Promotion Receipt Verification Unlocks Consumer Rewards
Last updated:
July 16, 2025
Brands often want to run rewards campaigns for purchases made at third-party retailers. This case study explores how The Arnott's Group successfully executed such a campaign for its Tim Tam brand. They used AI receipt verification to bridge the gap between in-store purchases and their digital promotion.
The system uses Optical Character Recognition, or OCR, to scan receipt images uploaded by customers. It automatically validates key details like the store, products, and date against the campaign rules. To maintain integrity, integrated fraud detection algorithms identified and blocked duplicate receipts.
The customer journey was streamlined. Shoppers bought Tim Tams at IGA, visited a promotional website, and uploaded a photo of their receipt. Validation was nearly instant, allowing them to claim their reward quickly. This strategy provided several benefits, including increased sales and the ability to gather valuable customer data. The entire campaign from concept to launch was completed in just four weeks.
Nicholas Marsh
,
The Arnotts Group
Tim Tam's Direct-to-Consumer Leap
The Arnott's Group manages many of Australasia’s most loved food brands. They wanted to create a direct connection with their most loyal customers while running a multi-purchase promotion for their Tim Tam brand. This presented a twofold challenge. First, they needed to verify purchases accurately and quickly to reward customers. Second, they had to do this at scale, considering the popularity of Tim Tams across Australia.
Partnering with Independent Grocers (IGA), the company aimed to promote a multi-purchase deal for Mother's Day. This innovative approach introduced several challenges:
- Accurately verifying customer purchases at scale.
- Extracting specific information from receipts, including purchase location, eligible products, and transaction date.
- Ensuring campaign integrity by detecting and preventing fraud.
- Creating a seamless, user-friendly experience for participants.
- Integrating the verification system with the promotional website.
Many brands in the consumer packaged goods industry face similar hurdles. They often depend on manual verification, which is slow and prone to errors. These issues can lead to customer frustration and missed opportunities. The Arnott's Group needed a robust technology solution to bridge the gap between in-store purchases and digital engagement.
Rewards Campaign Goes Live in 4 Weeks with AI Receipt Verification
The Arnott's Group partnered with Taggun and Publicis Group's PXP Studios to deliver a complete solution. PXP Studios developed an engaging promotional website. Taggun then integrated its AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to handle the receipt verification. This technology allowed for a fast and scalable campaign.
The AI scans and interprets receipt images in seconds. It verifies key details such as the purchase location, correct Tim Tam products, and transaction date. The system also used fraud detection algorithms to maintain the campaign’s integrity.
This approach created a simple and effective customer experience.
The streamlined customer journey:
- Consumers see the campaign at IGA stores.
- Purchase three Tim Tam products.
- Visit the promotional landing page.
- Upload a receipt for instant validation.
- Submit contact details to claim the reward.
The entire process from concept to launch was completed in just four weeks.
The four-week build process:
- Discovery: Concept and requirements discussion.
- Brief: Team alignment on the plan.
- Design and build: Website creation and AI optimisation.
- Testing: Refinements and final approval.
- Launch: Pilot campaign rollout with ongoing support.
The result was a powerful and user-friendly loyalty campaign. It successfully connected Tim Tam with its customers and drove sales during the Mother's Day period. The Arnott's Group now has a reliable system to verify purchases, prevent fraud, and collect valuable consumer data for future projects.
Reaping the Rewards of Real-time Receipt Verification and Custom Engagement
The Tim Tam promotion produced several valuable results for The Arnott's Group. The seamless verification process improved customer engagement and fostered brand loyalty. Effective fraud prevention also protected the campaign's integrity. The primary business outcomes included the following.
- Increased multi-purchase sales: The campaign encouraged customers to buy three packs of Tim Tams to claim a reward.
- Direct consumer connections: The Arnott's Group built a database of its most loyal customers, creating a direct channel for communication.
- Stronger retailer partnerships: This promotion strengthened the company's relationship with participating IGA stores.
- Valuable consumer insights: The data gathered now informs future marketing strategies and decisions.
- A scalable promotion model: The campaign's success provides a model for future AI-powered loyalty programs across other Arnott's brands.
Nicholas Marsh from The Arnott's Group confirmed the campaign "drove strong results for our business." He called the AI integration "a critical cog in the digital campaign." These results show the power of using AI-driven receipt verification. The Arnott's Group now has a reliable system to verify purchases and collect data for future marketing.
The Receipt Verificaiton Tech Stack
Taggun's AI-powered OCR technology provided a robust receipt verification system for the Tim Tam promotion. The core of the solution was its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology combined with tampered receipt detection and smart purchase line item analysis. This allowed the system to scan and interpret receipt images in seconds.
The AI verified key details to ensure each submission was valid. For instance, it checked the purchase location to ensure buys came from participating IGA stores. It also confirmed the correct Tim Tam products were bought and used time-stamping to check the purchase was within the promotional period.
Several other features were key to the campaign's success.
- Real-time processing for instant promotion receipt verification
- Fraud detection algorithms to maintain campaign integrity
- Seamless API integration with the promotional website
- A scalable system to handle large submission volumes efficiently
- Robust data security to protect customer information
This technical infrastructure enabled The Arnott's Group to run a secure and user-friendly campaign. It successfully connected in-store purchases with their digital engagement platform.
Rethinking Retail Rewards
The Arnott's Group's campaign shows the value of AI-powered receipt verification. The technology gave them a direct way to engage customers who purchased Tim Tams in IGA stores. This approach provides a clear advantage for brands in the consumer goods industry. It opens new ways to run targeted promotions, gather valuable insights, and prevent fraud.
This implementation demonstrates the growing potential of AI-driven receipt verification. Future uses may include enhanced personalisation of offers based on a customer's purchase history. Brands could also achieve a more seamless integration with mobile apps and other retail environments.
As consumer behaviour continues to change, technologies like Taggun's will be important for brands to stay connected with their customers. The Arnott's Group's campaign serves as a compelling case study. It shows how innovative, AI-driven solutions can be used in modern marketing strategies.