Card linking technology enables members to easily and automatically use loyalty programmes.
UK consumers love loyalty cards with 76% carrying between 1 to 5 cards on them at all times.
However, 40% have said that carrying cards is an inconvenience, with 22% saying it often causes them to forget to use it.
Through card-linking, we create a hassle-free experience as users automatically gain their LUX points.
They can enjoy their meals without having to worry about scanning a QR code or showing a loyalty card - once their debit/credit card is linked, they’re tasked with one thing...to simply have a good time.
As card-linking is an important element to having the best LUX experience, discover everything you need to know about it below and how you could apply it to your company.
What is card-linking technology?
Card-linking technology removes the need for any form of loyalty card and requires no further actions to be taken after the card has been linked (other than to redeem a reward, but that's the fun part!)
When a user links their card, they give their permission for LUX to gain personal data on how they spend their money, and in return, users gain personalised experiences and offers which keeps them engaged and incentivised.
LUX can then build up this data to continue creating and pushing offers to customers in a targeted and strategic way. The more data we gain, the more personalised offers can become.
As 75% of customers are happy to share personal data for personalised rewards and offers in return, card-linking is a perfect route for LUX, and many other companies to use.
How does it work?
With card linking technology, LUX members simply have to dine at one of our venues to gain their points automatically. Points will continue to be gained until the card expires or is removed.
If email and push notifications are turned on, then customers will receive a message with how many points they’ve earned.
To be able to deliver this seamless customer experience, we partnered with Fidel.
Fidel enables us to skip the step of working directly with card companies to gather data (which can be expensive) and provides us with it securely, in real-time.
The card payment data Fidel collects consists of:
Online & offline tracking information
Transaction amount, date and time
Merchant location
Payment method, network, currency, and status
Card-linking provides another stream to source data, enabling LUX to create targeted ads and offers which incentivises users to continue dining at LUX venues and drives our Lifetime Value.
In 2019, more than half of UK payments were made with debit and credit cards, with cash payments decreasing and card-linked transactions increasing.
44% of companies partaking in a survey by Cardlinx saw their card-linked transactions grow over 100% in 2019, showing the disruptive potential card-linking technology has to reward systems currently offered.
Is card-linking secure?
To put it simply, card-linking is incredibly safe for many reasons.
LUX doesn’t store card details, never charges a customer’s card, and doesn't have access to customers’ bank accounts. Fidel who are PCI compliant, stores and transmits the data.
We don’t ask customers for their CVV so it’s not actually possible for their cards to be charged.
Visa, Mastercard and American Express send their data to our card-linking provider who then shares it with us - this is the only route the data takes.
As we only get data from transactions at LUX venues, we don’t have access and cannot see our customers' other transactions or financial information.
As mentioned before, the only data Fidel provides us with is:
Online & offline tracking information
Transaction amount, date and time
Merchant location
Payment method, network, currency, and status
And with this data, we retarget our customers with precision, allowing us to make the customer journey experience a million times better.
Why card-linking technology increases customer loyalty
If you’re looking to increase customer retention by building a customer rewards programme, card-linking is a great method to look into as 67% of shoppers said they would change their spending habits to make use of loyalty rewards.
Fortunately. LUX is a premium points rewards scheme, making card-linking a perfect addition to our current customer retention methods.
Customer loyalty is crucial to a flourishing business, with the top 10% of loyal customers spending 300% more than the bottom 90%. To add to this shocking truth, winning new customers cost 5 times more than it does to retain one.
Card linking helps your business thrive with loyal customers as it removes all forms of friction.
By creating a smoother, seamless user experience, customers are more likely to use your loyalty scheme. Remember what I said at the start? 40% of UK consumers find carrying loyalty cards to be an inconvenience.
On top of that, 31% find that rewards and offers aren’t personalised enough.
Card-linking removes the need to scan receipts, rely on QR codes or loyalty cards by linking payment cards to loyalty programmes. Customers simply sit back and enjoy their experience whilst knowing the work is being done for them - handy, right?
With targeted rewards and offers being applied automatically, customer satisfaction increases, and with transactions appearing in real-time, LUX is able to interact and engage with customers with the right offers, at the right time.
Due to the seamless user experience and personalised offers and rewards, customers are more likely to be hooked in, which creates a sea of loyal customers.
If you're interested in knowing more about LUX or card-linking, please email james@luxrewards.co.uk