Pay at the pump

rdf:langString Pay at the pump

rdf:langString Pay at the pump is a system used at many filling stations, where customers can pay for their fuel by inserting a credit, debit card, or fuel card into a slot on the pump, bypassing the requirement to make the transaction with the station attendant or to walk away from one's vehicle. A few areas have gas stations that use electronic tolling transponders as a method of payment, such as Via Verde in Portugal. Pay at the pump was first invented in 1973 in Abilene, Texas, but did not take off until the 1980s. The system was introduced in 1982 in Europe, and Mobil claims to have been the first gas station to introduce pay at the pump in the United States in 1986. Only thirteen percent of convenience stores had the technology by 1994. Eighty percent of US convenience stores used it by 2002, and virtually all US stores do today. In 2004, Sheetz was the first to use touchscreen kiosks by the pump, where customers can also order in-store foodservice items that they pick up after fueling.In 2012, was the first to have ordering touchscreens on the pump. Pay at the pump is seen as a way to keep the cost of gasoline down by reducing the need for employees at filling stations. It is considered to be a major change from the days in which full service was the norm at filling stations, and the attendant not only pumped fuel, but also washed the windshield and checked the fluids and tire pressure, all while the customer remained in the vehicle. Full service is legally mandated in the US states of New Jersey and parts of Oregon. Oregon allows for commercial self-serve of gasoline for business use through a cardlock network, such as Pacific Pride or CFN. The technology has also allowed the introduction of unattended filling stations (where allowable by law), which are mainly outside supermarkets and other retail establishments and have no connected store facility.