26 May Timmy Me – is a co-branded credit card in the works?

 Timmy Me!

On a visit to my local Tim Hortons the other day, I was encouraged to see ads for the re-launch of their Timmy Me app.   For my international readers, Tim Hortons is Canada’s own coffee and donut store.  Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, Timmys (as it is affectionately known by the locals) is always looking to stay current and engaged with its very loyal customers.

Timmy Me

I had loaded the app onto my smartphone when I first got interested in loyalty cards, digital wallets and smartphones.  My Tim Hortons and Starbucks apps sat happily side by side on my cell.  Timmy’s worked, but it didn’t have the bells and whistles, or the bouncy gold stars in my Starbucks cup.

So I was happy to see the new version launched. I loaded the new app, visited my local Tim Hortons, bought a new Tim card, loaded it onto my app and used it to buy an iced cappe and some Tim Bits.  Android phones are bar code scanner enabled.  Blackberry users can tap and go.  According to the staff, there have been a number of clients who use the process daily.  Need help getting started?  Check out the links below.

I like the Order Notepad feature on the app, as well as the ability to manage your gift card (view transactions, manage credit cards and reload your Tim Card) either through the mobile app, or via the regular Tim website.  I would like some other extensions to this app – for instance the ability to logon to the store wi-fi through the app if I choose, or the ability to ‘send’ my order to the cashier as I walk into the store, reducing my wait-time.

Connecting the dots 

I think this re-launch of Timmy Me is just a precursor to a bigger plan from Timmy’s.

    A few days ago over coffee, in a conversation about Canadian rules and regulations, privacy and big data, I recognized how loyalty points and loyalty cards allow corporations a significant advantage when data mining for consumer habits, research and selling opportunities.  As Target, President’s Choice/Loblaws and other major retailers can attest, a customer will willingly hand over their (protected private information and) purchasing patterns in return for a loyalty reward.

    At a local job fair recently and on LinkedIn, Endo networks was advertising for Tim Hortons Promotional Representatives across Canada for a Spring/Summer marketing blitz.  The job description stated “Your job will be to help Tim Hortons customers learn about a new financial services product, which is a first-of-its-kind in Canada.”

   As the Timmy Me app has already deployed, complete with a TimmyRun tab where the customer registers their drink preferences, and can pre-register a group of friends to buy drinks for, what could be next?

If you connect all the TimBits, something along the lines of a co-branded credit reward card may be in the works.  Wouldn’t it be nice if that flight to Hawaii results in rewards of a year’s worth of Double Doubles and Iced Cappes? But there may be bigger surprises ahead if the ‘first-of-its-kind‘ claim is to be delivered.  Will Timmy’s incorporate something similar to the Paym IOU calculator recently launched in the UK which would allow the generous Ron

Ron goes on a TimmyRun

in their TimmyRun video to recoup his generosity to his colleagues.  (See  Leisure lending explained in my recent post on UK’s Paym service) .  After all, with all the email addresses and phone numbers already registered and at his fingertips from the TimmyRun app, it may be very convenient for his co-workers to pay him back via a link to our own Interac e-transfer.   

When contacted, Tim Hortons would not comment on this posting, but they did recommend staying in touch as there would be developments in the future – they were unable to offer a date or describe the services planned.

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Over to you:

–  Would you consider signing up for a branded credit card at your local favorite coffee shop?

–  Would you like the TimmyRun app to automatically submit your order as soon as you walk through the door, or get in the drive-though lane?

–  Do you have security concerns for your personal data, now that you have to register for the app, and for the TimmyRun?

Glossary

Double Double:  Regulars’ short form for a regular coffee, two creams, two sugars

Tim Bit:  Yumm!  As photographed beautifully by my son before he devoured them, Tim Bits are the ‘Big In Taste’ donut holes re-purposed.  They come in a variety of flavours – Honey dipped, Old fashioned plain, Chocolate glazed among them.  Most 5-6year old Canadian kids from Sidney Crosby to John Tavares first learned ice hockey in the Timbits league, one of many sports programs aimed at getting the 5-6yr old kids moving and involved in sports, and generously sponsored by Tim Hortons.

Resources:

Tim Hortons Timmy Me Registration page: http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/timcard

How to Register a Timmy Me account: http://youtu.be/u-inIxGnPg8

How to pay for your purchases with the Timmy Me app ‘Its that easy!”: http://youtu.be/q-kAOG6qJyQ