by The modern gas station network is virtually impossible without a loyalty program – this is how retail operators retain regular customers and “attract” new ones. At the same time, competition forces companies to come up with more and more new options. Some focus on introducing new services in electronic applications, while others choose traditional methods, such as raffling valuable gifts. The Consumer Research Institute analyzed how WOG (Pride),Shell (Shell ClubSmart), Motto (Motto Club, ), OKKO (Fishka), KLO (ДякуYOU), “Parallel” (КартБланш), GLUSCO (GLUSCO CLUB), BRSN-nafta (BRSN Plus) and Amic (My Amic) do it.
How to become a program participant?
There are several ways to register for a gas station network loyalty program. The most common way is to purchase a card for an almost nominal amount (from 1 kopeck to 1 hryvnia) when refueling or buying goods at the station.
This scheme is relevant for Shell, OKKO, BRSN, Parallel, Motto, and KLO networks. To become a participant of the My Amic program, you need to refuel with at least 25 liters of any fuel. The GLUSCO network offers its clients registration in the GLUSCO CLUB program in four ways – filling out a form on the website, downloading a mobile application, calling the hotline, or registering directly at a gas station. The general rule for all networks is that the participant must be 18 years old, as they are a full participant in financial relations with the gas station. Also, for better personalization and protection of personal data, basic information must be provided during registration – mobile phone, email address, optionally date of birth, etc.
To register for the PRIDE loyalty program from the WOG gas station network, it is sufficient to simply enter your phone number when making any purchase at the gas station or download the PRIDE application. The card is issued electronically, and to receive benefits, just provide your phone number or scan the QR code from the PRIDE mobile application. 
Regarding the speed of registration and ease of managing the electronic application, the leaders are Shell ClubSmart and WOG Pride. For some other participants, the application did not work correctly. How to earn points?
Typically, points are accrued for purchasing fuel and goods in stores at gas stations.
For example, at Shell network gas stations, points accumulate when purchasing fuel (with a coefficient of 400% when refueling with the branded V-Power!) or when purchasing goods in the stores at the gas stations with a ratio of 1 point – for every 10 UAH spent. At Parallel network gas stations, bonuses will be credited to your account at the rate of 1.5 bonuses per 1 spent hryvnia – both when paying in cash and using a bank card. Accumulated bonuses in the Motto Club program are credited towards a discount on fuel. For each purchased liter, 1 point is credited. Depending on the accumulated amount, the fuel discount increases in the next month.
At WOG gas stations, points are accrued at the rate of 1 bonus point for every hryvnia spent. However, the company regularly offers individual promotions for clients, where each client has their personal conditions for purchasing fuel, as well as WOGCAFE and WOGMARKET goods. At OKKO gas stations, points are accrued in a percentage ratio of the purchase amount: 2% of the cost of auto services, 4% of TM OKKO goods, 3% for coffee, etc. In the BRSN network, a similar scheme operates, only with specific increase coefficients on weekends, holidays, etc. At GLUSCO, a progressive accumulation system is in place – with a large volume of purchased fuel, the percentage of purchase increases, ranging from 1 to 5%, depending on the product group.
At KLO gas stations, the number of bonuses is calculated based on the amount of the receipt at the rate from 1 point per liter to 15 bonus points per hryvnia spent. The My AMIC program credits 10 points for each liter of fuel, 5 points for gas, and 30 bonuses for every 10 UAH spent in stores at gas stations. How to spend points?
All gas station networks from our review allow you to accumulate points and spend them in one form or another. In particular, Shell allows you to exchange points for a discount of 0.5 UAH/liter to 3 UAH/liter (depending on the type of fuel). Also, clients can choose goods in the Shell store and preorder items on the company’s official website.
After updating the loyalty program, the offered goods can now be purchased for fewer points, i.e., the program has become 2-3 times more beneficial for clients. The updated Shell ClubSmart program allows choosing in what proportion to spend accumulated points when paying for goods or fuel at the network’s gas stations. A client can pay with points for the full cost or only 50% of the price of the selected product. And now you can choose any item! Be it branded hot dogs, or sandwiches, or car care products, or toys – in essence, everything located in the branded store at the gas station.
The list of items excludes only alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. PRIDE loyalty program participants from the WOG gas station network can use their points to pay for fuel, as well as WOGCAFE and WOGMARKET goods, except for tobacco and alcohol products. Participants can pay with points for the entire purchase or a part of it. 
The MOTTO CLUB program does not allow calculating with points, but their amount directly influences the discount in the following month (from 0.3 to 1.2 UAH/liter depending on purchased volume and type of fuel). “Parallel” offers a very wide range of services and goods that can be paid for with accumulated bonus points from purchases.
Fuel, all items in the mini-market (except tobacco products and mobile top-up vouchers), car wash services, catalogue items on the website – this is the full list of expenses that can be paid with saved hryvnias. BRSN, OKKO, Amic, and Glusco networks also allow spending earned points only on goods and fuel at their gas stations. KLO allows paying with points at the rate of 1 bonus – 1 kopeck in any “Fishka” restaurant network and “Borshch” cafes, in any “Podorozhnik” and “Villa Market” store (except tobacco, alcohol, starter packs, scratch cards, and insurance policies), in any shop of the Lviv Handmade Chocolate Workshop, as well as in any cheesecakes and strudels “Lvivsky Playa”
Additional options
But besides similar “common points”, each gas station network tries to attract clients with something special. Thus, the Parallel gas station network regularly raffles valuable prizes, up to cars. Motto offers its clients other gifts in the form of additional discounts.
BRSN also encourages buyers to purchase drinks and sandwiches to increase the fuel discount. KLO gives discounts when buying coffee and provides coupons for discounts when shopping in supermarket networks. In the Shell network stores at gas stations, you can find genuine branded products of Ferrari and BMW, offered for points or with a discount. Also, loyalty cardholders are offered to collect unique collections of toy models, for example, now these are Ducati motorcycle models. 
WOG introduced an online store service.
So, on your account, you can pre-purchase a certain amount of liters of fuel, or cups of coffee and tea, and use them when it’s convenient for you. Many motorists once a month buy 20-30 cups of coffee and then spend them throughout the month. Branded mobile applications
Most market operators can boast mobile applications of their loyalty programs. One of the “smartest” apps is Shell. App, it can suggest the road to the nearest network gas station, while choosing any of the navigators that the user prefers, allows managing accumulated points and ordering products in the online store.
The Fishka program application helps not only register in the system and monitor the point balance but also learn about new promotions in a timely manner, choose and order rewards for bonuses, select program partner locations. Glusco and BRSN applications are equipped with fewer functions; they allow tracking and accumulating points, as well as editing personal data and getting acquainted with the coordinates of all the gas stations in the network. My Amic app enables, among other things, to purchase fuel for a personal account and refuel it without the help of cashier operators. Through the WOG mobile application, you can not only pay for fuel at the pump but also purchase drinks near the coffee machine, as well as track accumulated points, and calculate the necessary amount of fuel for a trip, keep statistics of all purchases at the gas station, etc. Summarizing the review of loyalty programs of Ukrainian gas station networks, we can say that petroleum market operators are striving to become more integrated into the life of every motorist, sometimes becoming almost a family member.
At the same time, they are constantly improving their loyalty programs. And if just a year ago the undisputed best programs were with the largest operators OKKO and WOG, now Shell has become a worthy competitor, having significantly modified its program. And considering the international fuel quality standards in this network, it can be assumed that the struggle for the client will unfold with new force, from which consumers will ultimately benefit.
Dmytro Hrybenko
