The Green Sheet Online Edition
January 1, 2025 • 25:01:02
Signs that drive success: Signage and payments for gas stations
Every driver is a potential customer for petroleum retailers, and the journey from the road to a gas station operator in your merchant portfolio starts with effective signage. Great signage doesn’t just attract attention—it transforms a station into a destination, guiding drivers, enhancing their experience and boosting sales. Combining impactful signage with advanced payment solutions can create a winning formula for independent gas station owners.
Why signage matters at gas stations
Signage is more than decoration; it’s a strategic tool that connects with customers and drives decisions. From LED price boards that catch the eye of passing drivers to clear wayfinding signs and in-store displays, the right signage creates a seamless and inviting experience. For gas stations, it can mean the difference between a driver choosing one of your client's pumps or those of a competitor.
Key functions of effective signage
To be effective, signage must do the following:
- Attract traffic: Draw drivers off the road with bold, well-placed signs.
- Guide customers: Ensure smooth navigation to pumps, parking and in-store services.
- Promote deals: Highlight special offers, loyalty programs and in-store products.
- Enhance brand identity: Reinforce your station’s name and services.
Pairing signage with payment solutions
Gas stations increasingly rely on advanced payment systems to streamline operations and improve customer experiences. In the best cases, payment systems integrate seamlessly with signage, creating opportunities to:
- Promote loyalty rewards through digital displays.
- Highlight cash discount programs for cost-conscious customers.
- Offer QR codes on signage for app-based payments and special deals.
By pairing signage with advanced payment systems, gas stations can maximize sales and create a cohesive experience that meets modern customer expectations.
Empowering ISOs and MLS with integrated solutions
For ISOs and merchant-level salespeople (MLS), offering a combined payment technology and signage solution is a game-changer. Gas station owners benefit from the synergy of integrated tools that:
- Increase transaction volumes by attracting more customers.
- Simplify promotions through dynamic digital displays.
- Drive repeat business with loyalty program integration.
EV charging stations, a signage opportunity
As electric vehicles (EVs) gain popularity, gas stations with EV charging stations need clear and engaging signage to attract and serve these customers. Best practices for EV signage incorporate the following: Visibility: Use prominent signs to highlight charging availability. Guidance: Place directional signs to guide drivers to chargers. Instructions: Include clear, concise instructions at charging stations. Promotion: Showcase in-store deals to attract EV drivers during charging sessions.
Advanced payment systems can further enhance the EV experience by integrating loyalty rewards and promotional content into EV signage, ensuring these customers stay engaged.
Building a strong brand with effective signage
Signage also plays a vital role in branding. Professional-grade grand-format printing for banners, decals, window graphics and more can improve the aesthetic appeal of a station and create a cohesive, memorable brand identity.
Effective signage is more than a marketing tool; it’s essential to gas station operations. When combined with advanced payment systems, signage becomes a powerful driver of traffic, sales, and customer satisfaction. Gas station owners can compete with larger chains and thrive in an evolving industry. And ISOs and MLSs are ideally positioned to make that happen. 
Elie Y. Katz is founder, president and CEO at National Retail Solutions (NRS), https://nrsplus.com. Contact him by phone at 201-715-5179 or by email at ekatz@nrsplus.com.
Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.
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