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sQuid to provide bespoke smart card schemes that will enable businesses to cost-effectively offer loyalty rewards to their customers.

LONDON March 15, 2010: Following successful trials over the last twelve months, sQuid, the ePayments provider,  announces the nationwide launch of its new contactless smartcard-based loyalty schemes. The bespoke schemes will enable  businesses, whether large or small, to cost-effectively offer loyalty rewards to their customers.

With retailers increasingly seeking innovation in loyalty services, sQuid offers a technological breakthrough in smartcard loyalty and payment services, enabling even smaller stores to compete in the competitive market amongst bigger chains.

Through a scheme of their choice retailers can now appeal to new customers and reward their frequent customers. Loyalty schemes could include ‘cash back’ or a loyalty reward after a certain value of spend or number of transactions. A unique benefit of sQuid is that business owners can personalise the scheme to their needs with own-branded sQuid cards, and communicate with customers via a branded portal.

sQuid uses leading-edge contactless smart card technology, providing customers with an online account where they can view their transactions, as well as keep track of their loyalty funds.  The funds on the card are protected with a central host system, far better than flimsy ‘stamp cards’ common with some loyalty schemes and which are open to abuse.
 
sQuid launched its loyalty scheme trial last year with Coffee Republic, led by then General Manager, Aruna Withane.  Mr Withane has now joined sQuid to lead its loyalty programme, promoting it to a wider audience across the UK.  “Working with sQuid early last year with Coffee Republic’s loyalty scheme, it became obvious to me that sQuid would dramatically change the way loyalty can work for smaller businesses, as well as larger chain stores. I wanted to be part of driving that change so joined sQuid to head up the loyalty proposition. To successfully compete in a rapidly changing environment, retailers must get closer to customers and embrace new technologies.  sQuid not only reduces the cost of transactions, it delivers new revenue streams for businesses too,” he said.

sQuid is the next-generation smart card payments network for ‘the little things in life’. Its unique pre-pay system enables multi-functional smart cards, combining eMoney retail payments, ITSO (Transit) schemes, council smart card initiatives, plus retail loyalty programmes. Unlike banks’ credit and debit cards, sQuid offers universal access to smart card payments, becoming the leading next-generation payment platform.

For further information contact Lloyd Mullenger - lloyd@armadillocg.com

 

sQuidcard, the fast-growing smart card electronic money operator, expands in Scotland

DUMFRIES, Scotland, March 01, 2010. sQuid, the electronic money (eMoney) operator, today announces the launch of their electronic purse on the Dumfries and Galloway branded National Entitlement Card (NEC).

“The addition of sQuid eMoney to the National Entitlement Card in Dumfries and Galloway demonstrates a progressive use of the NEC, adding value to our card holders. By extending the use of applications on the NEC we are making life easier for the citizens of Dumfries and Galloway”
Dumfries and Galloway citizens with an NEC can have sQuid eMoney added to their NEC, enabling them to pay for small value items in addition to accessing public services like concessionary travel, library membership and leisure centre membership. Dundee Council launched this scheme in September 2008, and Dumfries and Galloway are expecting the same success.

The sQuid payment service is a quick and simple process and allows users to pay for things at participating outlets electronically from a pre-loaded purse on their card, without the need to carry loose change. This will benefit the community and encourage people to use their local merchants. The transactions are very fast, secure and can be managed from an online sQuid account, with loading available in-store if required.

Sid Bulloch, Manager of the NEC Programme said that the “NEC are happy to see this scheme rolling out across Dumfries and Galloway after the successful implementation in Dundee and are pleased and happy to support this initiative”.

Dumfries and Galloway will be the third UK launch zone for sQuid, following the success of schemes in Bolton and Dundee.

Ivor Hyslop, Chair of Corporate Policy Committee and Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “The addition of sQuid eMoney to the National Entitlement Card in Dumfries and Galloway demonstrates a progressive use of the NEC, adding value to our card holders. By extending the use of applications on the NEC we are making life easier for the citizens of Dumfries and Galloway”.

In the near future, there will be opportunities for the card to be used for further projects, such as travel and loyalty schemes. There are also talks to incorporate sQuid into cashless catering schemes in local schools in the Dumfries and Galloway area.

sQuid is the next-generation smart card payments network for ‘the little things in life’. Its unique pre-pay system enables multi-functional smart cards, combining eMoney retail payments, ITSO (Transit) schemes, council smart card initiatives, plus retail loyalty programmes. Unlike banks’ credit and debit cards, sQuid offers universal access to smart card payments, becoming the leading next-generation payment platform in the UK, with ambitious plans to launch eMoney and transit schemes in developing countries, including Africa and India.

For further information contact Lloyd Mullenger - lloyd@armadillocg.com

Friday 22 January 2010: The first week of 2010 saw Google’s attempt to change to mobile phone industry with the launch of its new superphone, the Nexus One. Based on the company’s Android operating system (a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel), the new smartphone bristles with a plethora of integrated services including an online map and satellite image tool, a 3-D interface, voice recognition technology and a speedy processor.

In an attempt to change the ground rules of the wireless industry, Google is selling the phone through its online store bypassing the wireless service operators. One of Google’s objectives appears to be the disintegration of existing distribution processes and traditional sales models. Perhaps a tall order for a company that is totally virtual!

Currently, mobile phone customers generally buy (or receive free-of-charge) a device from a wireless carrier that incorporates a service contract of one or more years. With the Nexus One Google believes it can release consumers from the grips of the wireless carriers and provide a greater level of customer satisfaction.

Whilst it may be an attractive proposition for Google to sell the product itself, the company may have overlooked the fact that the customer will inevitably come back directly to it, rather than to a sales intermediary, when there is a problem. According to some reports Google has already encountered a deluge of customer service complaints ranging from wireless network coverage, faulty batteries and touch screen problems through to high fees associated with returns. And to compound these difficulties consumers could only communicate with Google online; the company apparently didn’t see the need to have live customer service agents to deal with any issues that arose.

Apart from the fact that the Nexus One mobile phone has a number of features that clearly challenge the top contender in the smartphone category - Apple’s iPhone - it will be a near-impossible task to convince consumers to give up the subsidised phone. In addition to the fairly high cost of the Nexus One (more than US$500), two key issues facing Google are the rapid advances being made in wireless telephony (phones can become outdated in a very short space of time) and the fact that the vast majority of mobile phone users are simply not bothered by being tied into a contract.

It’s quite possible for Google's venture in wireless telephony to be successful in the long-term; the question is whether or not the company is prepared, and committed, to travel down a road that is full of obstacles and challenges, and very long indeed.