Access hit another big milestone last week when we debuted PowerDeals, a micro-redemption engine built to encourage loyalty while lowering costs for points programs. We were honored to introduce the new service on-stage at FinovateSpring, a two-day event featuring intense, seven-minute sessions featuring the latest in financial technology.

So, what is PowerDeals?

PowerDeals allows customers to redeem small amounts of points or miles for deep discounts at over 300,000 local and national merchants. The goal is to encourage more frequent reward redemptions, generating more member engagement.

Bryce Benson and Kelly Passey present PowerDeals at FinovateSpring (thanks for Finovate for the photo)

Here’s an example: in a typical rewards program you can pick up a $10 gift card to a national retailer for a thousand points or more. Or you can grab a PowerDeal to the same retailer, say $10 off a $25 purchase, for just a couple hundred points.

The big difference is program administrators typically pay full price for the gift card, whereas the PowerDeals cost a fraction of the face value. Those savings are passed along to the members, who will make more transactions because of the low redemption thresholds. Those transactions keep them engaged with the brand, which is able to lower costs and accrual liability.

We call it micro-redemption, or giving consumers big value for just a handful of points. In true Access fashion, PowerDeals creates a win-win-win for all involved: programs earn more engagement while beefing up their member benefits; customers get deep discount for a small amount of points; and our merchant partners get the foot traffic and sales they desire.

Want to learn more about PowerDeals? Click here to visit the PowerDeals page on the Access site. Check out the press release here, as well.

Erin McCune of PaymentsViews put together a great, extensive live blog of Finovate here, including a recap of the PowerDeals presentation.

Access member benefits are genuinely beneficial. As in, they genuinely help our members save money and avoid awkward situations, like confronting the cell phone kiosks in the mall. Continuing our series of “Brands We Love” posts, one Access employee chimes in on a merchant he’s particularly fond of. 

Looking for a one-stop-shop for cell phones? I know I am. I’m in the middle of switching providers and purchasing a new cell phone. It can be a pain sorting out all the different options available for mobile and deciding which option is best.

What carrier fits my needs at the best price? Can I get a better deal at one of the kiosks in the mall with the loud kids or the carrier’s own store? Do I purchase a phone with a contract or just outright purchase one from a retailer? So confusing.

Fortunately for myself and other Access members, I have a new way to save time and money when shopping for a new phone. Access Development has launched Access Wireless, a new partnership with Simplexity, the Web’s leading authorized retailer of cell phones, smartphones, and cell phone plans.

We’re excited to reveal a bit of big news today: We’re going to be debuting our newest service, PowerDeals, at FinovateSpring 2012 May 8-9.

Merchant funded rewards are an emerging force in the rewards and loyalty arena. Sorting out the best practices and providers that work for each program can be a bit daunting. This infographic, provided by David Brebner at Mindful Insights, serves as a great overview of the industry, who the major players are, and why these types of rewards are quickly becoming so important.

Enjoy, and if you have an interest in merchant funded rewards, join our own Kelly Passey, David Brebner, and a select panel of industry leaders at NACHA, where they’ll discuss the best practices and future of the space.

(Click the image for full size)

Thanks to David and Mindful Insights for putting this together, and allowing us to share it with our readers!

As we’ve mentioned a few times, we love the merchants on our discount programs. We asked some of our employees to chime in on some of their favorites. Today, Director of Partnership Marketing Doug Jentzsch chimes in with a meaty tribute to Utah’s own Braza Grill. Read more of Doug’s writing and thoughts at his personal blog.

There was a time when you could only experience an authentic Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, when visiting cities like Los Angeles, Dallas or Miami – or by traveling to Brazil of course. More recently these steakhouses have become far more common. The greater Salt Lake City area now has four different Brazilian-style steakhouses; of these Braza Grill in Murray is what I would consider the best and most authentic in Utah.

Braza Grill offers a variety of meats, cooked over an open flame. This includes top sirloin, tenderloin, sausage, chicken and the ever popular turkey wrapped in bacon. To bring out the flavor, meats are seasoned simply with rock salt. Meat servers use large skewers to carry the meat around to each table slicing off the perfect portion for each customer. A salad bar in the middle of the restaurant features traditional rice and beans, a staple of the Brazilian diet, along with potato, pasta and green salads.

For those feeling a bit daring, ask your server to try the chicken hearts. There is no additional charge and chicken hearts are prepared upon request. Squeeze a little fresh lime over the top and you’ll be surprised how good they are.

The friendly staff, the atmosphere and food at Braza Grill takes me back to the time I spent in Brazil. It’s a unique dining experience where you’re guaranteed not to leave hungry. Braza Grill is a featured restaurant in the Zions Cash Rewards program. Zions Visa cardholders can earn a $6 reward with minimum purchase of $20.

Read the rest of our “Brands We Love” series here.

Continuing a recent trend of Access executives being called upon for thought leadership, we’re excited to announce Kelly Passey, Access Development’s Executive Vice President of Product & Business Development, will be presenting as part of a panel at the PAYMENTS 2012 annual meeting May 2. “Thought Leadership in Merchant-Funded Rewards” features a panel of three prominent card loyalty and rewards leaders, who’ll discuss the state of the industry and where it’s heading in the new post-Durbin world.

