HappyPoints

HappyPoints was the later name of HappyDigits, a German multi-partner customer loyalty programme that was launched in 2002 by Deutsche Telekom and Karstadt and operated by CAP Customer Advantage Program GmbH, based in Cologne. The programme was rebranded from HappyDigits to HappyPoints on 1 January 2010 and was discontinued on 1 January 2013. Participants collected bonus points, called "Digits", when shopping with participating companies. Points were awarded in proportion to spending — typically one Digit per euro spent, worth one cent, though some partners awarded one Digit per three euros. Points could be redeemed for merchandise rewards or shopping vouchers, and could also be donated to charitable organisations. A Mastercard function without annual fees allowed participants to pay and collect Digits at the same time, and a calling-card variant enabled cashless telephoning worldwide. At its peak, HappyDigits was the second-largest programme of its kind in Germany after Payback, with 31.9 million cards issued nationwide in 2007. More than 70 online and offline partners took part as of October 2008. In July 2003, eight million Karstadt Group customer cards were migrated into the HappyDigits programme, adding to the two million cards already issued. The programme's operator, CAP Customer Advantage Program GmbH, was founded in January 2002 as a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom AG and Karstadt (49% stake). In January 2009, Deutsche Telekom announced its exit and sold its 51% stake to Karstadt. After a further sale, the programme belonged to the KarstadtQuelle Mitarbeitertrust e. V., a pension fund, which detached CAP GmbH with HappyDigits from the Arcandor group and made it insolvency-proof. By 30 November 2009, all collecting partners had left the HappyDigits programme, and the future of the programme was uncertain. It was rebranded as HappyPoints on 1 January 2010 and finally discontinued on 1 January 2013. Data protection was a notable concern: the operator underwent a TÜV Rheinland audit to obtain a data protection seal, certifying compliance with the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Purchase data were stored at the respective partner company and also passed to HappyDigits. The programme used purchase and personal data across companies for customer analysis and direct marketing with participant consent. The Federal Court of Justice ruled that the general terms and conditions of participation did not become part of the contract, and that the opt-out clause for postal advertising and market research was permissible.

HappyDigits was launched in 2002 as a customer loyalty programme by Deutsche Telekom and Karstadt. The operating company, CAP Customer Advantage Program GmbH, was founded in January 2002 as a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom AG and Karstadt, with Karstadt holding 49% of the shares. Based in Cologne, the programme quickly grew: by July 2003, eight million Karstadt Group customer cards were migrated into HappyDigits, adding to the two million cards already issued. By 2007, 31.9 million cards had been issued nationwide, making HappyDigits the second-largest programme of its kind in Germany after Payback. As of October 2008, more than 70 online and offline partners participated. In January 2009, Deutsche Telekom announced its exit from the loyalty programme and sold its 51% stake to Karstadt. After a further sale, the programme came to belong to the KarstadtQuelle Mitarbeitertrust e. V., a pension fund, which detached CAP GmbH with HappyDigits from the Arcandor group and made it insolvency-proof. By 30 November 2009, all collecting partners had left the HappyDigits programme, leaving its future uncertain. On 1 January 2010, the programme was rebranded as HappyPoints. However, it was discontinued on 1 January 2013. Throughout its existence, the programme faced data protection scrutiny. To address participants' privacy concerns, the operator underwent a TÜV Rheinland audit and obtained a data protection seal certifying compliance with the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Purchase data were stored at the respective partner company and also passed to HappyDigits. The programme used purchase and personal data across companies for customer analysis and direct marketing with participant consent. The Federal Court of Justice ruled that the general terms and conditions of participation did not become part of the contract, and that the opt-out clause for postal advertising and market research was permissible.

• 2013

  On 1 January, HappyPoints was discontinued.

• 2010

  On 1 January, HappyDigits was rebranded as HappyPoints.

• 2009

  In January, Deutsche Telekom announced exit and sold its 51% stake to Karstadt; by 30 November all collecting partners had left.

• 2008

  As of October, more than 70 online and offline partners participated.

• 2007

  31.9 million cards issued nationwide; HappyDigits ranked second-largest programme after Payback.

• 2003

  In July, eight million Karstadt Group customer cards migrated into HappyDigits, adding to two million existing cards.

• 2002

  HappyDigits launched by Deutsche Telekom and Karstadt; CAP Customer Advantage Program GmbH founded as joint venture in January.

Multi-partner customer loyalty programme, second-largest in Germany after Payback at its peak.

• HappyDigits/HappyPoints loyalty card

  Card for collecting Digits at participating companies.

• Mastercard function

  Annual-fee-free Mastercard allowing payment and Digit collection.

• Calling card

  Enabled cashless telephoning worldwide.

1. 1STRATO - Domain reservedcustomer-advantage.de
2. 2HappyPoints - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3HappyPoints - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org