Goodbye San Francisco loyalty card, hello Ramallah startup

When Mohammed Amleh left a well paid job in the loyalty card business, in San Francisco, to return to Palestine to launch a startup, people thought he was crazy.

Launched this year in Ramallah the Swipt application is a gamified mobile loyalty solution which allows small to medium sized businesses create their own customized programs.

Whereas traditional loyalty programs are concerned about how much you spend as a buyer, and will supply rewards when purchases are made, Amleh argues that in addition to purchasing, Swipt cares about the user experience, and maintaining a relationship between the customer and the merchant.

As an example, sharing activities on social media, liking the merchant’s page, and checking in, are all considered rewarded actions that would add points to your balance. After all, the goal is to create stronger engagement between the customer and the brand, Amleh says.

The merchants do not only benefit by creating a network of loyal customers but they get free marketing through customer social media activity, and most importantly they get in depth analytics.

Within four months the startup was able to reach just under 1,300 active users, and seven merchants including cafes, an ice-cream shop and a hair salon.

Original article by Tala El Issa

Continue reading at Wamda:

Goodbye San Francisco loyalty card, hello Ramallah startup