Loyalty programs

Loyalty programs based on registration of purchases with chip cards are a popular mechanism to build long lasting relations with customers. An advanced IT system enables the introduction of many mechanisms supporting the raise of the sales:

• Central sales monitoring
• Advanced mechanisms of discounts dependent on the amount of sales- percentage or amount discounts
• Defining promotional programs
• Joint transactions settling and monthly generating of invoices
• Service of cooperating companies during the realization of joint loyalty programs

Case Study – Fleet program for gas stations

Our experience in building loyalty programs includes creation of the central system for a chain of a gas stations. Architecture of the solution is based on the double validation of transactions. Transactions information is transferred to the central system in double-track: straight from the station and through the clearing centre. Conformity of both guarantees a high security of data.

Liable data is the base for sales analysis and flexible loyalty programs controlling. In this kind of systems not only the discount values can be set, but also methods of their calculation. In the fuel selling chains selling there are three kinds of discounts:

• Percentage discount- a percent of the sales volume
• Amount discount- a fixed amount subtracted from every litre of purchased fuel
• Fixed margin–a fixed margin added to the wholesale price of gasoline inserted to the system as a batch.

A huge advantage of settlements registered by the means of cards (cash or noncash) is the possibility to issue summary invoices at the end of the month. Invoices supplemented with enclosures with the lists of tanking ups, drivers, cars and CC codes allow to closely monitor the usage of fuel in the company.

Added value is the ability of mutual settlements of programs between the partners. Such cooperation may involve collecting points on one card regardless of the place where transaction took place (it can be a either the card issuer or the partner branch). Such joint programs are used in Poland among others by such companies as Plus and Orlen, BP and CitiBank as well as Plus and CitiBank.