Dive Brief:

• Casey’s General Stores has launched a promotional fleet partnership with Coast, a financial technology company whose expense management platform handles payments for companies that have vehicle fleets, according to a recent announcement.
• This marks the second c-store partnership for Coast, which is in the process of “building a complementary network of partnerships in the c-store space with leading regional brands,” Jordan Weinberg, head of business development and finance for Coast, said in an interview.
• Working with Coast will allow Casey’s to reach more of its customers that prefer cards over other payment options as the company continues to seek ways to revamp its commercial payment acceptance, Kendrew Panyanouvong, communications specialist for Casey’s, said in an interview.

Dive Insight:

Per the partnership, Coast customers will receive a six-cent-per-gallon rebate on all fuel purchases at every Casey’s c-store in the U.S. At the end of every month, the rebate is automatically applied based on the gallons purchased with no redemption or activation required. 

Beyond helping its customers save money on fuel, collaborating with Coast will allow Casey’s to deepen its collaboration with its new-to-industry partnerships, Tony Spuzello, director of commercial fuel for Casey’s, said in the announcement.

“We see a lot of value in opportunities with new-to-industry partners to lower fuel costs,” Panyanouvong said in an interview.

Coast, which is based in New York, was drawn to Casey’s because of its “deep affinity throughout the Midwest,” Weinberg said in the announcement. Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s operates more than 2,400 c-stores in 16 states and is the third-largest c-store chain in the U.S by size.

Coast first entered the c-store space this past June when it partnered with Atlanta-based RaceTrac Petroleum, which operates more than 550 stores in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee. 

“Our goal is to work closely with our [c-store] partners in their territories to drive fuel sales to fleets through discounting programs so our partners can grow the commercial side of their business,” Weinberg said in an interview.

Many of Coast’s customers are local businesses that return to base every night and are active members of their communities, including home services companies like HVAC, plumbing, electric and landscaping companies; as well as local delivery and moving companies and other similar businesses. Coast’s platform is available for use in all 50 states.