VA & BP big announcment?

[medhead]

Pump price $1.06!!!!

$1.29 was about the best I've seen in Brisbane. Maybe a couple of cents cheaper, but when will someone break the two retailer control?

Most places in Adelaide I've seen have been below $1.10 for the week. I'm surprised there was a place @$1.11 yesterday. Prices seem to be a fair bit higher in the western areas.
I picked up petrol for $1.022 yesterday from caltex/woolies. I don't bother with the in shop spend, as the spend requirement is higher than my potential saving, and it's mostly junk food/drinks.

 

[Spacetravel]

Well I'll be happy with anything that is a bonus for us existing velocity members. But it probably will be "big" for velocity and useless to us.

It's funny how everyone here says their BP is more expensive. Mine is usually the cheapest in the area sometimes up to 20c cheaper. So this velocity thing has been great for me.

 

[coles525]

Well I'll be happy with anything that is a bonus for us existing velocity members. But it probably will be "big" for velocity and useless to us.

It's funny how everyone here says their BP is more expensive. Mine is usually the cheapest in the area sometimes up to 20c cheaper. So this velocity thing has been great for me.

Price wise: My most closest BP is either same price or cheaper then other brands (coles / woolies) I go past on the way home.

Just around the corner, easy points.

 

[kaktusdigital]

Price wise: My most closest BP is either same price or cheaper then other brands (coles / woolies) I go past on the way home.

Just around the corner, easy points.

same, except I can't use my local grocer shopper docket 4C discount which is a little disappointing.

 

[Moopere]

I have the same issue, BP is always the most expensive fuel in my area. I am also waiting for bonus points from an October special. I have not bought BP since then.

Yes, I almost started a thread on this late last year. I just couldn't see any value in the hype around earning VFF points on BP spend because, in PER at least, at the time, there was up to a 30c/litre difference in price between the discounted majors (usually a woolies or coles station) and the cheapest BP in town.

However, something weird happened very late in the year. Suddenly my Android app "Bowser Watch" which reports against Fuelwatch figures, started listing BP as cheaper than all the other majors ... so something is going on behind the scenes.

 

[Buzzard]

Pump price $1.06!!!!

$1.29 was about the best I've seen in Brisbane. Maybe a couple of cents cheaper, but when will someone break the two retailer control?

$1.06 is diesel, petrol is $1.05

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Yes, I almost started a thread on this late last year. I just couldn't see any value in the hype around earning VFF points on BP spend because, in PER at least, at the time, there was up to a 30c/litre difference in price between the discounted majors (usually a woolies or coles station) and the cheapest BP in town.

However, something weird happened very late in the year. Suddenly my Android app "Bowser Watch" which reports against Fuelwatch figures, started listing BP as cheaper than all the other majors ... so something is going on behind the scenes.

Precisely!

BP operate their pricing strategy on being the first to lift prices on fuel upwards in anticipation the rest of the local competition will do the same, and will only drop their price if the local operators remain cheaper by a large variance ( ie greater than 5 cents per litre for an extended period)

Although I will give them credit for not charging a Credit Card surcharge like Caltex does.

 

[romney]

My local BP (in Adelaide) had fuel at $1.01 today and it is usually the cheapest in the area. It's a small place, and has only been a BP for a few months, so not sure if the prices will eventually rise - especially since it has just opened the only car wash in the area. It will possibly get a lot of customers just based on that.

 

[theevilmuppet]

As wonderful as it is to find the best value for one's funds when it comes to buying anything (petrol included), it seems there are mixed results from members in terms of finding BP to be good value for their purchases.

I don't need to buy fuel frequently, so I'll take the points earn and convenience over keeping stupid pieces of paper (I hate receipts) and traveling for a specific deal (there's a BP Service Station literally 50 metres from my place).

The BP relationship being mentioned in this interview continues a theme perhaps? I have received 4 promotional offers from Velocity in the last 6 months involving BP points earn, and I know there are some I have not received - there's a potential for both brands to lift their market share significantly in the view of each from the conduct on display.

 

[coles525]

Fortnightly or less with my refuel, so never in the need to keep a lookout of if I need fuel.

I just double dip, fuel points + cc points.

