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 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.

Q: Are plastic loyalty cards required?
A: No.  Plastic loyalty Cards are not required! You may operate a cardless system, leveraging the customers phone number or name lookup instead of issuing cards. However, we have found clients who choose to implement plastic cards experience a higher degree of success and greater customer participation.

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, for anonymouse gift cards.  Anonymous Gift cards are treated much the same as cash.  Since gift cards are typically given away as gifts after they have been purchased, PatronFlex handles them anonymously and separately from loyalty cards. However, if you subscribe to the loyalty system in conjuction with the gift card system, PatronFlex supports named gift cards and spending accounts, which allow you to associate the card user's identity to the account.

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 PatronFlex, you are not wasting your valuable marketing resources by sending mailers and advertisements to your entire customer population.  Instead, PatronFlex collects 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 does PatronFlex support?
A: With PatronFlex, the possibilities are limitless.  Out-of-the-box, PatronFlex provides 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, New Member Promotions as well as Fundraiser Campaigns.  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: PatronFlex supports 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: 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 PatronFlex, you can purchase a custom report that can be simply imported into your existing 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.

Q: Do I need a card scanner?
A: No, 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 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: PatronFlex will support any keyboard-emulation type scanner.  These are available using either a keyboard port or USB port interface.

Q: Do I need a touch screen monitor?
A: PatronFlex is touch screen compliant but will function, just as any typical Windows application does, using a keyboard and mouse.

Q: What type of receipt printer do I need?
A: Use of a receipt printer is optional but highly recommended.  PatronFlex supports Star TSP and Epson TM compatible printers as well as OPOS compatible printers.

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: PatronFlex provides a built-in gift card invoice report.  This report allows you to generate for a specified period of time invoices/statements 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 PatronFlex be integrated as a web solution?
A: Yes.  Preferred Market Solutions offers a Software Development Kit (SDK).  This library 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 PatronFlex?
A: Yes.  Your location license permits you to install multiple workstations at your location. You will use the same SN and keys for each workstation.

Q: What are the benefits of PatronFlex over other software solutions which I can install without an internet connection?
A: Subscription to our data hosting service offers you the following benefits:

1. The option to provide a Web Portal for Web Access 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 one store location, each running multiple workstations.  What version do I need?
A: You will need to subscribe to PatronFlex and obtain one license for each store location.