The mention of a grocery store loyalty program might conjure thoughts of cost-conscious shoppers toting membership cards that entitle them to discounts on mundane household items like toilet paper.
But in 2003, Giant Eagle—a supermarket chain in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland—teamed up with Irving, Texas-based technology firm Excentus Corp. to create “fuelperks,” a rewards program that allows customers to earn discounts on gasoline.
Today, Excentus specializes in fuel-site marketing programs....