Q: I already have a large stock of gift cards and loyalty cards from my prior “credit-card” style vendor.  Can I use my existing gift cards and loyalty cards with Preferred Patron or PatronFlex?
A: In most cases, yes!  We recognize the investment many potential customers have already made in their gift card and loyalty card stock and have made provisions to support most of the gift card and loyalty card numbering schemes in use today.  Specifically, if your gift cards and loyalty cards are sequenced with numeric digits between 1 and 19 digits in length, you may use them with Preferred Patron or PatronFlex.

Q: Are plastic cards required?
A: No.  Cards and card numbers are not required! Many merchants choose to leverage the customers 10-digit phone number instead of issuing cards.  This number is simply keyed into the card scan input box.  Additionally, searches by customer name are seamless.

Q: Do customers need to present their loyalty cards on each transaction?
A: While scanning the customer loyalty card is the most efficient method to perform a loyalty transaction, in the absence of the loyalty card, the customer’s phone number, first, last name, email address or even company name may be searched.

Q: Do customers need to present their gift cards on each transaction?
A: Yes.  Gift cards are treated much the same as cash.  Since gift cards are typically given away as gifts after they have been purchased, Preferred Patron and PatronFlex handle them anonymously and separately from loyalty cards. As such, there is no mechanism to retrieve a gift card by searching the customer’s name or phone number.

Q: What are the benefits of plastic gift cards, stored-value cards and loyalty cards to a merchant?
A: Plastic cards act as a branded advertisement, establishing the merchant as the destination.  With plastic cards, merchants increase their name recognition and exposure.

Q: How soon can a gift card be redeemed at a participating store after it has been issued to a customer?
A: Gift cards and stored-value cards may be used immediately after activation. Transactions are processed in real time.

Q: Why stored value cards versus paper?
A: The stored-value card has quickly become the product of choice for retailers throughout. The prevailing reasons are: No Cash Back (value remaining after partial redemption stays on the stored-value card, ensuring additional opportunities to fortify the customer relationship and retain funds) and data is captured in real-time (eliminates both the losses and accounting expenses associated with paper gift certificates).

Q: What are the benefits of stored-value cards to a merchant?
A: Stored-value cards are convenient (they are carried in the customer’s wallet with other credit cards), they are secure (they cannot be photocopied or duplicated).

Q: What makes the mailing list feature better than the rest?
A: With Preferred Patron and PatronFlex, you are not wasting your valuable marketing resources by sending mailers and advertisements to your entire customer population.  Instead, Preferred Patron and PatronFlex collect and analyzes your customer’s past spending behaviors and allows you to focus your mailings and advertisements on just those customers you really want to reach!  You can then distribute your promotions using the built-in bulk email sender or generate hard copy mailers.  Every mailing is personalized with your customer’s name and address.

Q: What promotions do Preferred Patron and PatronFlex support?
A: With Preferred Patron and PatronFlex, the possibilities are limitless.  Out-of-the-box, Preferred Patron and PatronFlex provide pre-configured templates and associated offer letters for effortlessly implementing your own Rewards Program, Electronic Coupons, Birthday Promotions, Anniversary Promotions, Thank You Promotions, Best Member Promotions, Frequent Shopper Promotions, Miss You Promotions, Raffle Promotions, Complaint Management Promotions, Referral Promotions and New Member Promotions.  Additionally, with the aid of the Promotion Designer, you can literally devise just about any promotion your mind can imagine!

Q: How do my customers keep track of their point balances, eligible incentive offers and rewards?
A: Preferred Patron and PatronFlex support an optional transaction receipt printer.  You can configure your system to generate customer receipts on every transaction detailing vital information such as what they redeemed on the current transaction as well as every incentive offer and reward they are currently eligible to receive.  Additional information such as raffle advertisements, store advertisements and referral advertisements can be included as well.  Optionally, if enrolled in the PatronFlex Service and Internet Lookup plan, your customers can see this information using the Internet.

