Excentus, a provider of loyalty marketing and technology services, announced Tuesday (Oct. 18) that it and Verifone, a player in payments and commerce solutions, have developed a solution to enable merchants using Verifone Commander Site Controller to offer their customers an electronic punch card loyalty program.
In a press release, the companies said it will work with a simple-to-use mobile application for Apple iOS and Android operating systems as part of the standard Commander offering. Most merchants today use paper punch card loyalty programs that are rife with fraud and abuse and offer limited customer uptake. With this solution, Excentus Corporation and Verifone will provide an affordable, easy-to-manage and secure loyalty application for the petro and convenience retail industry.
Excentus said it will host a portal for merchants to join and create a digital punch card program. The program would then be available through a mobile app consumers can download to their smartphone, enabling simple, convenient access to punch cards.
“Convenience retailers are facing increased competition from drug stores, dollar stores, quick-serve restaurants and coffee shops, which is why enhanced digital marketing and loyalty programs are critical to the future of the convenience retail channel,” said Brandon Logsdon, CEO of Excentus, in the press release. “Through our relationship with Verifone, we will provide retailers, who have not had a low-cost digital marketing and loyalty solution until now, with a robust mobile and omnichannel marketing feature that will help them grow their business.”
Available to convenience retailers starting early 2017, basic punch card loyalty functionalities will be included on all Commander Site Controller and RubyCi installations. Feature upgrades will be available, as well as a “white-label” version of the mobile app, for retailers that want to lead with their brand.
“Our vision is to enhance experiences for consumers and merchants whenever they are interacting with our products,” said Dan Yienger, SVP and general manager of Verifone’s global petroleum business, in the press release. “With an industry leader like Excentus as our partner, we can offer added value that’s meaningful to convenience stores and gas stations.”