AAA has updated its mobile application to let members access membership discounts via Apple’s Passbook.

The organization provides a AAA iPhone application, and via the app, members can add their card to Passbook. In addition to its iPhone app, AAA also has an Android app and a mobile site that lets consumers access the company’s services.

“Technology continues to move at such a fast pace, and embracing and leveraging technology to ensure relevancy is critical for AAA,” said Jeff Green, mobile products and commercial markets managing director at AAA, Orlando, FL.

“Integration with Passbook represents a way to respond to AAA member feedback and add value,” he said.

“By providing members the capability to add their membership card to Passbook, AAA stays ahead of the curve meeting member needs and expectations in new and innovative ways in the channels that members want to find and transact with us.”

Passbook integration
The AAA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store, but consumers must have iOS 6 to add the card to Passbook.

To tack the card on to Passbook, AAA members download the app and enter their membership information. Their card will then appear, and they can press “Add to Passbook.”

The membership card can be used at the roadside, branch offices and discount partners.

In addition to the digital membership card, AAA Mobile offers access to services such as mapping and gas price-comparison.

Non-members can benefit from the AAA app, but some features such as roadside assistance and discounts are only offered for members.

AAA mobile
AAA is focusing on mobile as a way to provide stranded drivers with roadside assistance over the years.

The company first rolled out a mobile app in 2009 to help stranded motorists communicate with AAA’s roadside assistance dispatch (see story).

AAA then updated that app in July 2012 to add more services such as mapping and gas price-comparison (see story).

Looking forward, AAA plans on updating user interface and travel tools to enhance maps and trip-planning capabilities, per Mr. Green.

For now, the company is expecting the Passbook integration to be a much-appreciated update for members.

“Based on our market research, we anticipate that the most frequent use for the Passbook pass will be for the benefit of the member discounts,” Mr. Green said.

“Passbook gives members the convenience of aggregating their membership and loyalty cards within a single app,” he said.

“We want to give our members as many options as possible for accessing their member discounts, whether they prefer to use the physical membership card, the digital membership card within our AAA Mobile app or the AAA pass within the Passbook app.”

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York