This latest offering is available to merchant acquiring banks and other payment processors looking to encourage merchant stickiness and boost spending at retailers that they have relationships with. This solution is suitable for small, medium and large merchants. Welcome Real-time has already secured a merchant acquiring customer that is rolling out this technology throughout its retailer network in Europe.

This solution is the first of its kind that allows retailers to carry out loyalty programs regardless of the means of payment, payment card or issuing bank. It leverages the moment of payment for customer engagement, even prior to enrolment within the loyalty program. Retailers using the system can then automatically enrol customers into a loyalty programme at the point of sale. Consumers can then benefit from discounts, special offers or other rewards for repeat visits or specific purchases. Since the solution is aimed at merchant acquirers and is not tied to a card issuer it allows customers to choose their preferred bank card. This provides maximum flexibility and widens the pool of potential customers that merchants can enrol in the programme. The technology includes a merchant loyalty app that enables retailers to independently define rules for their own loyalty offers or to provide combined offers with other partnering retailers. It also gives them the ability to track the loyalty behaviour of their enrolled customers.

Philippe David, CEO of Welcome Real-time said: "Our latest innovation has the potential to significantly boost traffic to the point of sale at participating merchants, turning the moment of payment into a moment of interaction. It allows retailers to easily create targeted promotions designed to attract and retain customers, independent of the bank card that their customers choose to use. The Loyalty Impact At Store brings benefits simultaneously to all three parties: the payment provider, the merchant and the consumer and this is the key to the success of the solution."