Does your online promotion offer a “split tender” rewards option?

I like to redeem my rewards points for a popular coffee house gift card. I do this frequently; such is my love of venti skim mochas, no foam, and light whip — extra hot. (Sometimes I’ll even get a scone.) Then it’s anyone’s guess when that gift card can no longer cover the full cost of my order. In those instances, I pay the difference in cash.

That’s called “split tender.” It means using two forms of payment for a single purchase.

Lately, a few loyalty marketers have adopted the “split tender” idea for their rewards fulfillment. For example, let’s say you are browsing on a rewards redemption site to see what you can get for the 2000 points you recently accumulated during the latest holiday promotion. Then you see the exact thing you have always wanted. BUT it is 2500 points. What to do? Happily, this time you don’t have to lose out, thanks to the site’s option of paying cash to make up the difference. Problem solved.

But not every online rewards mall offers that option. Many are still “all-or-nothing”, which can lead to customer disappointment.

The great user experience starts from the inside out – and that includes developing an infrastructure that can support multiple ways to pay. Many companies have so much legacy code, or such a cumbersome technical infrastructure, that it’s hard for them to adjust their user experience at the same rate technology and consumer options change.

Ignition Network found a way to empower our clients’ customers by creating IX, a modular ecommerce structure with “split tender” capabilities that support multiple checkout options.