Punchh brings Apple Pay to Restaurant Loyalty Programs

Punchh — a cloud-based technology platform that builds “engagement, loyalty and superior, customized experiences in the restaurant industry” has announced that Apple Pay users visiting participating restaurants will soon be able to not only pay for their purchases, but earn and redeem rewards and loyalty points using Apple Wallet.

Punchh’s Restaurant Marketing Cloud is the first platform that bridges the gap between restaurants and customers, “empowering restaurants to shape personalized offers that attract and engage more meaningfully with loyal customers,” claims CEO Shyam Rao. Punchh’s clients include more than 85 leading restaurant chains such as Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, El Pollo Loco, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Pieology, Quiznos, and Smashburger.

Brands including Smashburger, Quiznos, and MOD Pizza will be offering Apple Pay with the Punchh integrated solution starting later this year. Users of Apple’s mobile payment service will be prompted at checkout to add the restaurant’s loyalty program to their Apple Wallet.

Once added, customers will automatically begin earning points and receiving specialized offers, which can be redeemed during future visits. Restaurant brands using the integrated solution will be able to match customers who have opted in to their loyalty program with their payments and receipts, know which menu items they purchased, and incentivize them to use Apple’s mobile payment service.

Apple Pay is currently available in 15 countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and USA.