FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - Gulf Oil announced the GulfCard Loyalty program, a proprietary program to help its 2,500 U.S. Gulf-branded stations drive sales and build customer loyalty.

GulfCard Loyalty provides fuel retailers at Gulf locations with the ability to establish their own "instant savings" discount levels for customers who use the GulfCard when they purchase gasoline.

The GulfCard also eliminates cash/credit two-tiered pricing and carries no processing fees for GulfCard transactions, including gasoline purchases, repairs and in-store merchandise.

"We are very pleased to be ramping up our GulfCard loyalty program to benefit our high quality network of branded Gulf stations across the country," said Gulf Oil Senior Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Rick Dery. "These easy-to-manage programs give Gulf owners and operators effective ways to increase their revenue by attracting new customers and building stronger relationships with existing patrons. In addition, the promotions are easily adjusted to meet changing market conditions."

Retailers said the program helps enhance customer relationships while building sales.

"The GulfCard program is terrific for building customer loyalty and increasing sales," said Brian Strout, manager of AJ's Gulf in Hingham, Massachusetts. "Our Gulf consumer card usage is up 350% over the past year. We find that customers almost always come in to the store to buy something in addition to gasoline, and the GulfCard also helps keep us very competitive with area stations that use cash versus credit pricing strategies."

Additional information, including participating stations, is available on Gulf??s website.