Subway Restaurants in Northern Ontario, Canada, has launched a loyalty program which rewards customers for logging on to Subway’s free wi-fi network. The first time a customer logs in, they are rewarded with a coupon for a free 6-inch sandwich. Once customers have opted-in, the network remembers them and each subsequent visit could offer them additional rewards.

Subway has launched the initiative in partnership with wi-fi monetisation company, Turnstyle Solutions. Wi-fi is seen as a useful way of encouraging diners to stay in a restaurant for longer and order more items while they browse the web on their phone, tablet or laptop. The Turnstyle platform also delivers valuable analytics back to Subway relating to dwell time and sites visited while on the wi-fi network.

“After 50 years in the marketplace, we haven’t forgotten our most valuable asset, our customers,” said Steve Beaudry, board chair of the local Subway Canada Franchisee Advertising Trust. “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience in store. Turnstyle’s technology was appealing because it evolves the way that we can interact with our consumers, providing a platform for direct communication and a new innovative reward system for our patrons, all through the wi-fi.”