German loyalty program provider PAYBACK is offering users the option to access their digital PAYBACK coupons via Apple’s Passbook. More than 20 million customers use PAYBACK and adding support for Passbook marks the next milestone of the company’s multichannel strategy.
PAYBACK spokesperson Nina Purtscher told Loyalty 360 that the partnership with Passbook is mutually beneficial, which makes managing and accessing mobile coupons easier.
When a customer activates mobile coupons using the PAYBACK mobile app, Purtscher said, an "add to Passbook" icon appears and users can add the coupon to their Passbook folder with one simple click. Through Passbook, consumers can activate location-based services such as when the user is near a PAYBACK partner branch, a notification will be displayed on the screen.
Purtscher said fully synchronized coupons over all PAYBACK communication channels - offline, online, mobile – launched in June 2012: A total of 5.2 billion coupons (print and digital) were available in 2012 and there were 1.2 million downloads of the PAYBACK mobile app. The integration with Passbook launched March 25, 2013.
Purtscher said 50% of PAYBACK’s digital coupon users didn’t use coupons before, adding, “mobile couponing and retail are now getting more and more connected.” Up to 60% of PAYBACK customers redeem digital coupons, she added. Nearly two PAYBACK coupons are being activated every second.
“If you have a look at the Passbook app, you will see that we are the first app in the ranking,” Purtscher said, followed by Lufthansa, and Air Berlin.
Purtscher said the biggest attraction of the PAYBACK-Passbook integration is convenience.
“You don't have to think about carrying your paper coupons with you, and you even get informed on your display when you are near a partner branch,” Purtscher said.
Passbook is a new feature of Apple’s iOS mobile platform that collects things like coupons and boarding passes into an easy-to-use interface on phones or iPod. The app aims to replace paper tickets or plastic gift cards that otherwise would be filling up a user’s wallet.