Six Months In, Mobile Games Drive Higher Rewards Participation for GasBuddy

GasBuddy, a PDI Technologies company, has long been a household name in the US and a go-to app for comparing fuel prices and saving money at the pump. With more than 100 million downloads and over $3.5 billion saved for its users, the brand’s success easily proves this point.

When it’s time to refuel, drivers return to the GasBuddy platform for their best-deal quest. This pattern has built a strong foundation for brand loyalty and also presented a clear opportunity for GasBuddy to create new value-earning opportunities for users in other parts of their daily routines.

Extending GasBuddy’s role in users’ daily lives meant finding new ways to save money and earn rewards throughout their everyday journeys. It raised a question: How could a utility-based platform expand beyond function to engage users and unlock new opportunities for savings?

GasBuddy’s vision is to create more engaging in-app experiences that deliver added savings value, providing users with effortless ways to save at and beyond the pump. In March 2025, the company launched GasBuddy Games, powered by an integration with adjoe’s mobile game hub Arcade. With GasBuddy Games, users gained access to tailored mobile game offers picked from adjoe’s extensive catalogue of popular mobile games; right inside the savings app. GasBuddy users play and earn GasBuddy Rewards points for completing simple objectives, redeeming them later for digital cards or gas discounts.

All rewards are fully funded by the advertising mobile game companies, which means GasBuddy didn’t need to cover these costs. This allowed the team to inject a significant number of GasBuddy Rewards points into users’ wallets from day one, fueling excitement and adoption while setting the program up for long-term growth.

Behind the scenes, adjoe’s recommendation engine ensures that every user sees games that match their interests and routines. A Gen-Z user looking to save on the bills for their first car won’t be served the same games as a Gen-X user planning their weekly errands and fuel stops. The result is an experience that feels relevant, enjoyable, and worth returning to.

For advertisers supplying the games, this opened a channel to a non-gaming audience deeply tied to GasBuddy’s cost-saving perks; bringing not just an exclusive, but a loyal and highly engaged user base every game marketer is looking to score.

GasBuddy Games has become a key driver of the brand’s engagement strategy, encouraging frequent interaction and delivering immediate savings. Users earn GasBuddy Rewards points by playing games, which can be redeemed for digital gift cards or gas savings, letting them stack even more savings at the pump.

On a global scale, GasBuddy is showing how loyalty programs can evolve to compete for attention with entertainment platforms, creating daily engagement loops where users return not just to save, but to stay connected to ongoing value. A world where loyalty programs could thrive and users earn unlimited benefits based on attention and interest rather than transactions.

By incorporating gaming into its loyalty strategy, GasBuddy took a step towards being the everyday savings companion for drivers. The Arcade integration created all-new value loops: users now enjoy new ways to save, games access premium audiences with innate motivation, and GasBuddy deepens relationships with its community while unlocking new revenue streams to invest in its mission.

Mobile gaming is one of the most popular pastimes globally. GasBuddy Games meets users where they already are – tapping into existing interests and motivations to encourage lasting loyalty.

Six months after launch, GasBuddy Games has become a habit for users. And another success story for PDI.

Repeat players now generate 60% of GasBuddy Games revenue, highlighting the feature’s strong engagement and retention power. By combining an opportunity for fun and added savings, GasBuddy and adjoe created a new way for users to engage with the brand daily.

Six months in, we can say that the appeal isn’t just out of curiosity. Seventy percent of users who downloaded a game through GasBuddy actually went on to play and earn points through this new fun way. Part of the success can be explained by game install data, which shows that GasBuddy Games caters to different player preferences: from puzzle and casual titles to midcore games.

By leveraging adjoe Arcade’s large, diverse game catalog, GasBuddy introduced users to a safe, high-quality entertainment environment while tapping into titles that appeal to every demographic. This not only enriches the user experience but also strengthens the profitability and reach of the Rewards program.

The GasBuddy app is now on its way to becoming a daily destination, providing users with savings both at and beyond the pump. For GasBuddy, this means deeper engagement, stronger loyalty, and an entirely new revenue channel built on trust.

For users, GasBuddy Games is a way to earn and benefit from quality entertainment. They are playing, earning, and redeeming rewards that don’t cost them a single cent. The games, too, are reaping the benefits. The platform delivers a high-quality audience of engaged players who return regularly and spend time in games. 

This case, which sets the foundation for the next phase of GasBuddy’s loyalty expansion, proves that loyalty can extend into everyday life through experiences people choose voluntarily because they enjoy them.

More importantly, GasBuddy and adjoe are extending the GasBuddy mission, to make everyday life less expensive. And doing it in a way that people enjoy and return to every day.

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