Wawa rolls out mobile app, rewards program

Wawa customers can now earn rewards for buying hoagies, coffee and snacks.

The company has launched a mobile app and rewards program that lets hungry consumers use their phones to make purchases and get rewards for their spending at the popular convenience store chain.

Here's how the program, called Wawa Rewards, works:

Customers create accounts through the app or Wawa's website. In order to earn rewards, users need to register a gift card to the account and use that card to make purchases.

After spending $50 on eligible items using a registered gift card, customers will earn a reward. The terms of the rewards program say users will have their choice of three different rewards, which will vary from customer to customer.

Not all items, however, count toward the rewards spending. Gas purchases don't count. Other items that can't be used include milk, tobacco and gift cards, according to the program's terms.

Up to five gift cards can be linked to an account, and eligible purchases from all associated cards will be totaled to reach the threshold to earn rewards.

After reaching the $50 mark, customers will have 30 days to pick their reward and redeem it at any Wawa store.

Wawa said all of its 680 stores began accepting payments through the app, which is available on both iOS and Android phones, this month.

The company has also recently begun promoting the program, sending out a promotional message, with the subject line proclaiming, "Wawa Rewards is here!" to people on its email-offers listserv this week.

A pilot program had been launched last year, according to Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce.

She said in an email that the app and program have a "solid base," but the company would "continue to talk with customers about ways in which we can help make their lives easier and deepen our customer connections."

The app has several tools for Wawa fans.

Customers can use the app to pay with one of their preloaded gift cards. People can also reload the cards and check their card and reward balances.

The app also lets users find Wawa store locations, check fuel prices and look up nutrition information.

"Part of our commitment to fulfilling customers' lives every day, includes connecting with customers at deeper levels, and we are thrilled to provide new meaningful and time-saving technologies that will help us create the added convenience and connection points our customers desire," Chris Gheysens, Wawa's president and chief executive, said in a statement.

Early reviews for the product in Apple's App Store and Google Play have been mixed.

Users have praised the app's store-locator feature and ability to link cards.

But others complained about needing to enter a password each time they opened the app and having to use a gift card to earn rewards.