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Posted By

Aaron Mireles

PODCAST HOUSTON FINTECH STARTUP TAPS INTO NEW TECH TO MODERNIZE 'DAILY JOURNEYS'

Before Don Frieden started his company, gas stations hadn’t innovated their payment technology
since 1997. He knew that needed to change.

Original Post | Innovationmap

Before Don Frieden started his company, gas stations hadn't innovated their payment technology since 1997. He knew that needed to change.

P97, founded in 2012, exists to use innovative technologies to simplify and energize daily journeys, Frieden explains on the Houston Innovators Podcast.

The fast-growing company — which has nearly 200 employees, most of whom work from Houston — has raised over $100 million in venture funding, according to Crunchbase, most recently closing a $40 million series C round earlier this year. This funding has supported P97 as its expanded its technology, even expanding outside of gas station payments and into other sectors, like consumer packaged goods, mobile app development, and alternative fuel sources.

Part of what P97 is focused on too is adapting new technologies, including biometrics, and applying them to the payments world. Voice-enabled payments is something in particular that Frieden is working on.

"One of the things we’re most excited about is voice enable payments through our partnership with Amazon's Alexa," he explains. "The landscape of payments at gas stations underwent this next revolution, and we're using cutting-edge speech recognition and artificial intelligence to allow drivers to pay for fuel just using their voice.

"It makes the process faster and more efficient, and is completely hands-free," he continues, explaining that biometrics are also safer compared to card transactions. "From this time I say, 'Alexa, buy gas,' six seconds later, the gas would be turned on and any loyalty rewards I have would be applied, all from the comfort of my car."

Frieden shares more about the future of P97, payments, and the energy industry as it intersects with P97 — including the future of alternative fuels — on the podcast. Listen to the interview below — or wherever you stream your podcasts — and subscribe for weekly episodes.

Phillips 66 is kicking off the launch of their mobile commerce program at the Big 12 basketball tournament this year. Powered by PetroZone, the My Phillips App provides customers with the unparalleled convenience of paying for gas at the pump and in store directly from their mobile device, while offering exclusive deals and promotions to customers through Kickback Points.

The My Phillips App launched the first week of March in Kansas City as part of their Live to the Full Heroes campaign, inspiring individuals to go above and beyond to help those in need. To honor their long-running partnership with the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship, Phillips 66 is expanding their sponsorship to give $6,600 to three Kansas City residents who have lent a helping hand in the basketball community.

PetroZone is proud to partner with retail fueling industry leaders to revolutionize the way consumers pay for gas. By connecting leading oil companies and convenience stores with existing apps, mobile payment solutions, loyalty programs, digital marketing services, location services, and point of sale systems to provide the optimal experience to consumers.

PetroZone’s white label technology allows app users to pay securely and directly from a mobile device, take advantage of special deals and promotions with loyalty programs, and find nearby fueling stations with location services in a uniquely customizable way.

Download the My Phillips App to find a store near you and experience firsthand the ease and convenience of mobile payments in retail fueling.

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