Pony Express, a Nebraska-based convenience retailer, has launched a new rewards app that gives customers points-based rewards, fuel savings and daily games.

The retailer built its digital presence on the platform of Liquid Barcode, a provider of digital engagement technology for convenience stores, according to CStore Dive.

The app's loyalty program awards points to shoppers for their purchases. Customers can redeem accumulated points for rewards. The app also ties loyalty engagement to the fuel pump, delivering savings on gasoline — a core purchase driver for convenience store customers.

A daily games feature rounds out the app's engagement toolkit. The games give shoppers a recurring reason to open the app between store visits, a mechanism loyalty vendors have promoted as a way to keep brands top of mind.

For Pony Express, the launch marks a step in building a direct digital relationship with shoppers. For convenience retailers of its size, a branded app with points, fuel discounts and gamification compresses the engagement tools used by national chains into a single platform.

The deployment also reflects the role of vendors such as Liquid Barcode in making loyalty technology accessible to regional and independent operators. Retailers can launch points programs, fuel savings and daily games without building the underlying technology themselves.

As convenience chains compete on experience rather than location alone, expect more regional operators to follow Pony Express in pairing rewards with daily digital engagement.