The little red card that Safeway customers
carry in their wallets is becoming
more useful.
The Safeway Club Card, which previously
allowed customers discount prices on
some items while simultaneously recording
their purchase habits into a data base, now
can be used as something akin to a debit
card to pay for purchases.
Brian Dowling, a Safeway spokesman,
said the service has been well received
since its introduction into the company's
markets in northern California and
Nevada during the last month.
He said Safeway previously offered the
service through its Vons subsidiary in
Southern California.
Customers, he said, appreciate the
convenience of being able to use a single
card rather than juggling one membership
card for discounts and another card
to make a payment.
The upfront paperwork? Customers fill
out an application, submit a voided check
and wait about three weeks for the service
to be activated.
The card itself is no more complex,
no matter how many types of transactions
it handles.
A bar code on the card identifies the
users to the store's computer, and the processing
work is done at the computer.
A spot check of Safeway competitors in
northern Nevada found none with immediate
plans to roll out a similar service.
In fact, a spokesperson for Raley's said
the company's customers are happy that
Raley's doesn't have a card of any type
for discounts or payment.
"A lot of people have complimented us
on it," said Carolyn Konrad at Raley's
headquarters in Sacramento.
