Mobil Speedpass Makes Gasoline Purchase Virtually Effortless
8 July 1998
Mobil Speedpass Makes Gasoline Purchase Virtually Effortless
DALLAS--July 8, 1998--Starting today, drivers pulling into participating Mobil service stations throughout the Metroplex will be introduced to Mobil(R) Speedpass(tm), a new technology that provides motorists with the fastest way yet to purchase gasoline.Customers enrolled in the Mobil Speedpass program will use a miniature electronic device attached to their key chain or affixed in their rear window and will be able to immediately fill up and drive away without ever opening wallets or purses for credit cards or cash.
"Our research tells us that customers are looking for the fastest and easiest way to get gasoline," states Percy Borbin, Texas Mobil Manager. "With Mobil Speedpass, all you have to do is stop at a Speedpass pump, fill up and go. It's the fastest way to get gas and just one of the ways we're proving every day that we have the energy to make a difference."
Similar to electronic payment methods used to reduce waiting time at highway tollbooths, Speedpass is a technology that employs radio signals. The electronic system located in the pump "talks" (communicates) with miniature "transponder" devices either in the form of a key tag that is attached to a driver's key chain, or a window tag that is placed in a vehicle's rear window. Either type of transponder provides motorists with quick, easy access to gasoline by automatically charging fuel purchases to a designated credit card.
To use a Speedpass key tag, motorists simply wave the key tag at the pump. Immediately, a light located at the pump turns on when the Speedpass system is activated to let the customer know when to begin refueling.
Customers choosing to use a Speedpass window tag merely pull up to and stop at a Mobil Speedpass pump to automatically activate the Speedpass light. The customer is then free to begin refueling.
How It Works
Drivers must enroll to acquire a Speedpass, which is a supplementary credit device assigned to a customer's designated credit card. There are several ways to enroll:
1. by phoning (800) 459-2266;
2. through the Mobil Speedpass internet web site at
www.mobil.com/speedpass;
3. by completing an enrollment form available at any participating
Mobil service station.
When they enroll, customers indicate which credit card they want their Speedpass transaction billed to. Customers can designate any of the wide range of credit cards that Mobil accepts. Customers also choose which form of transponder they prefer, either the key tag or the vehicle window version, and whether or not they prefer a receipt.
Initially, there is no cost to consumers for the Speedpass tag and no service charge for using the new technology to fill up.
Within a few days of receipt of the enrollment information, a Speedpass tag, preprogrammed with a unique secure ID number, is mailed to the customer. Customers simply phone in to activate the device and begin using Speedpass immediately -- similar to the activation process for credit cards.
When a customer uses the key tag at a designated Speedpass station, the gasoline pump sends out a radio signal which powers the key tag allowing it to send back its unique ID code. Immediately, the Speedpass system recognizes the individual customer and activates the pump. The customer is then free to select the grade of gasoline and fill up.
Simultaneously, the Speedpass system contacts Mobil's centralized credit system to verify the customer's information, and, in turn, charges the customer's designated credit card. The customer's credit card number remains outside the Speedpass signal system, maintaining the confidentiality of that information.
A Team of Technology Leaders
The technology for Mobil Speedpass was developed for Mobil in cooperation with the TIRIS(tm) Division of Texas Instruments, and fuel pump manufacturers like the Wayne Division of Dresser Industries, and Gilbarco, Inc.
Mobil has been the first in the industry to develop customer-oriented electronic payment systems, including bank debit cards, pump-located Customer Activated Terminals (pay-at-the-pump) and the Mobil Go Card, a pre-paid card. Mobil is a leading oil, natural gas and petrochemical company. In the U. S., the corporation markets gasoline in 28 states and the District of Columbia through 7700 branded service stations.
TIRIS (Texas Instruments Registration and Identification System) advanced radio frequency identification (RFID) technology controls, detects and tracks valuable objects and people. TIRIS offers a range of both high and low RFID systems that are keys to reliable, accurate data collection for empowered information processing.