CUPERTINO, Calif. — Piston, the cardless payment network that connects commercial fleets and gas stations, is announcing fleets can now use Piston at 341 Jacksons Food Stores locations across multiple states in the western U.S.
“Every merchant partner makes our network more valuable to the fleets that rely on it,” said Vikram Sekhon, co-founder and CEO, Piston. “Jacksons has a strong presence across the West, and bringing hundreds of new locations onto Piston at once gives fleet operators more flexibility when planning routes. It also connects Jacksons directly with the commercial fuel demand on our network.”
All locations are live, giving fleets on Piston’s network more places to purchase fuel and creating a new avenue for Jacksons to grow commercial fuel volume.
Secure Payments
Piston allows drivers to authorize and pay for fuel purchases through secure mobile authorization, replacing the physical card entirely. Each transaction is tied to a specific driver and vehicle, giving fleet operators real-time visibility into their fuel spending. Also, by connecting directly to the point of sale, Piston has access to more data than a traditional open-loop network does, enabling its best-in-class fraud prevention. Further, by building a direct partnership with merchant partners, Piston is able to cut out 4 intermediaries, improving economics for both the fleets and the partners that accept Piston.
At Jacksons, Piston is now an additional method of payment available to participating fleets, alongside the payment options already offered at those locations.
Jacksons Food Stores
Founded in 1975 as a single service station in Caldwell, Idaho, Jacksons has grown into a family-owned convenience store operator with locations across eight western states, including Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, California, Montana and Utah. Its stores operate under the Jacksons Food Stores and ExtraMile by Jacksons brands.
“Commercial fueling is an important part of our business, and the way fleets pay is changing,” said Cory Jackson, president of Jacksons Food Stores. “Working with Piston helps us keep pace with that shift and makes Jacksons a practical stop for fleets using modern payment technology.”
Expanding Footprints
The Jacksons rollout comes as Piston is expanding its national footprint through partnerships with fuel retailers and convenience store operators.
“Over the past year, payment volume increased eightfold, and its merchant network grew 40 times,” Piston said. “Piston is now live at more than 3,000 fuel stations across 48 states, with point-of-sale integrations certified and live on systems representing more than 95% of U.S. merchant fuel sites.”
Piston also recently raised $15 million in Series A funding to support its next stage of growth. Led by FPV Ventures, with participation from existing investors Spark Capital and Pear VC, the round brought the company’s total funding to $22.5 million. Piston plans to use the capital to bring more fuel retailers onto its platform, refine its capabilities for fleets and retailers, and expand its team.
“The company’s newest AI tools include Piston Guard, which can flag or block suspected fraudulent purchases before they go through, and Piston Analytics Agent, which helps fleet operators identify patterns in their fuel spending,” Piston said.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
