App loyalty for keen coffee connoiseurs

The days of keeping - or losing - heaps of coffee loyalty cards in wallets and pockets are gone, says Hamilton-based, civil engineer-turned-coffee maestro Hendrik van Blerk.

With technology developed by Hendrik and his team at smartcoffeecard, keeping a record of client loyalty is quick, easy and simple.

There are plans to take the technology New Zealand-wide.

All loyalty cards can be stored in patrons' telephones. They will register patronage, alert the user to benefits and renew cards when they have been filled. No more missing out on loyalty rewards through lost or misplaced cards.

All loyalty card users have to do is download the free app, for iphones or android, go to their favourite coffee outlet or café and ask if they are using smartcoffeecard. Each café has a unique Q code.

Café and coffee outlets get benefits too. Smart card users are listed on the host website with details and a map - including featuring the type of beans the café uses and has a link to the roaster's website.

Other benefits make the system a means of communication with clients through a database.

Hendrik says digital loyalty programmes are on the rise and punch cards are definitely on the way out.

He says the new digital technology is a win-win.

Predictions are that the next wave of loyalty programmes for small businesses will leverage customer databases to customise rewards.