ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a leading global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions, today announced it has joined the Fuels Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to evaluating issues affecting the vehicles and fuels markets. The Fuels Institute was founded by NACS, the leading global trade association dedicated to advancing convenience and fuel retailing.

ACI has also become part of the Institute’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Council. As the U.S. sees greater EV adoption, the EV Council is helping all participants in this ecosystem prepare for the surge in electric fuel.

ACI serves some of the country’s largest and most innovative fuel and convenience merchants, which utilize ACI Omni-Commerce, a secure, flexible omni-channel payments solution that allows them to enable new consumer journeys and payment experiences, while controlling costs and improving security.

“We are excited to welcome a global payments leader like ACI to the Fuels Institute,” said John Eichberger, executive director, Fuels Institute. “As EV infrastructure expands and hundreds of thousands of EV charging stations expect to deploy across the country, payments are a critically important factor for retailers, and organizations like ACI will help ready the industry for this evolution.”

“ACI delivers merchants a hassle-free fueling and convenience experience with instant, secure in-store, mobile and pay-at-the-pump payment options,” said Debbie Guerra, executive vice president, ACI Worldwide. “As the EV market continues its rapid ascent, merchants will see greater opportunities for growth in the form of additional consumer purchases. We have a long and successful track record serving the fuel industry, and we look forward to joining the Fuels Institute—alongside many of our customers and partners—contributing our insights and expertise.”

While there is growing demand, mass EV adoption will occur as advancements in capacity and infrastructure are made.

• Drivers require a network of convenient quick-charge stations, and while there are approximately 41,400 EV charging stations in the U.S., less than 5,000 are quick-charge stations (Department of Energy).
• The presidential administration is prioritizing a national EV charging network, promising to have at least 500,000 devices installed across the U.S. by 2030. Many fuel and convenience merchants have plans in place to be part of this network, already installing charging stations in early adoption areas. Recently, 7-Eleven announced plans to install 500 EV charging ports at 250 locations by the end of 2022.
• Seven percent of U.S. adults indicated they currently drive an EV or hybrid vehicle, and thirty-nine percent said they were at least somewhat likely to purchase an EV for their next car (Pew Research Center survey).

For additional insights into solutions and strategies for fuel and convenience merchants, please read our latest research paper: https://go.aciworldwide.com/MercatorPaper.html.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide is a global software company that provides mission-critical real-time payment solutions to corporations. Customers use our proven, scalable and secure solutions to process and manage digital payments, enable omni-commerce payments, present and process bill payments, and manage fraud and risk. We combine our global footprint with local presence to drive the real-time digital transformation of payments and commerce.

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