GREENSBORO, N.C. – Gilbarco announced this week that the company has seen a record high in automated fuel dispenser (AFD) orders, showing that large, regional retailers are upgrading their dispenser payment platforms to support new EMV standards ahead of the liability shift deadline for AFDs.
According to the company, orders for Gilbarco’s dispenser marketing platform, which combines required EMV upgrades with engaging “media at the pump” technology, doubled in June, compared to the month prior.

“We’re using the upcoming EMV regulations as an opportunity to grow our business. In addition to enabling us to meet the 2017 deadline, Applause TV will bring incremental inside sales and an improved experience to our customers,” said Charlie Edwards, COO of Edwards Oil Company, dba Quik Mart Convenience Stores.

While inside store POS are facing a liability shift deadline of October 1, 2015, fuel dispensers in the U.S. have an October 2017 deadline for instituting EMV-certified payment platforms. Adopting EMV-certified products helps retailers avoid the liability shift from banks to retailers outlined in the EMV changeover from magnetic strip cards. Early upgrades to EMV are also part of a broader business strategy among retailers to avoid operation interruptions by implementing and testing the new transaction processing systems well before the deadline.

“Retailers are using the investment in EMV as an opportunity to differentiate their sites through media,” said Andrew Syzek, marketing manager, media, Gilbarco Veeder-Root. “Acting early offsets the cost for EMV compliance. Research shows a 10-34% range increase in sales of convenience drinks and snacks purchased in-store at Applause TV test sites.”

Gilbarco’s Applause TV is full-motion video and audio experience that provides entertainment and drives customers into the store for high-margin purchases, and includes the connectivity hardware and software required for EMV transaction processing.

According to Gilbarco, retailers who have already committed to rolling out EMV via Applause TV to at least half of their sites include Edwards Oil, Hollingsworth Oil, Sutey Oil, Energy North and McCullough Oil. These Gilbarco partners represent more than 100 Applause TV locations across the United States.

For more on EMV implmentation, read “EMV Wind Tunnel” from the Bits & Bytes column in NACS Magazine.