POINTSITE BRINGS VISUALLY MUTABLE LOYALTY CARD TO CANADA
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Pointsite Inc. has become the Canadian distributor of a new type of loyalty and gift certificate card called the GraphiCard. A thermo-chromatic printing process allows the face of the card to be altered whenever it is swiped through a reading machine. The primary use of this technique is to allow the card to display the current tally of a user's loyalty points or the remaining balance of a gift certificate. The changeable face can also be used to deliver special promotional offers, advertising messages or contest instructions. The information stored on the magnetic stripe on the card's back can also be updated at every swipe. The terminals for the system can print out customized coupons and similar materials based on the data on the card. "Companies are paying more attention to customer retention but at the same time are under pressure to lower operating costs," said Pointsite CEO Farhan Merchant. "The GraphiCard is an ideal solution, fostering loyalty while reducing program maintenance expenses. It also reduces accounting complexity associated with gift certificates and encourages additional purchases." The GraphiCard is a product of Visible Results of Auckland, New Zealand. American companies using the card include KFC, McDonald's, Mobil Oil and Miller Oil convenience stores. As yet, no Canadian firms have signed up for the system.