Dive Brief:
- Yesway has updated its rewards program, according to an email sent out on Tuesday.
- Members can now use their mobile phone number to earn and redeem rewards at the pump or register, instead of using a card or mobile app. Customers also don’t need to remember a username or password, according to the company.
- These changes, which went into effect on Jan. 3, are aimed at making participating in Yesway and Allsup’s Rewards easier for customers.
Dive Insight:
As c-stores seek more ways to get consumers engaging with their loyalty programs — and sharing the vital data that these programs can collect — Yesway and Allsup’s are removing as much friction as possible from the process.
Instead of having to remember a username and password, customers will now access their account through their cell number and a link sent to their SMS every time they have a transaction at Yesway or Allsup’s locations. If the customer has the company app on their phone, the account information will open in that. Otherwise it will open in a browser. This will put a reminder to check and use balances directly in their phones.
The way the program operates will also change. Customers will now earn 10 “smiles” for every $1 spent in store or five for every gallon of gas purchased at the pump. These Smiles can then be traded in for rewards, including free snacks or drinks, discounts on gas, food or in-store purchases.
This is also a simplification from the company’s earlier rewards programs, where customers earned points for purchases, and once the customer had 250 points they were converted into smiles, which could be redeemed for rewards. All members’ existing rewards and points should automatically move into the new program.
Customers will also get member pricing on certain items and a free Hostess snack cake in their birthday month.
Anyone who doesn’t want to fill out a full profile can still use their phone number to get member pricing.
This simplifying of the rewards program comes as Yesway is in the middle of an aggressive growth push. In addition to trying a number of new formats, it is also pushing into new areas in states where it already has a presence, like its expected move into the Oklahoma City metro area.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Yesway operates over 440 convenience stores across Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
