According to a recent study, there are more than 2 billion loyalty marketing program memberships in the United States alone. This number has doubled from 2000. The past 10 years has marked the spread of the iPhone, the popularization of Facebook, and the advent of the app. The app is more than just computer software. Most apps are a communication platform for consumers to express their ideas, wants and buying trends. A good customer loyalty platform usually includes its very own apps or uses existing ones to leverage a company’s marketing program. So what are the apps that are out there that increase awareness through a solid customer loyalty platform?

Belly
Belly costs $50 to $100 a month depending on the access to features you want like customer segmentation, data analytics and promotional tools. This Chicago based company supplies merchants with an iPad and marketing materials. Customers check in by using the free Belly app on their smartphones, pulling up their unique QR code and scanning it on the company iPad.

More than 3,500 locations throughout Boston, New York City and Washington D.C. have adopted this app. Customers are already taking advantage of their rewards that include anything from free coffee to naming rights on menu items at restaurants.

LevelUp
This Boston based company launched their app in July of 2011 as a mobile payment platform. The initial buzz around this app was that it didn’t charge users or merchants for transactions. When merchants also realized they could use it to manage loyalty campaigns, LevelUp really started making money. This program includes a free consumer app that users can link their debit or credit card to purchase items. They are rewarded for spending at certain levels.

Perka
Perka works like the old paper punch card you would see at smoothie shops but the process is completely digitized when a customer checks in and purchases an item. Perka costs about $35 a month and is already used at more than 400 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Frequent buyers get better rewards and can reach a “Regular” or “VIP” status. Even non-smartphone users can get in on the action by text messaging to check in.

Punchcard
The free Punchcard app allows customers to take a photo with their receipt and tag the business they bought it from. If a customer gets 10 punches in under 6 months they are rewarded with a gift card equal to the average purchase as long as it doesn’t exceed $20. Businesses can also personalize offers to valued customers, discover customers shopping nearby and make them limited-time offers. This is one of the more widespread apps, being used by more than 15 million businesses.

Kobie Marketing is a fully-integrated, customer loyalty platform and customer retention agency, providing innovative solutions to customer loyalty and retention challenges.