We propose creating a mobile customer loyalty application to increase business for small businesses. Such an application will encourage customers to patronize local businesses by offering them reward incentives on goods and services they already purchase. It will aim to replace existing reward incentives such as punch cards and coupons by providing a more convenient system for both the consumer and business.

Our primary customer will be iapps24, a smart-phone application development company based in Des Moines who have sought Iowa State University students to begin development on this application.

We are looking to create mobile customer loyalty application. The application will allow for merchants to create reward based incentives for their business. The rewards will be based upon a traditional punch card system, but stored electronically in the user’s phone. The merchants will also be able to expire rewards and set expiration dates at any time. (Each reward card will have a disclaimer for what happens if the reward is not available at the time of redemption). Merchants will be able to verify punches and reward redemptions at the time of purchase.

Customers will be able to search the app for available punch cards at local businesses by GPS and name based searching. When a customer finds a punch card they plan on using, they can download it directly to their phone. The punch card will have information on what type of purchase will qualify for a punch. When a customer earns the required number of punches, they will be able to collect a reward.

History of punch cards will be stored on a server database. Merchants will be able to view information about the number of punch cards redeemed at their store, but not about the individuals who redeemed them. Customers can view their personal history of redeemed punch cards.

Our solution is to create a system for creating and obtaining and managing punch cards through a smartphone or tablet device for customers and businesses. Cards are represented with an in-app QR code that the business will scan using a device running Android or iOS and will allow them to update the customer’s card with a punch.