Kelly will share his thoughts as well as specific results from Access’ work with financial institutions, such as the Zions Cash Rewards program, and how mobile fits into the merchant funded rewards space. Access works with banks across the nation on programs that lift cardholder spend and loyalty, as well as connecting merchants to relevant consumers.

Editor’s Note: Through our discount network, Access works with over 250,000 merchants across the US. We’re consumers too, and we love to buy from our merchant partners as well as market them to our members. And sometimes we like to publicly proclaim how cool we think they are.

Here, Access Vice President of Corporate Marketing Andrew Graft gets all sweet for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Check out our other Brands We Love posts for more of our favorite merchants.

 
I admit that Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory could be one of the most embarrassingly obvious choices for an Access feature on brands we love. After all, anyone who isn’t mostly obsessed with chocolate will refuse to admit it anyway (since our society fears “crazy” people).

If you are one of the 12 people in America that doesn’t already know about RMCF, here’s the lowdown. It’s a chain of about 350 stores in the U.S. and Canada. They serve a crazy variety of amazing chocolate plus with other candies. I suspect some people would make visiting RMCF a weeklong vacation, if only they rented out rooms. (Note to RMCF…I don’t expect royalties for my idea, just free product.)

All that said, I give props to RMCF for reasons other than pure chocolate overload. First is their selection of gooey-covered apples. Caramel, toffee, peanuts, pecans, marshmallow, graham cracker, you name it – they’ve got some sticky combination all snuggled up with a juicy fuji, or gala, or something.

But the great thing is, it’s mostly (you guessed it) apple! I realize I may be kidding myself, but the caloric guilt factor on eating one of those babies is well down my list of oh-no-what-did-I-just-eat desserts.

And clearly, the deals we get through Access don’t hurt any either. For smaller purchases, it’s $2 or $3 off. For larger purchases you save 10% off the whole thing.

Best of all, they’re part of the Access mobile discount network. So the moment the craving strikes, no matter where I am, I just show up at the store (smartphone in hand) and show the coupon generated by the My Deals Mobile app.

There are other reasons to like Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, I assure you. But I have to go now. The siren call of the RMCF chocolatiers has begun in my head, and my salivary glands are making the keyboard slippery. Where’s my phone?

We’re proud to announce that Dave Cook, Access Development’s Vice President of Corporate Sales, will be presenting as part of a panel at the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) annual meeting April 3. “Use Your Crystal Ball: Target Marketing Across Generations” features four marketing professionals presenting their best techniques on targeting, acquiring and converting leads.

Dave will discuss using social media to build a following and create dialog, as well as how to use incentives to drive behavior and recoup marketing dollars. Those in attendance will walk away with a few specific, actionable tactics that they can apply immediately to their own efforts. It should be an informative and entertaining session.

The conference runs from April 1-5 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, and Access will be  at booth #1010 throughout the conference. ARDA is the resort and timeshare industry’s largest trade association. If you’re curious how Access works within this industry, click here. Our merchant content is packaged in a variety of ways, including travel club incentives, exit programs, timeshare marketing and more.

Because of our discount network, Access works with over 250,000 merchants across the US. We value each and every one of them, and sometimes we get so excited about one that we have to shout it out to the world. Here, Ashley Butler pens an ode to most critical of fashion accessories: shoes. Specifically, TOMS. Check out our other 
Brands We Love posts for more of our favorite merchants.

Today is February 29, and in case you’ve been hiding under a rock or are the Jodie Foster character “Nell,” you’re probably aware that today is a Leap Year day. In a perfect world, you’d be able to choose what you did with this day and it’d be a true free day. We asked marketing assistant Ashley Butler to help us poll some of our hardest working members, educators, to find out what they would do with a free, no-strings-attached 24 hours. 

Also, happy birthday to Ja Rule, who turns nine or so today, and Tony Robbins, who turns 13 (in leap years). For more fun Leap Year Facts, check this out.

There’s something a little different and a little longer about 2012. It’s a leap year! Today, February 29 is an extra day we experience only once every four years. The purpose of this one special day is to keep the calendar year synchronized with the seasonal year.

In honor of the leap year, we went online and asked fellow savers what they would do with an extra day. Here’s what some of them said:

Pamela G. said she “…would like to have a pupil-free day where I would be allowed a whole day to work in my room on any task I feel is necessary…”

Julie S. excitedly responded that “A day at the spa would be awesome!”

Another one of our savers, Dayna S., says “I would spend it relaxing and catching up on life with my own children.”

The free day isn’t going to happen, but on the bright side, Access can help our members save money on just about anything they want to do. Turn your leap day fantasy into a reality with our member savings. Access has the discount program you need to shop, have a spa day, plan some fun activities with your family, and more. We’ll help you enjoy whatever you choose to do on your extra day.

Happy Leap Day and Happy  Saving!