The cloud-based ION platform utilizes mobile devices to connect merchants with nearby, ready-to-spend consumers.
ION Loyalty saves merchants up to 75 percent or more in credit card fees based on checkout amounts, helps increase traffic and high-margin sales, and rewards customers for their repeat business. ION Rewards gives consumers 3 percent free fuel, rewards them up to 2 percent instantly at every mobile checkout and gives bonus IONs for buying promoted items, gifting to others and connecting with friends. The free ION apps support iOS and most Android devices.
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"The ION Loyalty platform is an incredible innovation for merchants," said Ronald Herman, Sionic Mobile’s CEO. "We’ve coupled a dynamic point of sale marketing tool with geolocation and one-tap mobile payment acceptance. The solution allows merchants to directly market to customers, drive sales of specific products, seamlessly accept mobile payments and radically cut credit card fees."
Merchant Benefits
- Merchants use ION Loyalty to post promotions, accept digital cash payments and thank good customers instantly at checkout.
- Payments are directly deposited into a merchant’s business checking account nightly. Regardless of how customers pay with their phone — eCheck, IONs, Dwolla or credit card — merchants always receive cash.
- There is no upfront or monthly fee and for merchants with an iPad or Android tablet, there is no equipment to purchase.
"Our consumer-facing app, ION Rewards, has been completely reimagined for optimum customer experience and incentive to use," said Bob Burroughs, EVP Product Marketing at Sionic Mobile. "IONs spend like cash, so we literally pay consumers to pay with their phones. We’re able to offer consumer incentives like free fuel, portable or transferable rewards, instant gifting and popular payment options when they download and use the free app."
Consumer Benefits:
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By GlobalData- Smartphone consumers use the free ION Rewards app to get 3% free fuel and earn IONs at every checkout, when gifting to others and when connecting with friends.
- Spend IONs like cash at any ION fuel store, shop, restaurant or big retailer; there are no restrictions and IONs never expire.
"One of the biggest winners in the 3.0 paradigm is financial institutions," said Herman. "Community banks and credit unions have a real opportunity to partner with local merchants through ION, or they can embed it in their current mobile offering. Bank revenue from interchange and debit fees continues to decline. We share revenue earned from ION transactions with with our financial institution partners as a way to promote the app and replace that lost revenue."
Sionic Mobile will debut pilot offerings with multiple financial institutions in late 2013.
