Building a Unified Payments Estate: From Fragmented Forecourts to Connected Experiences.

Fuel and convenience retail is one of the most complex in-person payment environments in the world - for consumers, the experience hasn’t changed in decades.

In this episode of The Fragmented Forecourt, we’re joined by Chris Dickey, a payments and commerce expert, alongside Victor Padee, to unpack why fragmentation has become the accepted norm in fuel retail - and the real cost of maintaining it.

Together, we explore:

• Why modernising the forecourt feels so risky (and why doing nothing is riskier)
• The hidden operational, innovation, and customer-experience costs of fragmented payment estates
• Why up to 60% of fuel visits remain unidentified - despite heavy investment in loyalty
• Where fuel retailers should actually start if they want to move toward a unified, orchestrated payments model
• How customer identification, data connectivity, and orchestration unlock loyalty, personalisation, and competitive advantage
• What a fully connected forecourt could look like in five years - and the role payments play in getting there

Rather than chasing a “perfect future state,” this episode focuses on practical, achievable steps fuel and convenience retailers can take today to reduce friction, regain control, and start delivering experiences customers actually notice.

If you’re responsible for payments, digital transformation, loyalty, or customer experience in fuel and convenience retail - this episode is your starting point.