Plink today launched a Facebook Credits-based loyalty program that rewards Facebook members for dining and making purchases at their favorite restaurants and offline retailers. Since consumers already use Facebook Credits to buy virtual goods in Facebook games, as well as to download music, movies, and TV episodes, the company figures it can bring the virtual currency into the real world.
So, how does it work? First, you have to register your Facebook account with Plink through Facebook Connect. Next, you have to register a credit or debit card of your choice. Finally, you can begin earning Facebook Credits by dining-out or making purchases at participating national restaurants and offline retailers. Today, Plink’s online-to-offline (O2O) loyalty program includes the Dunkin’ Donuts, Quiznos, Red Robin, Taco Bell, and others. Plink members can now earn Facebook Credits at more than 25,000 locations nationwide.
Plink is focusing on national restaurant chains as they represent nearly one-third of the total restaurants in the U.S. and spend significant dollars on marketing and advertising. Plink was designed to be simple and easy to implement: the program requires no POS (Point-of-Sale) integration, no paper coupons to be collected, no staff training, no interruption or slow-down to the normal customer transaction process, no tracking conducted by the restaurant or offline retailer, and no set-up fees, print costs, or other merchandise to purchase. That being said, restaurants and offline retailers have to pay Plink a percentage of the sales generated by Plink members.
“Facebook Credits is the missing ingredient that’s been needed to connect social media to offline sales,” Plink co-founder Peter Vogel said in a statement. “Now with the ‘glue’ of Facebook Credits our national restaurant and offline retailer partners have a way to tap into the nearly 800 million users on Facebook, motivate them to become loyal customers, and reward them.”
See also:
- Facebook users heist 1 million Facebook Credits
- Facebook Credits updated, new payment methods added
- Facebook begins testing Facebook Credits for websites
- Facebook Credits: harder, better, faster, stronger
- Facebook Credits: harder, better, faster, stronger
- Rumor: Facebook Credits to work on Apple’s iTunes platform
