CardSpring Adds Internet-Like Tracking for Offline Merchants

CardSpring has launched CardSpring Connect, bringing marketing tools and online performance tracking to its local business clients and enabling them to create online-to-offline promotions.  

The local commerce operating system allows merchants to connect card-linked promotions from mobile and Web companies into their point of sale system. Merchants are able to analyze whether the card-linked campaigns drove customer acquisition and in-store purchases.

“We’re leveling the playing field for local merchants by giving them access to the same performance marketing tools and analytics that online retailers have been using to grow their business and connect with their customers,” says Eckart Walther, CEO of CardSpring.

CardSpring Connect is a cloud-based white-label platform meant to be offered through point of sale vendors, financial institutions and independent sales organizations.

“Unlike other forms of advertising, I can see when a promotion leads to an actual purchase in my store and when new customers become repeat customers,” says Lisa Dedes, owner of Caffe Roma, a coffeehouse in San Francisco. “What’s really great is that I don’t have to change anything in my store. I don’t have to install any new hardware or train my staff on new programs.”

First Data uses CardSpring's application programming interface to build and sell loyalty programs to merchants, issuers or third parties like Foursquare.

In May, VeriFone partnered with CardSpring to allow consumer credit and debit cards to act as loyalty cards for redeeming digital coupons. After the VeriFone pact, CardSpring saw an uptick in developers building applications on its platform.