SheerID InStore programs and verification

An InStore program is one that will be implemented both online and at physical business locations (i.e., in-store).

This article provides information on SheerID's product features, resources, and best practices that will help you optimize your in-person verification experience for in-store programs.

In-store verification

A typical in-store verification experience with SheerID includes the following steps:

1. A gated offer is advertised via:
   • In-store signage
   • Company websites
   • Any outgoing marketing materials where the intent is to drive in-store traffic
2. A consumer visiting the store accesses the verification form one of two common ways:
   • Via their own mobile device, utilizing a QR code printed on the in-store signage.
   • Via a store-provided tablet that is preloaded with the verification form.*
3. The consumer fills out the verification form with a few key data points needed for verification.
4. If the consumer is verified as eligible, they are given access to the offer via one of the following methods:
   • A coupon code is provided that they can apply at the register.
   • If a loyalty program is integrated with the gated offer, the consumer can log in to their loyalty account at the register (for example, by providing or entering their phone number during checkout) to have the offer automatically applied to their purchase.

If the gated offer is tied to a loyalty program, it is not necessary for consumers to reverify when they shop again, as access to the offer will be tied to their loyalty account via account tagging, providing a seamless experience every time the customer makes a purchase.

The best practice learned from many brands is to encourage people to sign up for their loyalty programs prior to visiting the store if they intend to utilize a gated offer for their purchase.

*Note: the store-provided tablet may be loaded to the web location of your normal online verification form, or it may be loaded to a separate verification form in order to better capture metrics related to in-store versus online verifications.

Features and resources

The following SheerID features and resources have been developed to help enhance your experiences and success with InStore programs.

InStore Implementation Package

For Business- and Enterprise-level customers, SheerID offers an InStore Implementation Package.

This package groups together product features and services designed to optimize in-store use cases. It includes the following and more:

• InStore consulting
• Train-the-trainer consulting
• Specialty program customizations, including loyalty integrations
• In-store associate override feature
• QR & Barcode coupon feature 

Contact SheerID or your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to learn more about the components of this package and to obtain a quote.

Account tagging and account linking

These features help streamline the in-store experience by ensuring that a consumer's verification status is tied to their loyalty program account.

Loyalty program members who have already been verified as part of a consumer community for which there is a gated offer can automatically have the offer applied at checkout when they log in to their loyalty account.

QR codes and bar codes for use in-store for consumers to access the gated offer

SheerID will work with clients to create store-specific program URLs for which we will deliver QR codes that the client can display in their stores. These QR codes will lead consumers to the verification forms.

Store level reporting

By presenting the QR codes in store that link to the verification form, we can track from which stores consumers are verifying.

Store- and region-level verification data are detailed in the custom InStore dashboard that is enabled for InStore accounts.

Associate Override

Associate Override is a feature that you can opt to turn on as part of the InStore product.

Turning this feature on will enable in-store associates to override or bypass a SheerID verification by inputting a code.

The intended use case of this feature is situations where all of the following are true:

• The verification process asks a consumer to upload documentation
• The consumer does not have the relevant documentation with them
• The consumer is unable or unwilling to retrieve relevant documentation to verify (i.e. they complain to management about the inability to instantly verify)
• The in-store associate reasonably believes that the consumer is a member of the relevant consumer community (e.g., the offer is for military members and the consumer is wearing a military veteran hat).

Associate Override usage is tracked in MySheerID's reporting as a separate verification type. It will be displayed in dashboards and downloadable reports alongside other verification types such as Authoritative and Document Review.

SheerID customers can choose to have up to 100 different override codes. They can choose to give a different code to different regions, cities, or individual stores to best track how often verification codes are being used.

QR & Barcode  

QR Codes and Barcodes are a feature that can be turned on by Professional Services as part of the InStore product. 

These are primarily designed for facilitating in-store reward redemption, enabling customers to effortlessly present their reward code, which can then be easily scanned by store staff during the checkout process. The primary purpose of this functionality is to connect the dots between online verification and the in-store shopping experience.

QR Codes and Barcodes can be displayed separately or together. As another note, we recommend always displaying the text value of the reward in case there is an issue with the ability to scan a QR code or barcode. If a value in the list of reward display options isn’t recognized, it’ll be ignored. 

Best practices

Below are some of the best practices SheerID recommends to optimize success with your in-store program.

Associate Override codes

• It is up to your organization to decide what the specific Associate Override code will be.
• Override codes must be an alphanumeric string.
• The code should be easy for in-store associates to remember.
• The code should be complex enough that consumers visiting the store can't easily copy or remember it if they see in-store associates using it.

In-store signage

• The best way to advertise that you have an in-store offer is through signage.
• Signage should explain key details of the offer, such as the value offered and eligible consumer community (e.g., "20% off for students")
• Signage should include a QR code that links visitors directly to your online verification form.

Training in-store staff

• Retail associates, customer service agents, and other in-store team members should be made aware of your gated offer, as well as how to verify customers. They should be comfortable helping consumers verify via store-provided tablet (if relevant) and consumer-owned mobile devices.
• With the InStore product, SheerID provides "train-the-trainer" consulting, where we will teach your in-store training staff everything they need to know about verifications so that they can pass this on to other key team members.

Separate in-store and online programs

• If your in-store offer is also available online, create separate programs for each of these experiences in MySheerID.
• Having separate programs works best for use cases where in-store consumers will access and complete the verification form while in-store, rather than prior to visiting.
• This approach provides several key benefits:
  • SheerID's reporting can be filtered by program name, which will break out verifications for in-store versus online programs, providing better insight into consumers and each program's performance.
  • Success emails, notifier emails, branding, and more can be customized for the different experiences.
  • Instant Rate settings can be adjusted independently for each program. Applying more permissive settings to in-store verifications will reduce friction for those consumers (such as asking them to provide documentation that may not be with them while in-store) and can create a better brand experience.
• If separating online and in-store programs, leave your online program as-is and create a new program for the in-store experience.
• Point the in-store QR code and/or store-provided tablets to one of the following:
  • A verification form hosted on a hidden webpage within your domain.
  • SheerID's prebuilt offer landing page.

Fraud prevention configuration changes

SheerID has many configurations in place to protect your offers from fraud. One of these configurations notices if the same IP address is submitting multiple verification forms.

If you are utilizing a store-provided tablet to access a verification form, there will be a high volume of verification attempts submitted by the same IP address.

In order to prevent disruption to your program due to automatic fraud measures, you must contact SheerID's Product Support team and ask them to configure an exception for the IP address of any store-provided tablets used for verification.

Evaluating success

Every InStore program has different goals, so evaluating success may look different for each program.

During the consulting phase of your InStore engagement, our team of Marketing and Solutions experts will discuss your program goals and help you establish KPIs, such as conversion tracking.

Reach out to your CSM if you need help discovering or analyzing metrics to support your KPIs or for further marketing assistance.