UK card giant plans contactless loyalty scheme ??
UK card issuer Barclaycard plans to launch a new contactless card-based loyalty scheme.
The company said the scheme, to be launched in the next 12 months, would link its 11.7 million UK cardholders to the 89,000 retailers, ranging from nationwide chains to independent local stores, that use its card payment systems.
The move would see Barclaycard competing with Tesco’s Clubcard scheme and the Nectar multi-partner programme (of which Barclaycard was a partner until 2005). The card issuer says the emphasis of the scheme will be on convenience and use of the contactless card’s chip, with no need for members to have coupons or vouchers.
Cardholders would earn “immediate” reward amounts (calculated in pounds and pence rather than points) for spending money in shops which use Barclaycard’s payment systems, with people able to use them at the time they made a purchase or save them for future use.
Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclaycard commented: “I’ve always believed that we should launch a scheme which brings together the different parts of our business in the UK.
“I envisage shoppers getting rewarded at a vast range of our retailers, from a local store on the high street, to major chains, and from online shopping to a takeaway or restaurant, by simply making their usual purchases using their Barclaycard.”
Barclaycard has declined to give further details on how the scheme would work, but said retailers would also be able to target cardholders with specific offers.
Jenkins said: “We’ve all collected different rewards over the years in a wide range of schemes and, for most of us, we will only ever redeem a few of them – I have no desire to add to the point’s mountain.
“These rewards will be instantly gratifying and relevant, and often, very unique to the retailers in the scheme, and to that customer’s shopping patterns.”
He added that the scheme would look to leverage the different parts of its UK business. Shoppers would earn rewards by using their Braclaycard at a range of retailers such as e-shopping websites, takeaways and restaurants.
Earlier this month Barclaycard announced a strategic partnership with Telco Orange to develop and market contactless payment services using mobile phones. Jenkins predicts that all Barclaycard’s UK cardholders will be able to use their mobiles to pay for items within three years.