Preferred Patron Loyalty
Preferred Patron Loyalty
Preferred Patron Loyalty is an American software company specializing in customer loyalty, rewards, and engagement solutions. Best known for its Preferred Patron™ Loyalty platform, the company delivers cloud-based, kiosk, mobile, and standalone systems designed to help businesses attract, retain, and engage customers through customized rewards programs and integrated marketing tools. Headquartered in Northfield, New Jersey, Preferred Patron Loyalty was founded in 2004 by Brett Perlman and Christopher Silvestri, who combined expertise in marketing and technology to create a scalable solution for businesses of all sizes.
Overview
Preferred Patron Loyalty offers a digital-first approach to customer loyalty and engagement. The company’s flagship product, the Preferred Patron™ Loyalty platform, is designed for businesses of all sizes and industries, providing tools to build and manage customized loyalty, rewards, and gift card programs. Founded in 2004, Preferred Patron has become a leading provider of loyalty marketing software, products, and services, offering customer retention and marketing tools to resellers and clients worldwide.
The program is ideal for B2C, B2B, and B2E organizations, supporting small businesses, franchises, enterprise operations, point-of-sale integrators, and marketing agencies. The platform is widely adopted across more than thirty industries, including retail, restaurants, healthcare, hospitality, gaming, automotive, and professional services. Clients use Preferred Patron to increase customer retention, boost repeat visits, and drive long-term brand loyalty through integrated marketing, promotions, and data-driven insights.
Recognized by industry authorities such as GetApp, Capterra, and Software Advice for functionality, ease of use, value, and customer support, Preferred Patron has solidified its reputation as a trusted leader in loyalty software, serving clients across North America, the UK, and beyond.
History
Preferred Patron Loyalty was founded in 2004 in Northfield, New Jersey, as Preferred Market Solutions, with the goal of providing businesses with accessible tools to strengthen customer relationships through loyalty and rewards. At a time when loyalty programs were often costly or out of reach for smaller organizations, the company set out to deliver a scalable solution that could be adopted by businesses of any size.
From the outset, the platform combined loyalty and gift card functionality with campaign management and marketing tools. These early features were basic compared to today’s standards but established the foundation for businesses to engage customers beyond simple point tracking. Over time, the system’s marketing capabilities grew more sophisticated, evolving into a fully omnichannel platform able to automate campaigns, trigger communications in real time, and coordinate engagement across multiple customer touchpoints.
As the platform matured through the 2010s and 2020s, its capabilities expanded to include more advanced analytics, additional deployment models, and selective third-party integrations. This steady development has positioned Preferred Patron as a comprehensive engagement solution, now serving organizations in more than thirty industries worldwide.
Key People
- Brett Perlman – Managing Partner, Sales. An entrepreneur and advertising professional, Brett previously co-founded Pearl Productions and Pearl-Hunt Advertising, earning Addy and Clio awards for campaigns with brands such as Ford Motor Company. His experience launching a restaurant franchise highlighted the lack of flexible loyalty solutions, which led him to co-found Preferred Patron.
- Christopher Silvestri – Managing Partner, Technology and Development. Founder of Innovative Software Solutions, Chris brought expertise in project management, database design, and software development, having supported clients including NCR, AT&T, and Estée Lauder. His background in delivering commercial-grade software helped shape the technical foundation of the Preferred Patron™ platform.
Services and Products
Preferred Patron Loyalty provides software solutions designed to help businesses build and manage customer loyalty, rewards, and engagement programs. The platform supports a wide range of deployment models, including cloud-based, kiosk, and standalone systems, offering flexibility for different business environments.
Key features include:
- Loyalty and Rewards Programs: Configurable systems supporting spend-based, visit-based, and action-based rewards, with options for point accrual, cash-back, redemption, and tiered loyalty structures.
- Gift Card Management: Digital and physical gift card issuance, redemption, and tracking.
- Campaign Management and Marketing Automation: Tools to create, schedule, and execute customer promotions. The system has evolved from basic campaign functionality to advanced omnichannel marketing, supporting email, SMS, and other communication channels.
- Analytics and Reporting: Dashboards and reports that provide insights into customer activity, loyalty engagement, and campaign performance.
- White-Label Solution: The platform is delivered as a fully white-label system, enabling businesses and partners to brand it as their own for a seamless customer experience.
- Integrations: Select compatibility with third-party systems, including point-of-sale and communication platforms. The platform also offers a REST API and webhooks to support custom connections and data-driven workflows.
- Flexible Editions: Available in multiple tiers such as Startup, Growth, Enterprise, and Franchise, with additional options designed for community-based programs and partner/reseller models, allowing organizations to adopt solutions aligned with their size, industry, and distribution approach.
The software is designed to support B2C, B2B, and B2E use cases, and is currently adopted across more than thirty industries worldwide.
Products
Preferred Patron Loyalty offers its software in multiple editions designed to meet the needs of businesses of different sizes and operational models.
- Startup Edition: Tailored for small businesses, providing core loyalty and gift card functionality with access to essential marketing and customer engagement tools.
- Growth Edition: Designed for growing businesses and multi-location operators, adding expanded member allowances, more advanced marketing capabilities, and higher messaging volumes.
- Enterprise Edition: Built for large organizations requiring extensive scalability, advanced reporting, and broader customization options.
- Franchise Edition: Developed for franchise networks, enabling centralized oversight while allowing each location to manage its own customer engagement within the wider brand structure.
- Community Editions: Options such as community-focused loyalty programs that allow local groups or regional associations to pool participation and extend rewards across multiple businesses.
- Partner and Reseller Programs: Specialized editions for point-of-sale integrators, agencies, and resellers who incorporate Preferred Patron into their service offerings as a white-label or co-branded solution.
Area Served
Preferred Patron Loyalty serves businesses across multiple regions, with its largest markets in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In addition to these core areas, the company’s platform is also used by organizations abroad, reflecting a growing international presence across diverse industries.
Employees
Preferred Patron Loyalty operates with a specialized team focused on software development, marketing, client support, and account management. The company emphasizes agility and expertise, allowing it to serve a wide range of businesses across different industries.
Reputation and Reception
Preferred Patron Loyalty has been consistently recognized as one of the top-rated loyalty software platforms on business-to-business review sites such as Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice, earning high marks for functionality, value, and ease of use. Independent customer reviews frequently note the platform’s usability, adaptability across industries, and customer support.
In 2024, the company received multiple awards from industry authorities. GetApp recognized Preferred Patron with the Best Functionality & Features award for loyalty software, while Capterra named it Best Value and Best Ease of Use. Software Advice further distinguished the platform with titles including Most Recommended Loyalty Software and Best Customer Support.
These accolades, displayed on the company’s homepage and software review platforms, reflect both industry evaluations and customer feedback.