First e-cashback site launched in Switzerland

The use of discount coupons, especially cashback coupons (for cash discounts), is often complicated, especially if the coupons are not applied directly at the checkout: The coupon must be collected and the proof of purchase sent in by post. The redemption period is five to eight weeks - this is anything but encouraging for consumers.

A French-speaking Swiss start-up has found the solution to this problem with a web platform on which consumers can directly request the redemption of their discount coupons and take advantage of other promotional offers. In collaboration with HighCo, the Lausanne agency Lauris has launched the bilingual portal Cash-Cash, the first e-cashback website in Switzerland.

Cash-cash.ch is easy to use. The current offers - discount coupon, 100% cashback, double pack offer, etc. - are presented on the website, which can be accessed via all devices, especially mobile devices - whether from home, on the move or directly in the store, in front of the shelf. After purchasing the product, the consumer simply has to upload a photo of their receipt as proof of purchase and request a refund of the amount stated in the offer. The money will be transferred directly to their bank account within a maximum of seven days. Consumers get money back after every purchase transaction. Cash-Cash does not use an online wallet/ purse into which a certain amount must first be deposited before users receive their money back. The website is committed to complete transparency.

Edgard Lauris, founder of Cash-Cash, is convinced: "Couponing is and remains the best sales promotion tool ever invented. It allows brands to demonstrate their generosity. They can increase the purchasing power of their customers and generate more traffic in stores at the same time. This is known as "drive-2-store" marketing. In the digital age, the coupon must also be further developed and dematerialized. Web coupons have been gaining popularity worldwide since 2013, but with the advent of the age of mobile devices, the opportunities for direct interaction with consumers and offering promotions while shopping have become even greater. Cash-Cash's goal is to become THE reference when it comes to assisting customers in-store with their purchasing decisions - before every purchase - giving customers access to instant, exclusive and personalized offers."

Coupons in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the special situation in the retail trade forces brands to use the coupon systems of the two market leaders. The development of the multichannel coupon, i.e. a coupon issued by a brand that can be redeemed in all stores, is therefore too complicated. Therefore, according to the press release, innovations and alternatives are needed that can complement the current offer without competing with it.

There are basically only two types of couponing. A coupon is a means of payment that entitles the holder to a discount on a specific product for a fixed period of time. If the refund is made directly at the checkout, it is referred to as an instantly redeemable coupon. If it is redeemed indirectly via other means, it is referred to as a deferred redemption offer. In the case of a deferred cashback offer, the customer receives all or part of the purchase amount back, but not at the checkout, but by transfer directly to their bank account. Although most of the coupons used today were collected in-store and therefore activated by a retailer, this will most likely no longer be the case in the future. Digital coupons - web coupon, drive, load to card - have gained popularity with the rise of the smartphone and meet the expectations of modern consumers.

Switzerland is catching up with other European markets in terms of shopper marketing solutions, write the creators of Cash-cash. This is partly due to the supremacy of the Migros-Coop duopoly, which has long had the sole say in Swiss retail. However, the arrival of German competitors on the market, combined with the pressure exerted on Swiss retailers by global digital giants Google and Apple, is reshuffling the cards when it comes to web-2-store promotions: "Our platform enables brands to offer Swiss consumers '100% cashback' or 'first purchase free' offers, as well as discounts in any form, which they can find out about directly in store, at home or on the move. This interaction with the consumer is a real revolution in promotional marketing." Cash-cash's first partners in the "Food" category are the French brands Michel & Augustin and Saint Albray, which are better known in French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland.