Customer loyalty can be hard to earn and even harder to hang on to, especially when consumers are still leery about the economy. Loyalty programs, special promotions and other offers help you communicate with customers on a more direct level, but instituting mobile payments may be a key factor in getting patrons to come back again and again.

“When businesses make mobile payments easy for their customers, they’ll be able to accept payment at any time, from anyone who wants to buy,” said Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse.

Given people’s payment preferences, Mr. Helgeson is correct. One survey reports that 44 percent of payments are completed via credit cards, but 20 percent of people believe that digital payments will become their first choice in the next three years.

Using mobile payments and a solid CRM or loyalty program, stores and restaurants can offer customized discounts and special promotions tailored for their patrons’ habits.  If a customer comes in every day for a salad, offering them a digital coupon for a dessert or beverage will boost your bottom line and keep patrons coming back to try new things.

Likewise, a sophisticated loyalty program can help build repeat business. If a customer comes into your store and buys two bottles of shampoo and earns points in your loyalty program, you could run a special where that person has the opportunity to earn more points when they buy extra bottles or a combination of products. These extra earning opportunities will help drive traffic back to your store when it’s time to restock.

For more information about how you can use mobile payments or a loyalty program to build repeat business, please contact your pcAmerica sales representative at 1-800-722-6374.