How to Convert to Astro from Paper or Digital Frequent Buyer Programs

How to Convert to Astro from Paper or Digital Frequent Buyer Programs

How to Convert your Paper Frequent Buyer Cards to Digital Frequent Buyer Cards in Astro

There are several ways that you can convert your current customers' Frequent Buyer progress to Astro. 

Manual Method for Paper Card Conversions

If you have been tracking your frequent buyer programs using paper punch cards, stamp cards or envelopes you can start loading in your Customers and their cards right away. You can either do this while you are checking out a customer or you can do this prior to actually checking out the customer during your down time, either way the process is a quick one. 
Make sure that you have Enrolled in your Frequent Buyer Programs before you start trying to convert your cards. Otherwise Astro will not be able to generate the card you need.

Step One: Add the Customer

Here is an article on how to Add New Customer, if you do not already know how to do so. If we already uploaded a Customer List for you then this step is only necessary if the customer was not on your uploaded customer list.

Step Two: Checkout

Once you have added the customer to Astro you will be taken to that customer's Checkout screen. There you can use the Checkout Process to start adding their prior purchases to their account.
  1. If you have an envelope full of clipped UPCs you can scan them.
  2. If you have the UPCs written out in numerical form on receipts you can start typing them into the system, or you can type out the name of the product, then hit Enter on your keypad. 
  3. You can use the drop-down menus below the search bar to select the program, card, then item you want to add.
  4. Once the card is generated you can click on it directly to add more items to it. 
  5. If you have UPCs that you are able to copy/paste then turn your Scanner/Keystroke Capture to OFF (switch located just above grey search bar) then you will be able to paste UPCs or Text into the search field. Then hit Enter to search.


Astro will not allow you to manipulate the purchase date, so all prior purchases that you enter today will show today's date as the date of purchase. We recommend that you record the original dates of purchase using Edit Card Notes. If there are many purchases you can simply record a start and end date. 

The notes will appear
under
the card.

Step Three: Submit Reason

Select Checkout located under the customer's name on screen left. If you added more than one purchase to a digital card you will be presented with a Multiple Same Card Purchase pop-up. Since you are converting paper cards select the reason "Paper Card Conversion" from the drop-down menu. If you have any other information that you wish to share with your distributor, vendor, or Astro you can add it to the Additional Information Field.
Often times I will copy the same note that I added below the card to Card Notes to the Additional Information Field.
Anything you enter on this pop-up will be saved with the card forever and will not be able to be edited by any party, Astro included, this ensures that your documentation of either Paper Card Conversions or Multiple Purchases are securely recorded just in case there are any inquires. Once you are finished click Submit Reason. 

 

Step Four: Finish Transaction

Simply select Finished and the transaction will be completed and their new digital card will be saved.




How to Convert to Astro if you were tracking your Frequent Buyer Programs using another Digital Tracking Service?

Our Astro Support Specialists will need to determine the best way to assist you. Please contact Astro Support and let us know what service you were using to track your frequent buyer programs before you signed up for Astro. 

We have two methods for converting your customers' digital data to Astro, both depend on what software you are converting from. I will go over the Primary method now. 

Onboarding your Customers' Purchase History as Notes

As with any data conversion on Astro there is some prep involved.
Step One - Email support@astroloyalty.com and let us know what tracking system you have been using so we can confirm whether or not it is a good candidate to convert to Astro.
Step Four - Request any additional Frequent Buyer Programs, Custom Programs or Loyalty Point Programs that you need so we can set them up for you.
Step Five - Choose a date to go live on Astro and schedule it with us. Make sure we add this date to our event calendar and send you an invite. 
Step Six - On the day before your chosen start date, after your store has closed for the day, acquire and export of your customers' current Frequent Buyer / Points (if applicable) process and email it to Astro (your Astro agent assisting in your conversion will give you the email addresses you will need).

What to expect after we have onboarded your customers' purchase history to Astro
We will be onboarding your customers' purchase history in the form of Notes. These notes will be added to the Astro Pet Owner Accounts that we generated for each customer on your export. These notes will include the same terminology that you used to title your programs in the system you were using prior to Astro.
In the example below we see that this couple (customer's can share Pet Owner Accounts as well) need 3 Dog Primal Freeze-Dried 14oz bags and 3 Dog Frozen Primal 3lb bags added to their Astro account. 




