Summit Gasoline is a growing chain of gas stations and convenience stores with a network of locations across the United States West Coast. We sat down with Summit Gasoline President, Finn Moller to discuss the increasingly large role that cash plays in his business, along with how his choice to use Paypod™ has reduced his cash handling costs and improved the experience for his customers.

We’ve heard glowing reviews of your company, Summit Gasoline, Finn. What you’ve created sounds fascinating, but I always like to start with a question around how you would describe your company. So, what is it that you do?

Finn
It’s pretty basic. We have units that sell large volumes of gasoline, conduct convenience store sales and some cases, have car wash attachments.

Cash plays a big role in your company, does it not?

Finn
It does. 1,919 customers came in the last 24 hours and 50.1% of them paid with cash. The reason we push cash so hard is because we’re up against competitors like Costco that don’t accept cash and only accept “plastic,” which is how we refer to credit and debit cards. We’re looking to buck this trend.

Our locations offer a cash incentive called split or dual pricing.
Here’s an example – we sell a gallon of regular gas for $4.45 if you pay with cash. But if you pay with card, you pay $0.34 more per gallon ($4.79). That’s a huge spread, so we’re seeing a significant uptick in cash transactions as a result of this incentive.

It seems that this model is really working for you.

Finn
It sure is. We’re saving money in the long run by incentivizing cash payments. That’s because credit card processing rates are all over the map, but it's about 1.6% on a typical Visa or MasterCard transaction. This big push towards cash gives us the advantage when we're competing against stations that primarily accept plastic.

How do you handle dealing with that much cash?

Finn
Since we’ve had Paypods installed, handling cash has been easier than ever.

They especially come in handy during rushes when we have anywhere from 6-8 customers standing in each line with 3 cashiers working. We placed 2 Paypods next to those lines so that anyone paying with cash can get in and out quicker.

How quickly were you able to make a decision and get Paypods in your store? What did that process look like?

Finn
Once we saw it in operation, we knew we wanted a Paypod. It was instant. We were looking hard for what Paypod offers and you guys had just what we needed. The actual installation process was really intuitive and we were able to easily get them integrated with our store’s point-of-sale system.

One last question: What does the future look like for your company with Paypod?

Finn
We’re a small company, but we’re buying 2 new locations and installing Paypods in those. My brother has 26 operating locations and he’s installing his 3rd Paypod as we speak. We’re committed to having Paypods installed in any new locations we acquire down the road.

Thank you again for the time today Finn. It is much appreciated.

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Make Cash Work for You

In a field where digital payments are often perceived to be dominant; “cash” is rarely uttered in retail environments like gas stations and c-stores. After all, retailers often worry that cash may come with the need for increased security and labor. But here’s the thing: there are ways that you can make cash work for your business.

That’s where Paypod™ comes in – a cash automation solution for both self-checkout and attended lane applications, Paypod™ makes cash handling easier and safer than ever.

With Paypod™, businesses no longer have to worry about counting errors when handling cash. Instead, they can focus their efforts on creating the best possible experience for the customer.

With quick and easy installation, incorporating Paypod™ into your business is a breeze. On top of that, Paypod™ can be seamlessly integrated into your existing POS system for a stress-free experience. Cosmetically, Paypod can fit into your existing counter, freeing up additional space and blending into any existing store environment.

See how Paypod™ can make cash work for your c-store or gas station, visit https://retail.cranepi.com/create-self-checkout/