Consumers Want Convenience, Security, and More Pay-at-the-Pump Options from Fuel Retailers, New TNS Research Finds

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The pandemic is reshaping consumer behaviors and their attitudes toward merchants of all stripes, including fuel and convenience retailers. New data suggests consumer preferences for security, convenience, and more options for pay-at-the-pump impulse purchases will influence where consumers choose to purchase fuel, and how they pay, in the near future.

Transaction Network Services (TNS) commissioned a survey* of US adults to learn consumer attitudes toward and experiences with various pay-at-the-pump opportunities. Data from the resulting report, Exploring the Influence of EMV, Coronavirus and Secure Commerce Options on Consumer Pay-at-the-Pump Adoption, will be the subject of an upcoming webinar offered by TNS and Mercator Advisory Group.

Attendees of the free Dec. 10 webinar can expect to learn insights gleaned from the survey data, including:

• Current pay-at-the-pump adoption levels in 2020, compared against a similar survey by TNS from 2019
• How consumer adoption of pay-at-the-pump facilities has been impacted by the pandemic
• The revenue potential of offering secure commerce options at the pump and standalone kiosks in the forecourt
• The extent to which consumers are actively seeking facilities with EMV chip readers
• The demographics of consumers who are adopting alternative payment methods, such as mobile apps and QR codes

“The results of the survey indicate fuel and convenience retailers must rethink how they engage with consumers and implement the technologies that will safeguard them against a still uncertain future,” said Dan Lyman, Head of Payments Market North America for TNS. “For example, the survey revealed many consumers are looking for the ability to order food and pay for in-store purchases while at the pump. This will require many retailers to upgrade automated fuel dispensers (AFDs) to support these new commerce options.”

Security of payments data is also top of mind for consumers, with the majority of respondents showing a preference for facilities that have an EMV chip reader or are EMV compliant.

“Sixty-five percent of respondents said they prefer to use pay-at-the-pump facilities that are EMV compliant, demonstrating a heightened level of awareness among consumers for what many perceive as an industry issue,” Lyman said. “With the April 2021 liability shift deadline for EMV compliance soon approaching, this is a clear call to action for retailers who have not yet upgraded.”

The webinar will feature Dan Lyman, Head of Payments Market North America for TNS and Tim Sloane, Vice President Payment Innovation of Mercator Advisory Group discussing in detail the report’s findings.

Learn more by registering for the webinar and downloading the complete 2020 report.

*KANTAR commissioned a survey on behalf of Transaction Network Services. The survey interviewed 1,056 US adults and was conducted by online self-completion interviews between October 22^nd – 26^th, 2020 by Kantar. The survey is designed to be nationally representative of adults interviewed and uses a quota sample based on age interlocked within gender and a regional quota. Post fieldwork correctional weighting within age, gender and region has been used to ensure the representativeness of the survey.

About Transaction Network Services:

Transaction Network Services (TNS) is a leading global provider of infrastructure-as-a-service solutions and is committed to delivering these and superior service to the world’s most prestigious payments, financial services and telecommunications companies.

Founded in 1990 in the US and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, TNS has a strong payments heritage and provides managed services in more than 60 countries across the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. TNS is a Level 1 PCI DSS certified service provider, a member of CONEXXUS, and a global board member of the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA). For more information about TNS and its Payments solutions visit www.tnsi.com or go to our media center for our latest news www.tnsi.com/media-center/