronics stores, and mobile phone shops, etc.
Loyalty cards "BRSM Plus" (BRSM Nafta) also go beyond gas stations, providing the cardholder with the opportunity to receive additional discounts on goods and services of program partners. Thus, the network covered by the "PLUS" card includes car service stations, electronics supermarkets, chain restaurants, beauty salons, dry cleaners, flower shops, etc.
At the finish line
Already at the end of the analysis of the loyalty of individual gas station chains to their regular customers, it became clear that not all card systems can satisfy car owners with ease of use and the amount of benefits received. In these difficult times, what matters most to motorists is not only refueling the car with quality gasoline, but also conditions for saving the family budget. Therefore, this time experts gave the lead in the card race to "BRSM Nafta" with the "PLUS" program, thanks to the combination of fuel price and a balanced approach to discounts. Although ultimately, each car owner must decide for themselves who is more convenient to work with.
Dmytro Hrybenko