 

[theevilmuppet]

Fortnightly or less with my refuel, so never in the need to keep a lookout of if I need fuel.

I just double dip, fuel points + cc points.

I doubt that the discussions between Velocity and BP are aimed at only securing customers who rarely refuel, as wonderful as rarely needing to fill up one's car is!

Does anyone else have any speculation regarding the massive development that has been alluded to?

 

[kamchatsky]

I would guess that it will be a BP Velocity Credit Card ...... After all, BP has had Credit Card before with Citibank.

Otherwise it would be using Velocity points for BP Petrol.

 

[burmans]

I would guess that it will be a BP Velocity Credit Card ...... After all, BP has had Credit Card before with Citibank.

Otherwise it would be using Velocity points for BP Petrol.

I think this might be a good guess here.

 

[theevilmuppet]

I would guess that it will be a BP Velocity Credit Card ...... After all, BP has had Credit Card before with Citibank.

Otherwise it would be using Velocity points for BP Petrol.

A joint BP Velocity Credit Card would be interesting, however I suspect the execution will be terrible.

Both Qantas and Virgin enlist CUSCAL for their prepaid wallet offerings, and CUSCAL's purchase of SPS gives them the means of building up an appropriate offering involving BP.

The supermarkets and service station brands have typically aligned with either Indue or Citi, and that is a very interesting set of possibilities.

Citi are clearly managing their primary income stream in Australia with their recent announcements around their card issuing operations. The idea that they'd be willing to engage in a relationship with Velocity and BP that would be significant in the market is disingenuous given their treatment of customers in response to extremely basic questions regarding the changes.

Indue are in a position where they're seeking to build additional market share and presence and have a significantly lower cost model. If Indue are the card partner, I can definitely see it happening.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I wonder, a proportion of the drives in Aust who buy their fuel at BP or OTR in SA, how many do the slide of the card down the right, and insert on the bottom.
I note that if you do the VFF slide, you cannot use tap and go (Paywave or Paypass-have to insert at the bottom of the card reader and enter PIN). Takes a min maybe, but over a year, thats a lot of time.
In other words: Is BP/OTR/VA making enough $ from this tie in?

 

[theevilmuppet]

I wonder, a proportion of the drives in Aust who buy their fuel at BP or OTR in SA, how many do the slide of the card down the right, and insert on the bottom.
I note that if you do the VFF slide, you cannot use tap and go (Paywave or Paypass-have to insert at the bottom of the card reader and enter PIN). Takes a min maybe, but over a year, thats a lot of time.
In other words: Is BP/OTR/VA making enough $ from this tie in?

A technical improvement would simply be to associate a particular payment instrument (other than cash, obviously) with a particular Velocity account.

I've mentioned this to the technical staff associated with other programs (such as Flybuys and Woolworths Everyday Rewards) however it's not something that is considered important. Technically it's quite simple to perform, however no one seems to be interested in putting the effort in to do so.

The current BP-Velocity tie up requires significant staff interaction at BP as well and personally I find that aspect far more annoying and time intensive than having to insert my card. Given the Quest terminals that are in use don't support contactless payments for American Express cards anyway, it's a non-issue for me.

 

[Milboo]

Would not mind if it was an announcement that you can earn points on transactions on BP Fuel cards.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Hmmm... "something very big is going to happen with BP next year, that’s all I can say"

It's like they're buying out BP or something with that language. Why on earth would you raise expectations like that?

 

[kyanar]

I wonder, a proportion of the drives in Aust who buy their fuel at BP or OTR in SA, how many do the slide of the card down the right, and insert on the bottom.
I note that if you do the VFF slide, you cannot use tap and go (Paywave or Paypass-have to insert at the bottom of the card reader and enter PIN). Takes a min maybe, but over a year, thats a lot of time.
In other words: Is BP/OTR/VA making enough $ from this tie in?

Huh? I do that all the time - swipe Velocity card, tap MasterCard. No problems at all.

 

[Duffa]

Not in SA myself but imagine Caltex with 4c WW discount +in-shop purchase discount + 5% WISH card (as well as Plat Edge 3 Amex MR/$ and some Myer points)

I don't think you can buy WISH cards with Amex?