Example of the Checkout Process with a Onboarded Note Conversion
  1. Let's say Beth purchased 2 bags of 14oz Freeze Dried for her dog today.
    1. If you are using a POS that has integration with Astro then this card will be automatically generated for you.
    2. If you are using Astro manually you can scan the 2 bags she is purchasing and the card will be generated.
    3. So the first step will always be to record the customer's current purchases just as you would if you were checking them out normally. 
  2. Now we can add the 3 prior 14oz purchases to Beth's new card by clicking on one of the empty punch slots on that card and selecting the items from the drop-down menu. You can choose to add the exact items she had purchased before, or you can simply add 3 more bags of the same formula she just purchased. 
  3. One you have added those 3 additional punches to her card (so in this example she would have 5, 14oz punches on her Primal card, 2 she is purchasing now and the 3 she purchased earlier), you can remove the Onboarded Note by clicking the Entered to Astro button. 
  4. At this point you can choose to add her prior 3lb Frozen purchases to another card, or you can save that note for the next time she comes in and purchases a 3lb frozen bag. **The benefit to waiting is you will be able to scan an item to create the card you need.** 
    1. To create the 3lb Frozen card now you can use the drop-down menus below the search bar to select the Manufacturer Name (Primal), Program Name (Primal DOG | 3lb Frozen Raw | Buy 12 Get 1 Free) and lastly the Product. 
  5. You can add a Card Note to the card you just added her prior purchases to. This can say something like "Prior purchases added on [today's date], original purchase dates [xx/xx/xxxx - xx/xx/xxxx]". Whatever you add to the Card Notes are for your eyes. 
  6. Click Checkout once you have finished.
  7. If you added more than one item to the customer's card you will now see a Multiple Same Day Purchase Pop-up. 
  8. Once you have finished select Finished to save the transaction.
An Onboarded Note will remain under Customer History to be converted to Astro until you physically click the Entered in Astro button to remove it. Clicking the button deletes the note, and once it is deleted it is gone. The button does NOT convert the note to a digital card.


Tips & Tricks | Frequently Asked Questions

Uploading Customer Lists to Astro
If you want to skip Step One, we can upload your customer list for you if you can provide us with a clean customer list. This list will need to be in Excel format with all info separated into columns; First Name | Last Name | Phone Number | Email Address. Phone number and email address are not required, but we will need a First and Last Name. Remember, the cleaner the list the less work you will need to do later such as deleting unwanted customers and combining duplicate accounts. If you would like us to upload your customers, email your excel sheet to Support.

Customer Mobile App
If you would like your customers to be able to download the Astro Mobile App or be a part of your Mailing List you can send them the Welcome Email during Add Customer, or the Verification Email during Checkout. Either method will send the same email. If you would like to see a preview of this email select Add Customer and click the Preview Welcome Email button. To send the email from Checkout you will need to click the customer's email address located below their name to bring up the customer edit pop-up. 


Can we take the loyalty point program that we are already tracking and upload that data into Astro so we can start using Astro Points?

Yes! If you are able to export your customers' points into an Excel doc in the following format; First Name | Last Name | Points, we can upload that data into Astro for you. If you would like to include additional columns of info on that excel doc such as Phone Number or Email you are welcome to. We will first need to set you up with an Astro Points program. Then you will need to email your excel sheet to Support. 

Who can convert paper cards in Astro?

Any Astro User, Cashier or Administrator, can add paper cards into Astro. All they need is access to Add Customer and Checkout which all Employee Users do. Most of our retailers will convert their paper cards to digital cards during normal business hours in between checking out customers.

What should we do with the Paper Cards after converting?

There are two manufacturers, Fromm and Canidae, who asked that retailers keep all used and unused paper cards because they want their reps to come pick them up in person. Astro recommends that you keep all other paper cards after you add the purchases to Astro. Once you convert a card add your notes to the digital card then write directly onto the paper card "Astro - date of conversion". Then store this card in a safe place until you have received credit for the redeemed digital card in Astro. 

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