So I’ve been using the Mondo card for a couple of months now I absolutely love the app and the interface that comes with it.
Since every outlet pretty much registers on the Mondo card it would be great to actually have some “e-stamps” build up for going the same restaurants or coffee shops etc.
This would be great if a user didn’t actually have to present a loyalty card to get stamped every time they (for example) re-visit their local coffee houses. An auto generate e-stamp would be a beautiful way to keep users pulling out their cards at their favourite places and getting free coffees when they’ve used the Mondo card a few times at the same place!
As a software developer I would love to work with a few people who think this is a idea worth looking into! Partnerships with restaurants and outlets could entirely change the loyalty card process!
This has come up a couple of times. I can see this working a few different ways.
Mondo approach a shop such as Tesco and put the notion forward. With Mondo being a new bank they won’t have the same number of users behind them as Barclays would so the work involved behind the scenes to make this work won’t be that attractive to Tesco.
The shop makes use of the Mondo API themselves to implement this. Once again, unless there is a significant gain for the shop to doing this then it’s unlikely to happen.
The shop creates an API themselves which would allow Mondo, or a 3rd Party, to link the two together. However, I can’t see this happening any time soon.
That said, Tesco had an API for their grocery store until recently. There’s also an unofficial Nectar API which could be utilised to hack something together.
The latter certainly couldn’t be utilised by Mondo however.
I still believe that Apple Pay and Android Pay will be the long term solution to this. Both can automatically present loyalty cards before or with payment (terminal decides). It’s a cross-bank, cross-region solution that provides great benefits to the store while maintaining good customer privacy and control.
It would be really great to see something along these lines, but I’m far more interested in loyalty stamps for local cafés than tying in to the big rewards schemes (Tesco, Nectar, etc.). In fact, I personally don’t have any interest in the big rewards schemes. But if I could get the handful of cardboard stamp cards out of my wallet, that would be great.
The issue, I think, is that small independent cafés won’t want to spend (much) money on a loyalty system. That’s why they use cards and stamps: cheap and easy. On the other hand, almost all of them (at least in Edinburgh) seem to now use iPads and iZettle (or in some cases Sum Up) as their ‘tills’. Maybe the way to do this is to tie into the iZettle software, either through a formal partnership or if they have an api?
Costa Coffee have an app that already presents the loyalty card with Apple Wallet. And Starbucks also do the same (where you can also pay for your latte).
On the subject of those cardboard stamp cards, it’s a shame McDonalds still use cards and stickers. You would like to think that an organisation with the clout of Miccy D would be able to come up with something a little more high tech than cards and stickers?!
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Loyalty stamp cards for the smaller more independent outlets. Well it could be interesting to approach and work with a couple of outlets and see how it can be implemented to keep it cost effective and eventually mutually beneficial.
Thanks. I had a look, but their system requires you to pay through their app. I don’t really want to have to sign up for another service and would prefer to pay as I do now. (They also only have around 4 places in Edinburgh signed up.) I guess the simplicity and universality of the stamp cards is why they’re used!
I love this idea and share the same sentiment since I’ve been using Monzo for under a week. It feels like there’s a great opportunity to provide loyalty stamps within Monzo! I’ve had it with physical loyalty cards in my wallet.
The Monzoites should check out PassKit. They’ve got an easy to hook up to API. I have a hunch a Monzo loyalty stamp feature powered by PassKit under the hood would be pretty special.
In the spirit of transparency this is my brother’s tech startup. He’ll owe me a for mentioning his business! Nepotism aside, they’re doing some incredible things with their technology.
for mentioning his business! Nepotism aside, they’re doing some incredible things with their technology.