GasBuddy

GasBuddy is a tech company based in Boston[1] that operates apps and websites based on finding real-time fuel prices at more than 140,000 gas stations in the United States, Canada, and Australia.[2] They also sell software products to convenience store owners via their B2B initiatives (formerly known OpenStore).[3]

GasBuddy
TypePrivately held company
FoundedJune 11, 2000 (June 11, 2000)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
FoundersDustin Coupal
Jason Toews
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Area served
United States, Canada, and Australia
ParentUnited Communications Group (UCG)
Websitehttps://gasbuddy.com/

The GasBuddy app is a GPS-based application program for smartphones and tablets which provides prices of nearby gas stations from user-submitted data, as well as through partnerships with other companies and directly from station operators.[4] The app has Android, BlackBerry 10, and iOS versions.[5]

The app also includes GasBuddy's partnerships with Wex (called "Pay with Gasbuddy")[6][7] and ParkWhiz for parking.[8]

History

Childhood friends Dustin Coupal (an optometrist) and Jason Toews (a computer programmer from Saskatchewan) founded GasBuddy in June 2000 in Minneapolis.[9][10] Toews and Coupal launched the collection of GasBuddy websites as a way for consumers to share gas-pricing information. They filed as a Minnesota for-profit corporation in April 2004 as GasBuddy Organization Inc.[11]

In 2009, GasBuddy launched OpenStore with its first convenience store partner, Rutter's, by building the Rutter's app and supporting digital marketing efforts through its custom platform.[12]

Towards the end of 2010, GasBuddy launched its own set of apps that allowed users to input prices via their smartphones.[13]

In March 2013, UCG, a privately held, business-to-business company headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, announced that Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) had acquired GasBuddy.[14] OPIS is a UCG subsidiary established in 1977 as the Oil Express Newsletter and specializing in worldwide petroleum pricing and news for businesses.[15]

On February 10, 2016, IHS acquired OPIS, separating from GasBuddy, which remained with UCG as a subsidiary company.[16]

Initially only available in the United States and Canada, GasBuddy launched in Australia in March 2016.[17]

On September 12, 2016, GasBuddy released a completely redesigned app available for iOS and Android devices, the first major redesign of the app since its release in 2010. GasBuddy also unveiled a new logo and launched GasBuddy Business Pages.

On August 28, 2017, GasBuddy launched a gas savings program, Pay with GasBuddy, that lets consumers save at gas stations in the United States.[18]

Overview

GasBuddy operates an app and websites for the public to report and see prices of motor fuel in the United States, Canada, and Australia.[19][20][21] Users report motor fuel prices in their area, which is made available to other visitors. Each entry is timestamped.[20] Data on the website and in app is provided by spotters, stations, and relationships with credit card companies.[22]

Registered GasBuddy members are encouraged to input gas price data, with the incentive to earn points that allow them to obtain electronic tickets for entry towards a daily drawing for a $100 prepaid gas card.[23]

Its website offers additional features such as a fuel log book, which allows users to record fuel purchases, odometer miles, and fuel usage.[24]

References
  1. GasBuddy. "GasBuddy Announces Executive Team and Boston Office". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  2. "About Us". GasBuddy. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  3. "GasBuddy Business Pages". GasBuddy. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  4. "Who/What is GB_Direct?". GasBuddy Help Center. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  5. "GasBuddy Mobile Apps". GasBuddy. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  6. "GasBuddy Introduces Gas Savings Program". Convenience Store News. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  7. Graham, Jefferson. "GasBuddy app vows to save 5 cents a gallon with new feature". USA TODAY. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  8. Lewis, Jackson. "GasBuddy Launches Parking Tool". CSP Daily News. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  9. Dawes, Terry (July 18, 2014). "Prairie Empire: How GasBuddy Built a Big Data Mobile Tech Pioneer In Regina". Cantech Letter.
  10. Hofman, Mike (May 16, 2011). "Creating Apps to Fuel Growth". Inc. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  11. "GasBuddy Organization Inc". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 10, 2012.
  12. Negraval, Samantha (October 30, 2013). "The Year of the App, Part 1". Convenience Store News. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  13. "GasBuddy Turns 15!". GasBuddy Blog. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  14. "OPIS Acquires GasBuddy". UCG. March 1, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-12. Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) has acquired GasBuddy, the mobile app and website relied on by more than 26 million motorists to pinpoint the most comprehensive and accurate gasoline prices at service stations and convenience stores across the U.S. and Canada.
  15. "About OPIS". OPIS. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
  16. "IHS Completes Acquisition of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) | IHS Online Newsroom". press.ihs.com. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  17. "GasBuddy, the app which finds you the cheapest petrol launches in Australia today". Business Insider. March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  18. "GasBuddy Unveils First-of-its-Kind Gasoline Savings Program Giving US Drivers a Discount on Virtually Every Gallon of Gas They Will Ever Pump". GasBuddy. August 28, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  19. Monson, Kyle (August 25, 2008). "The Top 100 Classic Web Sites", PC Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  20. Hamilton, Anita (2008) "50 Best Websites 2008: GasBuddy", Time. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  21. "GasBuddy find cheap Gas in USA and Canada". theappzine.com.
  22. "GasBuddy.com Teams up with Pricelock to Add Fuel-Price Protection Option for Businesses". Business Wire. April 14, 2011.
  23. "Prize Give-Away Information - GasBuddy.com". www.gasbuddy.com. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  24. "Logbook Expense Records". Retrieved 2011-09-29.(registration required)
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