Belly, the new digital loyalty program, launched today and offers a unique value proposition for small and medium-sized businesses. Belly replaces traditional ‘buy 10 get one free’ punch cards with a unique loyalty platform that fit each businesses’ personality and connects consumers on a much more personalized level to the places they already love.

“Small business loyalty is about delivering great product, a great service and forming personal relationships with customers”

Formerly known as Bellyflop, the company is the first digital universal loyalty program of its kind. Belly provides customers with a single loyalty card, instead of a wallet-full. Belly goes wherever you go, and can be downloaded as an iPhone App or Android App, that lets you earn points and redeem benefits at your favorite local businesses by simply scanning the card or app on the provided iPad in-store.

“We took an entirely new approach to the loyalty space. Traditional loyalty programs are broken, for both businesses and their customers. People don’t want to carry a million punch cards, and businesses need a loyalty program that drives visits and adds value,” said Belly co-founder and CEO Logan LaHive. “Belly focuses on what’s missing: a smart and custom loyalty program that reflects the unique personality and culture of each store.”

There are already over 285 businesses using the Belly platform, and the Belly team works very closely with each one to ensure the loyalty programs are one-of-a-kind and representative of the stores unique personality. Beyond traditional buy-10-get-1-free offers, or discounts on services for loyal customers, both of which are part of the Belly platform, Belly’s novel approach centers around unique benefits, from a comic book store that lets customers punch the owner in the stomach, to a bakery that rewards a customer with all-you-can-eat-cupcakes for 10 minutes. Belly users can arm wrestle a sandwich shop employee for free cookie, or egg their favorite food truck it drives by.

“Small business loyalty is about delivering great product, a great service and forming personal relationships with customers,” said Logan LaHive. “Belly is giving small businesses an easy, smart and affordable way to make those connections and turn customers into long-term, loyal fans.”

Belly is turning the businesses who use their platform into fans, too. As part of the 30-day, no commitment trial, Belly offers a quick-setup, plug-and-play loyalty platform that makes creating, offering and redeeming benefits as easy as the pie just smashed in the baker’s face. Belly trains employees to engage customers, encouraging them to ‘Belly-up’ at every visit and provides the in-store iPad to validate paying customers right at the point of sale.

Monthly subscription to Belly includes placement in the Belly iPhone app, unlimited Belly cards to give to customers, in-store marketing materials and secure access to customer data that reveals checkins, points and redemption data, as well as insights into traffic and Belly usage patterns. Businesses can even use Belly data to send communications about exclusive promotions and other incentives to their customer base.

Nearly 50 new businesses are added to Belly every week, along with some 500 new users a day. In just 12 weeks since its pilot launch, Belly has already racked up more than 18,000 users and 50,000 check-ins. Many stores are seeing more Belly check-ins than all other check-in services combined.

Backed by the Chicago-based technology investment fund Lightbank, Belly is now available in the Chicago area, with immediate plans to expand to additional markets in the coming weeks.

Source: Business Wire