Gas stations have displayed cash and credit prices at the pump for decades. It's the original version of what we now call Network Offset Pricing — and consumers are completely comfortable with it.
But most gas station owners apply this pricing only to fuel, leaving thousands of dollars in processing fees on the table from convenience store sales, car wash purchases, and other in-store transactions.
The Full Station Opportunity
Fuel Processing Costs
Fuel margins are razor-thin — often $0.05–$0.15/gallon. A $50 fill-up at 2.5% processing costs $1.25. On 3,000 fuel transactions/month, processing fees consume a significant share of fuel profit.
C-Store Sales Are Where Margin Lives
Convenience store items carry 30%–50% margins — but processing fees on these transactions are often higher than fuel because of smaller ticket sizes and flat-rate POS pricing.
The Missed Opportunity
Most stations display cash/credit pricing at the pump but charge the same price inside the store regardless of payment method. Extending Network Offset Pricing to in-store purchases captures the full savings opportunity.
Network Offset Pricing Across the Entire Station
Pump (existing):
- Regular: $3.29 cash / $3.39 credit
C-Store (new opportunity):
| Item | Cash | Card |
|---|---|---|
| 20oz Soda | $2.29 | $2.39 |
| Energy Drink | $3.49 | $3.63 |
| Snack Combo | $5.99 | $6.23 |
| Cigarettes | $9.99 | $10.39 |
| Wash | Cash | Card |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $8.00 | $8.32 |
| Premium | $14.00 | $14.56 |
The Station-Wide Savings
| Revenue Source | Monthly Volume | Annual Processing (3%) | With NOP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel (card transactions) | $200,000 | $72,000 | ~$0 |
| C-Store | $30,000 | $10,800 | ~$0 |
| Car Wash | $8,000 | $2,880 | ~$0 |
| **Total** | **$238,000** | **$85,680** | **~$0** |
Multi-Station Operations
| Stations | Total Monthly Volume | Annual Processing | With NOP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $714,000 | $257,040 | ~$0 |
| 5 | $1,190,000 | $428,400 | ~$0 |
| 10 | $2,380,000 | $856,800 | ~$0 |
James W. writes about payment optimization for brick-and-mortar retail. A former retail operations consultant, he has helped hundreds of independent retailers evaluate their processing agreements and reduce overhead costs.
$238,000
| $85,680 | ~$0 |
Get Started
The first step to reducing your processing costs is understanding exactly what you are paying today. Request a free statement analysis and we will show you a side-by-side comparison of your current costs versus what you could save with Network Offset Pricing.