How bulky is your wallet or purse?

If you’re like me the answer is likely to be “Too Fat!” But, not for the right reasons! It will probably be due to the growing number of loyalty cards we are offered and accept, every time we shop at a different store.

It seems to be on the radar of every Marketing Manager of a retail enterprise, to introduce a loyalty card to promote a range of benefits to customers with a view to improving the ‘customer experience’. The improvement may be by way of qualifying for discounts, accumulation of points to spend later or even as add-ons for other benefits.

Over time, it’s amazing how many of these cards accumulate and add to our wallet or purse’s bulk. We just can’t say NO to the card as we don’t want to miss out on additional benefits or recognition for loyalty.

But, every now and then, we will have a cull of those cards.

“I haven’t used this for some time…” so out of the wallet or purse it goes.

I’m sure you have done this. Then the inevitable happens. Within a very short space of time, you will be standing at a counter, making a purchase and the shop assistant will ask if you have their loyalty card. No, that was in the last cull!!!

No worries. They can find your details on their computer BUT when you get home you will search out the card you culled, place it in your wallet or purse to add again to the bulk and in all probability won’t use it again until –  AFTER the next cull!!!

There is a solution to this growing problem for your wallet or purse.

Most of those cards can be transferred to your smartphone into what is termed a “Mobile Wallet”

An application that has worked for me in lightening the load is called STOCARD and is available for you to download for FREE from Google Play for Androids or the App Store for iPhones. I appreciate there are others available but this one gets a very good rating.

After installing this application on your Smartphone, start adding cards immediately. The first screen will start you off, displaying many of the more popular loyalty cards that are being used. If you select one of these, you will be asked to allow access to the camera so a photo can be taken of the unique bar code on your card.

Hover the phone over the bar code on the card and an image is taken immediately it is in focus and Voila! You have your first loyalty card on your smartphone.

Now, repeat for all of those other cards with a bar code and very quickly you will see the screen fill with your cards and extend. Most of the loyalty cards you have are already in the index – it’s just a matter of locating them, tapping the icon and taking an image of the bar code.

Now for the best part.

Next time you visit one of the establishments you have a loyalty card for, when making the purchase simply bring out your smartphone, open the STOCARD application, locate the card and have the salesperson scan the barcode.

It couldn’t be easier!

Finally, just a word of warning. I have found the odd card doesn’t scan at the store so my advice during the initial phase of decluttering, is to retain the loyalty card until you are satisfied it works.

by Alex Sharp, Age Hacker