Staying ahead of the customer engagement curve is not easy. Consumers are demanding customer experiences that bring more simplicity and ease into their daily lives at every turn. For many brands, this involves the seamless integration of innovative digital and mobile capabilities that can enhance the convenience, security, and privacy of customer engagement services all at once.
This can certainly be a tough goal to accomplish. But thankfully, technology is increasingly making this demanding level of customer engagement possible, which is why Kohl’s leapt at the chance to become one of the first retailers to integrate its loyalty program and private credit card with Apple Pay, an innovative mobile payment system.
“For Kohl's, this integration with Apple Pay is about providing options for our customers,” Ratnakar Lavu, Kohl's Executive Vice President of Digital Technology, told Loyalty360. “We want our customers to have an easy shopping experience no matter how they choose to pay. Providing an easy and inspiring shopping experience is how we build customer loyalty.”
Later this year, Kohl’s will bring Apple Pay into stores all across the nation.
Apple Pay, which has already revolutionized the simplicity and security of mobile transactions, will integrate seamlessly with Yes2You Rewards and Kohl’s Charge. Coming just after the recent launch of a mobile app that integrates with Apple Watch, this mobile payment initiative marks Kohl’s latest effort to provide a convenient and omnichannel customer experience.
“Kohl’s is committed to offering an easy and inspiring shopping experience and we will soon bring Apple Pay to customers in all of our 1,164 Kohl’s stores nationwide, in time for the busy holiday shopping season,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s Chairman, CEO, and President. “Supporting Apple Pay in Kohl’s stores lets us offer customers a convenient mobile payment option that allows them to use their Kohl’s Charge or other credit card while also earning points through Kohl’s Yes2You Rewards loyalty program.”
Apple Pay will allow Kohl’s customers to complete transactions by merely holding an iPhone or Apple Watch next to a contactless Touch ID reader. Customers using the mobile app can also pay via passcode or even using their fingerprint. To further ensure an extremely high level of security, Apple Pay does not store any credit card information on the device or in its servers. Rather, individually encrypted device account numbers are enabled for each user instead.
Alongside the ease of payment options, the addition of Yes2You Rewards and Kohl’s Charge makes the entire platform an enticing and powerful customer engagement tool. Through the iOS9 Wallet app, Kohl’s customers can earn and redeem points with Yes2You Rewards, which offers one point for every dollar spent, five dollar gift cards for every 100 points, and various annual discounts.
“Loyalty is an important program at Kohl's and one of the ways we connect with the 30 million customers currently enrolled,” Lavu said. “The program is about rewarding our loyal customers in meaningful ways and providing them with an easy, seamless shopping experience. We created our Yes2You loyalty program with mobile in mind. Integrating Yes2You Rewards with Apple Pay is a natural extension of the full mobile experience.”
Apple Pay will be available in Kohl’s stores this fall.