Aloha eCard

Welcome to the next generation of backoffice applications, Aloha eCard. Aloha Technologies offers the restaurant hospitality industry reliable, single or multi-store gift card functionality. Aloha eCard is a guest-focused software application that empowers restaurants to generate and keep repeat business. Gift Card usage has been proven to increase business and customer loyalty when implemented. This is a vital business tool, since repeat customers are considered the key to long-term success in the restaurant industry.

Research indicates that 45% of adults have used gift cards, an increase of 34% over previous years. Consumers spend an average of $200 per year on gift cards, an increase of 30% from previous years. In addition, 61% of respondents who have received gift cards indicated they spend more than the amount assigned to the card, and 55% of gift card recipients find more than one trip necessary to deplete the value of a gift card. This adds up to big business for restaurateurs.

Aloha eCard is fully integrated with the Aloha POS. In fact, it's so integrated that Aloha stores are up and running with their new eCard program with NO training required. Gift Card sales and redemptions are simply handled just like selling standard items or tendering to other payment types. Aloha eCard is instantly deployed; we offer a complete gift card solution with absolutely no implementation impact.

We handle it all for you. We've designed eCard where sales, voids and redemptions are available through your existing Aloha POS reporting, providing no learning curves for your staff. Full in-store reporting, including front and back of house as well as easy-to-read guest receipts with the card holder's current balance information, is included with eCard. Denominations can be pre-determined or set-up to have an open value. Cards are activated at time of purchase and their value decreases as they are used. Activation and redemption are tracked and reported through business rules that you define.

Unlike any other product on the market, you can retain your data locally with no connection necessary for authorization. Since we provide this connection free environment, we maximize your speed of service and system operation, helping you provide the best services to your guests. At intervals you define, store level gift card data is constantly updated from site-to-site seamlessly behind the scenes. The easy-to-use Gift Card Wizards allow the configuration settings to be specified for the entire company, or just for specific stores, where the store hardware or Internet connectivity varies from the company standard. Aloha eCard offers a powerful replication group feature, which allows an authorized user to control which store or stores honor which gift cards. Aloha eCard is the guest satisfaction and patronage "maximizer" for your business.

Benefits/Features:
• 100% web configuration and management (via easy-to-use wizards)
• Real-time enterprise-wide reporting capabilities
• Scheduled reports, delivered to recipients via email in over 20 different formats
• Instant deployment, activate stores with gift cards on-line
• Seamless integration to Aloha POS
• Supports offline authorization, where no dial-out is needed
• Also supports real-time authorization, where stores connect to centralized gift card database to authorize
card sales and redemptions
• Supports all IP connection methods (high-speed and dial-up)
• No additional hardware required
• Seamless synchronization between stores keeps card
data current
• Automatic synchronization is scheduled at intervals
that you control
• Allows card holders to easily add value to their existing cards
• Supports a variety of refund types, where the card balance is updated each time it's used, or if desired, cash change can be returned to the guest
• Tight integration to Aloha Enterprise.com Reports, General Ledger Interface, Drilldown Viewer and Alerts
• Same solid Enterprise.com support
• Unlimited card types, so that cards can be created
for holidays or your special promotions, or with a wide range of pre-determined values
• Supports both cards and paper certificates
• Powerful replication groups allow you to control your onsite gift card data and which cards can be used in which stores
• Supports multiple back-up connection methods – i.e., you may wish to use a local ISP as the back-up to your frame relay
• Complete in-store gift card reporting available from both the POS and Back Office
• Customers get an up-to-date card balance each time they use their card, printed right on their guest check
• Supports extremely high-speed authorization in fewer
than four seconds
• Installs and upgrades are automatic and behind the scenes – no CD's or diskettes to distribute and install! Aloha eCard Connection Modes
There are two connection options available for eCard, fully functional in a semi-connected or virtual-connected mode to our eCard Data Center.

Virtual
The store is fully connected to our eCard Data Center via a DSL or other high-speed connection. You can optionally store all data centrally, which leaves a very small technology footprint.

Semi-Connected
The store connects at intervals. The data is archived in an in-store cache. This option offers the inherent redundancy for which Aloha is famous.

Proven Solutions
The backbone to any Internet-based solution is secure and accurate data transfer. Aloha Technologies offers proven Internet powered deliverables. As a fully integrated solution with Aloha POS, eCard is available as a stand-alone offering or as an add-on component to Aloha Enterprise.com. By using Aloha industry experts to service and maintain your system, you are guaranteed reliability. With thousands of installations, Aloha Enterprise has an outstanding track record with years of customer success stories.

Aloha eCard Terminal Edition
Aloha eCard has also introduced a standalone version called Aloha eCard Terminal Edition that runs on a credit card swipe terminal for non-Aloha POS customers. Gift Card sales and redemptions are as easy as 1-2-3, with a simple push-button system for transactions to sell or redeem a gift card, check a card balance, void a card sale or void the certificate redemption. Terminal Edition provides real-time authorization and real-time enterprise-wide reporting capabilities.

This application can run on the same terminals that support many of the most commonly used credit card processors. This makes it a great fit for most restaurants, since there is no extra hardware to buy. Customers get an up-to-date card balance printed on the receipt each time they use their gift card. Plus, the customer's gift card number is always masked for security.