Zions Bank and Access Development Introduce Mobile Rewards App

Zions Bank and Access Development have teamed up to create the Zions Cash Rewards mobile app, an on-the-go savings resource for Zions Bank Visa credit and debit cardholders.

The Zions Cash Rewards app features deals at thousands of local and national restaurants, retail shops, hotels, golf courses, automotive service providers and more, stretching from Southern Utah to Northern Idaho. The app contains two types of merchant-funded offers: “show your phone” coupons and cash back rewards.

Customers redeem mobile coupons by presenting their mobile phone at the point of sale. Additionally, cash back rewards are earned when a qualifying transaction is made using a Zions Bank Visa card at a participating merchant location. The cash reward is then deducted from the merchant’s account and deposited automatically into the customer’s account.

The app separates the two types of deals, so users know when to present their phone, and when to simply pay with their Zions Bank Visa card. Participating merchants can be found by category, GPS location, maps, recent searches, or a user-designated favorites list. Other features include a savings tracker and alerts for new merchant offers.

“We want to provide tremendous value to our customers that goes beyond mobile banking functions,” said Rob Brough, Zions Bank executive vice president. “With the Zions Cash Rewards app we are helping our cardholders save money on the types of purchases they make every day, while driving more revenue to businesses in the communities Zions Bank serves.”

Access began its partnership with Zions Bank as a merchant-funded rewards provider in 2005, when the companies first launched the Zions Cash Rewards program. At the time, the cash back program was the first of its kind.

“We’re excited to partner with Zions Bank on this venture, which will again introduce a leading-edge customer rewards program unlike any other in the financial industry,” said Kelly Passey, EVP of business and product development at Access. “Access has built a nationwide network of mobile deals at over 120,000 locations so that companies like Zions Bank can offer value regardless of customer location. We’ve ensured there is great content, with deals up to 50 percent off, while delivering top-of-wallet status for our FI partners for their on-the-go customers”.

The new app comes at a time of explosive growth for the mobile coupon industry. A November 2012 report by Juniper Research estimates that more than 500 million consumers will receive mobile coupons in 2013, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. Similarly, a study by Javelin Strategy & Research revealed that mobile discounts are cited by consumers as the benefit most likely to sway them to use a smartphone-based payment system.

The Zions Cash Rewards mobile app is available for download on Android and Apple devices. To view a list of participating rewards merchants, visit: ZionsCashRewards.com.