Barclaycard launches loyalty scheme

Technology allows customers to accumulate 'reward money' and redeem it at the point of sale

Eight million Barclaycard clients can use the reward scheme

Barclaycard has launched its a new loyalty scheme to allow cardholders to earn reward points when using their credit card to purchase goods and services in participating retailers.

The scheme, dubbed Barclaycard Freedom, is going live for over eight million customers today and some 30,000 outlets are participating in the initiative.

So far, more than 900 Shell petrol stations in the UK are taking part in the scheme, as well as other retailers such as Goldsmiths and Firebox.com.

Supplier Welcome Real-time is one of the vendors providing the technology infrastructure behind the loyalty scheme, with a system that offers real-time integration with any point of sale device used by the retailers, regardless of the payment application or infrastructure in place.

“From the beginning we were looking to create an innovative retail rewards programme that would attract a broad range of retailers of all sizes. To achieve this we needed a technology platform that would be simple for retailers to integrate with their existing point of sale devices," said managing director of Barclaycard Freedom, Sarah Newman.

The platform also enables cardholders to see their updated 'reward money' balance at the point of sale, which can be redeemed immediately or for a future transaction.