Reward Your Customers: 9 Loyalty Platforms For Booming Businesses
Already on the mobile payment system bandwagon? So are thousands of other businesses out there. What’s a business owner to do to get new customers and keep existing ones coming back for more? Well, there are plenty of loyalty and reward systems out there that can help you expand your customer database. By rewarding them for staying loyal to your business, you give them a good reason to come back to yours every single time.
But we are not talking about punchcards here, we’re talking about smart apps that deliver offers and deals straight to your customers, programs that collect customer data and can tell you what your customers ordered, tested and bought, as well as when they last came in or redeemed an offer.
In this last post of the mobile payment system series, we will look at some of the creative concepts offfered by these apps and platforms to help businesses retain customers.
Recommended Reading: 15 Mobile Billing Systems For E-Commerce
1. Pirq
They will be treated to special rewards or discounts off the total bill at restaurants, beauty, retail and service outlets. Patrons who do not use smartphones can send an SMS to redeem deals as well.
For businesses:
Merchants will be able to track customer preferences and traffic in real-time to figure out when their peak and off-peak periods are, and what rewards their customers are interested in. The system also does not allow users to reserve an offer that they have no intention of redeeming so merchants can reach more active clients and customers without being swamped by overwhelming demand.
2. RewardJunkie!
Like to frequent restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs? Why not get rewarded for your patronage? You can claim special offers, discounts and rewards if you frequent a place that uses rewardJunkie!.
New users are treated to Welcome treats (worth hundreds!) that they can redeem with their smartphone. Users can link a credit card into the app and scan a unique QR code at the shop counter to make their purchases. These in-store purchases give them points that will help them unlock more treats that they can redeem.
For businesses:
Business owners can try out rewardjunkie! at $50 per month for three months but then will have to adopt one of three pricing options. In return they get reports, customer data and analytics, targeted campaigns straight to their customers’ phones, and email support.
3. LevelUp
Levelling up is a normal action in games but we can actually use the same concept in real-life shopping too. With LevelUp in their iPhone or Android phone, customers can scan QR codes at their favorite shops to eventually unlock special savings, if they go back often enough.
Apart from that, there is no need to carry around loyalty cards that are brand-specific, or cash for that matter. You can pay for your purchases straight from your smartphone.
For businesses:
LevelUp charges 0% processing fee but if it is acquiring new and returning customers you want, then you might want to invest in their loyalty campaigns. Using customer analytics of purchases and visits, LevelUp can help you build a robust clientele for your business for a fee.
4. Key Ring
Want the best offers and coupons sent straight to your smartphone? Then Key Ring is the app to get. Users can scan all their loyalty and rewards cards into their smartphone and when it comes time to use their cards, the app displays the barcode for scanning.
They can also pick from an array of loyalty programs to sign up for straight from within the app. Key Ring is probably the only one for now to have apps for not only iPhone and Android phones, but also BlackBerry and Windows phones.
For businesses:
On top of analytics reports, with Key Ring, business owners can customize their own offer campaigns in the form of surveys, discounts or sweepstakes, send special one-time redemption offers for special dates like anniversaries and birthdays to selected customers. They can also set redemption limits to service their customers better and not be overwhelmed by demand.
5. buzztable
The problem most diners have with the best restaurants is the horrible queue they have to brave before they can get a seat and a bite to eat. Buzztable makes the waiting more bearable – by letting the customers view top dishes from the menu, see the progress of the queue, and let them decide whether to stay and wait or cancel the reservation.
Frequent customers are rewarded with VIP status and may receive incentives and treats in return. They also get a direct channel to voice their appreciation or complaints to management.
For businesses:
Owners with a booming dining business will love the customer retention ability of this app as well as the table assignment feature, which lets them seat more customers faster and more efficiently. The system will also automatically send new offers, loyalty rewards and birthday perks to returning guests via their smartphone or email.
