Cardtrix to be pulled from app stores after retailers seek to opt out

A new app which aimed to help consumers to keep their loyalty cards all in one place – on their smartphone – is to be pulled.

The Cardtrix app, which was developed by British loyalty programmes group Aimia, allowed users to add their existing loyalty cards and apply for new ones with just a few clicks.

However, in recent days, Aimia has had to remove Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Topaz and Applegreen from the app, according to Aimia vice-president Fiachra Woodman.

Consent

“Cardtrix is something we were keen to try in Ireland to make loyalty easier for people. We did so with the very explicit consent of consumers. We hoped retailer consent would follow,” Mr Woodman said.

“Some retailers have asked to be removed from the app. Ultimately, as a result, we’ve been unable to keep enough programmes in Cardtrix to make it a really relevant and useful app,” he added.

Mr Woodman said it was “with regret” that the company has decided to close Cardtrix in Ireland.

The app, which was available free on iOS and Android, gave a plain English account of what each programme offers and how to get the most out of each of them.

It also gave consumers instant visibility of the points and rewards they earn from shopping.

The app had been tailored to the Irish market and supported the loyalty programmes of a number of retailers and companies including Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Boots, SuperValu, Eason, Debenhams and Nandos.

“We truly felt retailers would all welcome this app. We wanted to make use of loyalty programmes easier for consumers,” Mr Woodman said.