During the past few years, there were times when I was doing those particular shops where I was asked if I had or wanted to use my rewards card, etc.
I would decline, of course, as instructed by the guidelines of the shop.
Reflecting back, I believe it was only the Exxon/Mobil stations and their guidelines where the shopper was not supposed to use the rewards card inside when performing a shop in the Cstore, but could use it at the pump. With the newer MSC, the guidelines went further stating that the shopper, when performing the shop, should only use their rewards card once a week and, only at the pump.
For the Shell shops, I really do not remember if they ever did ban shoppers from using their (Shell) rewards card. Perhaps it was a carry over from the E/M shops and I continued doing that for Shell.

Now, in reviewing the latest guidelines for the E/M shops, I find no mention requiring the shopper to decline using their rewards card. As for Shell, well I just do not see that either (or perhaps it never was!).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2023 10:17PM by French Farmer.

It was just another way of short changing the shoppers. If you could have gotten mega rewards points while doing shops (AKA being forced to buy gas from them), you would have benefited more than expected.

My question is, how would they have known you used your rewards card? Does it show up on the receipt?

Shell shoppers. While you are toiling away, keep in mind that their market cap is currently slightly more than 1/5th of a trillion dollars.

I don't recall seeing a prohibition on Shell, but as far as I can tell the primary benefits are discounts on your gas purchases. Because they pay for a whole two gallons, the discount would not benefit us on a shop. I'm not sure if it helps on a non-gas purchase inside, but using it would obviously prevent the clerk from suggesting it, and they rarely do...

For EM, I believe you could use it once per day at the pump. The reason being if you used it more than that, they said, fraud detection would likely lock the card and you would lose all your points. And again, while it is not in the guidelines, common sense says don't bring it up if not offered, but there is no real reason not to use it if offered, except for the MSC's previous explantion that they suspected shoppers of using their card to rack up points inside without giving the clerks a fair chance to bring it up on their own. And, yes, it does show up on the receipts. And, you are right it is not in the guidelines. I haven't watched the full video. I have had clerks "helpfully" scan a rewards card during my purchase, and I have never been called out for it.

Having said all that, with EM you only get a penny's worth of points for each dollar spent, so with a $2 gas pourchase and $1 store purchase, you make 3 cents. At that rate it would be hard to rack up many points. I often find those cards frustrating to use when not on a shop, and I don't have many extra minutes to fool around making a couple of extra pennies when I am on a route.

I don't get many offers for rewards not at Shell and certainly not at Exxon Mobil. In any given quarter I give out two or three Shell rewards, and I've only ever given out one Exxon Mobil reward.

I've done several E/M shops with the reduced gas reimbursement (local ones - not too far from home - just to see how they are).
Anyway, since i saw no restriction in using the rewards card, I've used it on every "bon marché" $2 fuel purchase.
Surprisingly, the amount of rewards points is the same as the former $5 purchase - 3 points.

SMH

I can attest to the card being flagged for fraud. Mine was cut off and I lost all my points. I had at least $9.00 worth of gas on the points card and it could not be recovered and I was told I can never apply for a new one with my same email due to fraud. WTF, I will never use their card again. And yes, I used it more than once per day at that time.

I was told by an employee at an E/M location that employees have been fired for using a reward card multiple times during their shift “for customers.” That was about the time they put the limit on using a card or getting it flagged and deactivated.

At another gas station brand where I was not asked about being a rewards member, another person's full name and phone number was printed on my receipt. Maybe the cashier was stealing all the rewards for herself.

I think all but 2 shell stations have closed around me. There are still a few in some outlying areas but not worth driving to.

I had some fun tonight. One of the stations that I went to, the young man at the counter never said a word to me when I was in there making my purchase. He expected me to look at the total on the register and he never said anything I handed him the money and then I asked him for a receipt. When I came back in with the LOA he was hurrying up putting on his vest but he didn't have his name tag. The other young man stood at the counter and let me take pictures of his shirt with his name embroidered on his shirt. And then the two of them kept following me around and followed me into the restroom and followed me out to the pumps and kept asking if everything was okay. After about the fifth pump I asked them if they were going to continue harassing me. Then they had the audacity to ask if I would give them the reward letter anyway because the young man who was rude to me at the register was a trainee.

I really wish they weren't so adamant about us being there alone. I would have felt 100% safer my son was with me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2023 06:55AM by Morledzep.

Pretty sure the E/M guidelines stipulate you can't use the APP more than once per week to pay for gas. There is no problem, best I can tell, with using the rewards card each time I paid at the pump with my E/M credit card..

I ran into an issue when an editor denied my reimbursement because rewards info showed up on the gas receipt. Took some emails back and forth to clarify the language and get my $5.

Their current rewards program is a 10¢ per gallon discount. Especially with the lower reimbursement for the new program, that's a direct benefit. I don't think you get any points for gas purchases.

Definitely a no-no to use the rewards to earn or redeem points for the in-store purchase.

For some reason, I've never used the Shell Fuel Rewards thing, either at the pump, or in the store. As the shop covers 2 gallons, using rewards for a gas discount benefits the companies, not me.

I'm not a regular Shell customer, but I'm a frequent E/M customer. Maybe if there were more Shells around my immediate area I would work the rewards points harder.

@CoolMusic wrote:

Pretty sure the E/M guidelines stipulate you can't use the APP more than once per week to pay for gas. There is no problem, best I can tell, with using the rewards card each time I paid at the pump with my E/M credit card..
.

The latest guidelines describing how to perform are 3 pages long. In reviewing them over and over, I cannot find any stipulation regarding using the rewards card, inside or out.

In the earlier guidelines for 2023 it is specific:
Outside - Straighforward:
"Pay at the pump & get a receipt: Credit, debit or Exxon Mobil Rewards+ App.
• Pre-pay if needed and get reprint of your receipt if it doesn’t print. Do not use the Rewards App more
than one time per week."
Inside - A Blurb:
"Listen for a mention of
ExxonMobil Rewards+
or Smart card; or
mentioned “Loyalty or
Rewards” in generic
terms.
Do not reveal that you are
an ExxonMobil Rewards+
member or use your
loyalty card during the
transaction."

I have always used my FRN card at Shell shops.