AlteredCart: Checkout One, On Sale... is Bill still around?
 

Altered Cart quietly released their "Cash Rewards :: Advanced Customer Loyalty Program" module earlier in the year -- and I quietly integrated it into my store over the summer.

I am starting this thread to congratulate Bill for the superb mod, and to share my integration with others in the community.

We had been using the BCSE Customer Reward Points (CRP) module for many years - but a bunch of things inspired me to seek out a different solution:

a) redeeming CRP points was tricky for the customer (and admin too). CRP redemptions are considered a "discount" - and it was a multi-step process to do a partial redemption and then pay the balance with credit card. Way too many errors or customers simply giving up;

b) because CRP was a "discount" - combining CRP redemptions with other discounts or coupons was sometimes impossible;

I wanted a solution that permitted the customer to redeem in checkout, without going through an extra process. I wanted a solution that automated bonuses for specific products or categories. Automatic posting when a review is approved. Automatic credit for signing up.

Cash Rewards (CR) does all of this. IN the cart.

And Bill made it so that a 100% redemption solved tax issues -- since a free item is not taxable in many/most jurisdictions. This was a big deal!!!

The days of "you need 25,000 miles/points to redeem a free ticket" from the land of frequent flyer programs is very 20th century. Modern loyalty programs accrue based on spend or other metrics, and redemptions often start at 0 -- if you earned it, you can redeem it. This is what I wanted. I wanted a system that allowed the customer to simply apply their rewards in the cart, without having to go through a checkout process just to return to the cart.

CR is a wonderful UX for the customer. It's not hidden.

I am gushing... I don't do this too often here.

If you want to see CR in action, PM me and I'll share my URL.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

I'm gonna bump this because I have happy customers.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

Thumbs up, ever since switching from bcse to AC CR customers actually use the points and our repeat customer stats have gone up significantly! We use it together with AC OPC. Ajax refresh when applying reward points, brilliant.

While Bill has implemented many of our recommendations, we are still waiting for some features in the admin back end:

1. Need to be able to include notes when adding points to customers account.
2. Need to be able to set an expiry date when adding points to customer account.
3. Some sort of automation to reverse points when cancelling or refunding orders.
4. Better reporting on top collecting users, expiry dates, reward programs statistics.

Hey Bill, thank you for continuing developing and supporting your invaluable 4.x mods.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

I will bump this as well and have my own little gush if I may :lol:

Thanks for the post carpeperdiem, found this one whilst looking for reviews on this mod.

All installed & working perfectly, absolutely over the moon with it :D

Had a really tiny glitch on the install, support was as always top notch.

The way it all integrates into AC OPC with the Ajax refresh is indeed brilliant.

There are a lot of features as well, will take a while to check them all out.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

How is the discount listed?
As there are several prices how is the discount listed in the system?

We also use the sale mod from Bill.

Example:

Item price: $30
Market price: $35
Sale price: $27 (10%)

I'm asking this because of the possibilities of accounting when provider payments
are involved. Bonus points deducted equally or only on admins share?

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

Cash rewards becomes its own pseudo-payment method, independent/in addition/in-lieu of other payment methods.
It's NOT a "true" discount. Well, sort of.

Ultimately, we use the variable,
{$order.order.extra.tax_info.taxed_discounted_subt otal}
as the "reported" final transaction amount (after all deductions and sales and coupons) that is sent to affiliates. (what did the customer actually pay after all coupons, redemptions and sale offers?)

The ability to apply the rewards in the cart, without disrupting coupons or sales is an INVALUABLE feature that is not found in most reward or loyalty programs. THIS ALONE makes this module one of the best modules ever written for xcart.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

Does this mean it uses the correct variables out of the box so the amount paid after all sales from sales mod deducted is used? Or did you customize?

It's a nice mod. However, how did it affect your returning customers rate?

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

I did not customize any variables.
I am USING the variable {$order.order.extra.tax_info.taxed_discounted_subt otal}
to report "what the customer paid" to affiliates and to other analytics

Returning customers are CRUCIAL to my business. I have some customers that have made 30+ orders. My customers use the rewards and enjoy the permanent 10% discount. It also keeps them on our mailing list for members-only offers.

Loyalty marketing is the new normal.
Altered Cart's module meets most of the needs - If I were building a new xcart store in 4.6.x I wouldn't dream of not using this module.

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

1. Ok. So no customization was needed.

2. Did you measure before/after in %?
How can you make sure they stay on/only can use a 10% discount when on your maillist when using mailchimp?

3. In the end it's facts that count for me :)

Re: Altered Cart "Cash Rewards - Advanced Customer Loyalty Program"
 

1. I customized the css. I also customized checkout1 for "one page registration" and also made various landing pages. If you want to see a no-custom code install, look at altered cart demo store.

2. no measurements before/after as we've had a loyalty program since launch. it's just part of our business.

3. want to go out of business quickly? shut down or change your long-standing loyalty program.

On the other hand, Duane Reade stores in NYC devalued their loyalty program 3 times over 5 years when Walgreens purchased them. I stopped shopping there, because the CVS loyalty program is better. But they are still in business. I don't think the loyalty program was a big part of their marketing.

But for a small merchant, I'm not gonna go there.