6. DeelioZ
DeelioZ is a loyalty rewards program app that lets you collect points, which you can use to redeem rewards from participating outlets. New users start off with 100 points. They earn another 100 for checking into a location and 200 points when they get a friend to download the app and check into a location as well.
To redeem rewards, customers need a four-pin confirmation code, which they can get from employees of the service, brand or product. Plus, Deelioz users get extra points on their birthday.
For businesses:
With Deelioz, it is easy to start a rewards program and inform customers about upcoming offers and events. The service also adds a personal touch to the business-client relationship via personalized birthday messages and customized rewards. Business owners can also refer other businesses to try our DeelioZ, getting DeelioZ dollars which they can use to redeem advertising opportunities and solutions.
7. Perka
This is how Perka works: you check in at the location, make a purchase, say your name, and you get a stamp; get enough stamps and you will be promoted from a regular all the way to VIP status. The higher up the loyalty ladder you go, the more special perks you can unlock. That’s it. On a side note, your server is bound to remember your name every time you visit the store.
For businesses:
Perka gives customers a direct line to give business owners their feedback via the app. Have customers who don’t have iOS or Android yet? Perka also works via text. There are two pricing plans to choose from: one lets customers earn offers per purchase and the other lets the earn points as per dollar spent at your store. Thus, you are rewarding only paying customers.
8. ERPLY
ERPLY is a Paypal POS (Point-of-Sale) solution for merchants but it also improves a better shopping experience for consumers. With the PayPal app, buyers can scout for stores (for instance, boutique shops) nearby that use the system. Checking in at the location before they arrive alerts the store owner to expect your arrival.
In the meantime, they can in customers paypull up your past purchases to make helpful suggestions that fit for your personal tastes. At the checkout counter, checked in customers pay from their Pay Pal account authenticated by facial recognition by the cashier. Receipts can then be emailed to the customer.
For Businesses:
The facial recognition helps cut down fraud cases and nothing says best customer service better than to know exactly what your customer wants. It is also possibe to build incentives and release coupons that cater to their needs and wants based on their purchase history. During busy days, employees can check the system to know who is still in the store and who has left to better manage the staff and available customers.
9. Belly
Already have Passbook? Then, Belly is going to be a great addition. As you enter a location, give the location’s iPad a scan of your loyalty BellyCard or mobile app (on your iPhone or Android smartphone). You will get points in return, which you can use for redeeming rewards that you actually want.
For businesses:
To get started with Belly, business owners pay a monthly minimum of $79/mth which will get them 300 loyalty cards, and an Apple iPad among other benefits. Add another $20 to that and they can have unlimited numbers of loyalty cards plus marketing campaigns and materials to help their business flourish.
Other Worthy Mentions
Here are 5 other platforms and loyalty app programs that can give your business some leverage.
SpotOn
SpotOn lets customers collect Spots for checking in and purchases they make. The Spots can be saved up to redeem bigger rewards or greater savings. Spreading the word about a new business on SpotOn also get users extra rewards. Like Belly, SpotOn also gives merchants a tablet and unlimited loyalty cards to get them started.
MintM
MintM is actually a shopping and reward app (and also a digital wallet) for use in India. Points are called Mints, and collected Mints will be coverted to coupons and gift cards. You get points for checking in locations and for referring friends to the app.
Punchcard
Make purchases, then with the Punchcard app, take a photo of your receipt to receive a stamp. Once you’ve collected enough stamps, you can redeem rewards at participating stores. They are pretty strict with the receipts and scan qualities but Punchcard is already at tons of stores.
Shopkick
Get Kicks out of checking into shops, buying selected items and even just for looking at hot deals up for grabs. Shopkick rewards you for doing what you already do best, shopping and giving yourself awesome treats.
stiQRd
It’s Stickered but with a QR embedded in there – stiQRd banks on QR Codes to get their loyalty program running. Customers go into a shop, scans a QR code provided there and gets rewarded for it if they do it often enough.
