Earning Loyalty Through Mobility

Michael Garry

MT. PLEASANT, TEXAS — In the latest twist on gaining shoppers' loyalty, Brookshire Grocery, Tyler, Texas, is participating in the Bling Nation mobile payment service in effect at dozens of businesses here.

At two store locations operating under the Brookshire's and Super 1 Foods banners, shoppers can use BlingTag-equipped mobile phones to tap-and-pay for their purchases on a special pinpad, linking to their checking accounts. Through December, they also earn bank-sponsored rewards, saving 5% with every transaction up to $100. The chain also offers a “Thank You” loyalty card at its Brookshire's banner.

Brookshire customers with a checking account at two local community banks — American National Bank and Guaranty Bond Bank — can sign up and activate a BlingTag, a quarter-sized microchip sticker that adheres to the back of their mobile phone.

BlingTags do not store any personal information, offering more security than traditional plastic cards and reducing the risk of identity theft, said Bling Nation. Each time a payment is made using a BlingTag, the consumer receives a transaction confirmation and account balance by text message, and loyalty rewards are automatically tracked.

“Bling Nation has had a large amount of community support and success in Mt. Pleasant, and now we can expand these capabilities to our customers,” said Tony Mize, store director of Brookshire No. 16 in Mt. Pleasant, in a statement. “Through this introductory program, we are bringing the convenience of mobile payments for our busy customers to pay for groceries, while earning bank rewards with just one tap of their phone.”

Brookshire is the only grocery participant in Mt. Pleasant.