Gift Cards are now available in over 350 BP company-owned forecourts across the UK, adding to the extensive range of consumer goods now available at BP retail outlets.

Gift Cards are the replacement for gift vouchers traditionally purchased on the high street. The new initiative, powered by electronic services provider PayPoint, is effectively bringing the high street to forecourts. BP has teamed up with several leading retail names including Argos, Debenhams and Arcadia, with other well known brands also in the pipeline.

It’s a simple and easy way for a customer to gift to family, friends or loved ones. The cards will be displayed on branded display stands in forecourts along with point of sale to encourage purchase. The racked Gift Cards have zero value and are therefore pose no risk to the retailer. The customer selects a card, requests a value, hands over payment and the value is activated on the card at the till. The customer then gifts the card and the recipient redeems the card in store as payment. 

The new initiative cements the partnership between BP and PayPoint, which has been providing mobile phone top-up and London congestion charge services for BP since 2005. The introduction of Gift Cards to the portfolio coincides with PayPoint being awarded a further three year contract with BP to continue providing these services.

Mike Igoe, PayPoint’s Retail Director commented: “PayPoint is synonymous with convenience and Gift Cards are going to be the next big category in convenience retailing. Therefore we are delighted that BP and PayPoint are leading the way in bringing Gift Cards to forecourts. We will continue to work closely with BP to provide more services for their forecourts across the UK.”

BP Retail’s Trading Director, Andy Davis said: “The gift cards are just one of many new initiatives BP has been introducing into its stores for customers. No other forecourt retailer offers an extensive range of gift cards and in the run up to Christmas; these have been very well received by our customers."

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Enquiries:
PayPoint Press Office
Kate Simpson/ Helen Crossley
kate.simpson@mischiefpr.com

Notes to Editors:
PayPoint is a leading branded payment collection network used, primarily, for the cash payment of bills and services and prepayments for mobile telephones and energy meters. There are over 16,000 retail outlets using PayPoint’s payment terminals.

PayPoint began trading in 1996 and initially collected payments through its network of retail agents for its founder client investors, who included British Gas, BT, BBC TV Licensing, London Electricity (now part of EDF Energy) and four water companies.

Clients include many of the UK and Ireland’s major energy, cable, mobile and fixed line telephony companies. PayPoint’s blue chip client list also extends to numerous water companies, local authorities and housing associations and a growing transport and travel base.

PayPoint listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004.

About BP Retail
BP Retail is the UK’s No.1 fuel retailer with over 16% of the market.  It has approximately 1250 sites at most geographical location within the UK. Initiatives such as the development of Wild Bean Café and more recently the partnership with M&S Simply Food, demonstrate that BP has ambition to further develop the roadside retailing experience from one of fuel only to new revenue generating ventures and customer offers.