Safeway extended its Gas Rewards program this fall through a new partnership with Chevron Corp.Loyalty cardholders at the supermarket operator's Vons and Pavilions chains can now use their reward points to receive up to 20 cents off per gallon at roughly 900 participating Chevron- and Texaco-branded gas stations in Southern and Central California.Chief executive officer Steven Burd also alluded to a second, as yet unnamed fuel partner during a Goldman Sachs conference in September. "We recently finalized an agreement with a large branded partner [later announced as Chevron], and we're in advanced discussions with a second partner," Burd said, according to a report in Drug Store News. "Agreements with these two partners will take our fuel rewards program [from] about 23% of stores in the U.S. to about 93%," he said, adding that the fuel station network would grow from 343 (the gas stations Safeway owns in the U.S.) to more than 2,200.The program rewards cardholders with one point for each dollar spent on eligible grocery purchases and out-of-pocket pharmacy costs, as well as two points (or four during recurring promotional periods) for each dollar spent on qualifying gift cards. Every 100 points garners a 10-cents-per-gallon discount on a single fill-up, which cardholders redeem by swiping their cards (or entering their phone numbers) at the pump before fueling up. Discounts at Safeway-owned gas stations are capped at $1 to $2 off per gallon, depending on the state.Marketing at the 264 Vons and Pavilions stores includes stanchion signs and aisle violators touting the program as "Now Even More Convenient." The stanchions distribute informational take-ones. Rotating carousel ads on the home pages of the two chains' websites link to an informational page. Regional radio spots and an Oct. 24 circular feature supported.The new partnership comes on the heels of a company-wide change to the Gas Rewards program that this summer eliminated a three-cent-per-gallon discount loyalty cardholders received at Safeway-owned gas stations (with no minimum purchase required).