Sheetz Offers Customers Convenience to Pump First

New Program Gives Freedom to Pump Before Paying While Decreasing Risk of Gasoline Theft

ALTOONA, Pa., June 23 -- Beginning today, Sheetz will introduce its new Pump First card in the Hagerstown/Fredrick/Martinsburg area. Now, if you want to pay by cash or check for gasoline, you can start the pump yourself! With gasoline prices rising and market conditions leading more gasoline retailers to require cash customers to pay before pumping, Sheetz is pleased to introduce a new card that allows their cash customers to Pump First! With the swipe of a plastic card that is linked to a driver's license, cash paying customers can start the pumps themselves at these and many other Sheetz locations.

With a valid driver's license, customers can receive a free Pump First card at a designated Sheetz store. By swiping the Pump First card at the pump, customers maintain the freedom of filling up their gas tanks before going into the store to complete their shopping and paying for everything in one purchase.

The Pump First card is simply a method of identification associated to the customer's driver's license that activates a gasoline pump - it is not a credit card. Once the customer turns on the pump with their card, they simply fuel up and then go into the store to pay.

"The cost of gasoline continues to rise and unfortunately, so do the resulting drive-offs by a few dishonest individuals. Our increasing losses from these individuals who do not pay have forced us to go to pre-pay as a solution to control theft. While this change will help relieve the pressure of gasoline theft, we also know that it could cause loyal, honest customers to feel unjustly penalized." states Louis Sheetz, executive vice president of marketing, Sheetz, Inc.

"We are pleased that we don't have to inconvenience our loyal customers. Pump First offers a solution to help us control gasoline theft and still maintain a high level of convenience for our customers," says Sheetz. "Future plans include adding other benefits for our Pump First customers, including exclusive coupon offers and even reward programs."

Sheetz is also announcing today that its convenience stores will convert all of its stores in the Hagerstown, Fredrick, MD, and Martinsburg, WV areas to pre-payment for gasoline, which will require customers to pay for their gasoline before pumping it into their tanks. The introduction of Pump First technology allows the company to require pre-pay for gasoline AND gives on- the-go customers the convenience of starting the gasoline pumps themselves. If someone uses the card to turn on a pump and then drives away without paying, Sheetz can quickly identify the card and deactivate it.

Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America's fastest growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains, with more than $3.9 billion in revenue for 2007 and more than 11,000 employees. The company operates 350 convenience locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of MTO(R) subs, sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. Sheetz currently ranks 98th on the Forbes list of largest private companies and has received awards in both Ohio and Pennsylvania for being named among their Best Places to Work in 2007. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.