Q: How is reporting handled?
A: Whether using the Desktop Editon or PatronFlex, reporting is handled in real-time, right from your desktop and included in the software.  Reports are available for tracking sales activity, gift card usage, promotion effectiveness and complaint activity, just to name a few.  Additionally, if you should require a report that is not included with Preferred Patron or PatronFlex, you can purchase a custom report that can be simply imported into your existing Preferred Patron or PatronFlex environment.  You run your reports when you want, as often as you want! No additional fees!

Q: I am only interested in selling gift cards.  Do I need to pay for the loyalty software too?
A: No, the gift card processing and loyalty modules can be acquired individually if subscribing to PatronFlex.  Both are, however, automatically included with annual subscription plans but you can turn off either module if you are not interested in using it.

Q: Do I need a card scanner?
A: No, Preferred Patron and PatronFlex will accept manual key-in of gift card numbers and loyalty card numbers.  Name and phone number searches are also available.

Q: If using a card scanner, do I need a barcode scanner or a magnetic strip scanner?
A: The offer letters generated by Preferred Patron and PatronFlex include a barcode that can be scanned at redemption.  As such, we recommend using barcodes on your plastic gift cards and loyalty cards too.  You may use magnetic strips on your cards as an alternative.

Q: What type of scanner is supported?
A: Preferred Patron and PatronFlex will support any keyboard-wedge type scanner.  These are available using either a keyboard port or USB port interface.

Q: Do I need a touch screen monitor?
A: No. Preferred Patron and PatronFlex function using a keyboard and mouse, just as any typical Windows application does.  Preferred Patron and PatronFlex are, however, touch screen compliant, providing on-screen keypads where applicable and large “finger-print” selection areas.

Q: What type of receipt printer do I need?
A: Use of a receipt printer is optional but highly recommended.  Preferred Patron and PatronFlex work best with an Epson TM series thermal printer.  For non-Epson TM compatible printers, generic 40 and 56 column receipt formats may be used.

Q: If I participate in a Merchant Pool, can I still market to only my customers?
A: Certainly!  When running your promotions, only those customers who have conducted one or more transactions at your store will be targeted.

Q: If I participate in a Merchant Pool, how do I keep track of the gift cards I honored but were sold at a different merchant?
A: Preferred Patron and PatronFlex provide a built-in gift card invoice report.  This report allows you to generate for a specified period of time invoices to each participating merchant for the amount of dollars you honored from their gift cards.  Preferred Market Solutions is not involved with the exchange of funds between merchants.

Q: I am an online merchant.  Can Preferred Patron or PatronFlex be integrated as a web solution?
A: Yes.  Preferred Market Solutions offers a Software Development Kit (SDK).  This library is a Windows based DLL that provides all the necessary functionality to build yourself your own Loyalty and Gift Card presence on the web.

Q: I plan on using 2, possibly 3 workstations.  Can I still use the Desktop Edition?
A: Yes.  Microsoft Access 2000 is capable of supporting connections from multiple workstations.  If using Windows 95 or 98 workstations, this is your only option.  However, when possible, Preferred Market Solutions recommends using Microsoft SQL Server 2000 for installations of multiple workstations as Microsoft suggests this product offers a higher degree of reliability and performance in typical multi-user applications.

Q: I plan on using a single workstation but I do have a cable or DSL Internet connection available.  Is there any reason to consider using PatronFlex?
A: Subscription to our data hosting service offers you the following benefits:

1. The option to provide Internet Account lookup and maintenance to your customers,
2. Confidence your data is secure,
3. Confidence your data is protected by fault tolerant hardware and generator powered backup.
4. An easy migration path to future expansion of workstations, additional store locations and even participation in a merchant-pooling plan.

Q: I need more than 5 workstations.  What version do I need?
A: You will need to subscribe to PatronFlex.