Smartbis Loyalty and Cashback Marketing

Rising media costs and declining conversions are forcing a strategic reassessment. Loyalty and automation are emerging as key paths to sustainable growth in 2025.

The digital marketing sector in Brazil is undergoing a structural transformation in 2025. After years of growth driven by paid advertising, companies now face a saturated landscape marked by higher media costs and lower conversion rates. This scenario demands a shift in focus—from mass acquisition to strategic retention.

According to data from Shopify Brazil’s blog, the average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) on Facebook reached R$ 51.00 in September 2024. Meanwhile, the Yampi platform reports that the average e-commerce conversion rate in Brazil dropped to 1.92%. The combination of these factors makes acquiring new customers more expensive and less effective.

Despite the challenging environment, e-commerce continues to expand. The Brazilian E-commerce Association (ABComm) projects that the sector will generate R$ 224.7 billion in 2025, a 10% increase over the previous year. The challenge, however, lies in achieving that growth profitably.

Digital tools focused on customer loyalty are gaining ground as a viable alternative. Smartbis, a company specializing in white-label cashback benefit programs, reports growing demand for data-driven repurchase strategies. “Our goal is to help retailers build long-term relationships with consumers, encouraging loyalty through real purchasing behavior,” says Eduardo Thomas, the company’s founder.

In the automation field, WhatsApp-integrated platforms are also standing out. Whatsplaid GPT, a company that develops AI-based messaging solutions, emphasizes the importance of personalization. “WhatsApp is a high-engagement channel, but without intelligence and context, it can become just another blast. Our approach is to use AI to create relevant and segmented customer journeys,” explains the company’s technical team.

A report published by edrone reinforces the trend: Brazilian e-commerce surpassed R$ 200 billion in revenue in 2024 and could reach R$ 234 billion in 2025, driven by technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, and mobile commerce.

This operational shift also changes the profile of marketing professionals. Demand is growing for skills in data analysis, customer retention, community building, and strategic use of predictive intelligence. Metrics such as customer lifetime value (LTV), repurchase rate, and engagement are becoming central to investment decisions.

In this new scenario, the model of continuous and accelerated acquisition gives way to a search for efficiency and depth in consumer relationships. The sustainability of growth now depends on the efficiency of customer relationships—before investments turn into losses.

Artificial intelligence replaces sales team in loyalty platform, driving international growth. Experts highlight progress but also warn of risks to customer experience.

Smartbis, a Brazilian customer loyalty platform with a strong presence in Latin America, has deactivated its human sales team and fully migrated its commercial operations to an AI-powered chatbot operating exclusively via WhatsApp. The move, considered strategic by the company, is driven by its proprietary Whatsplaid GPT system, built on OpenAI technology and trained for digital channel conversions and support for loyalty programs, cashback, referral marketing, and membership clubs.

The decision was based on internal data showing that approximately 80% of cancellations stemmed from misaligned expectations created during human interactions. With automation, the company reports a significant reduction in churn and increased adoption of features like points programs and customer referrals.

The AI-driven operation is supported by the WPP Marketing system, which handles automated customer engagement campaigns, including referral programs, digital marketing, and data-driven segmentation across platforms like Google Ads.

Results Observed After the Shift

In the first three months, Smartbis reported a decrease in cancellations, a 15% increase in technical support tickets, a 10% rise in public complaints, and a 2% churn of users who preferred human interaction.

Nevertheless, an internal survey conducted with active users in Q2 2025 revealed that around 40% of respondents did not realize they were interacting with an automated agent — which the company cites as evidence of an effective and nearly seamless transition in the customer journey.

Global Trend: Efficiency with Limits

According to the report The State of AI – How Organizations Are Rewiring to Capture Value (McKinsey, 2025), over 70% of companies already use generative AI in at least one business area, particularly in marketing, sales, customer service, and product development. The study highlights that organizations redesigning workflows with AI are seeing the most significant operational impact. Consulting firm SuperAGI also estimates that automating contact centers could save up to $80 billion in operational costs by 2026.

On the other hand, there are cautions regarding the limits of automation. Christina Inge, Harvard Extension School lecturer and author of Marketing Analytics: A Comprehensive Guide (FlatWorld, 2022), notes:

“AI enhances personalization but does not replace empathy in contexts that require emotional understanding or complex decision-making.”

Hybrid models, which integrate automation with human intervention based on demand profiles, are being adopted by companies seeking a balance between efficiency and empathy in customer service.

International Expansion and Platform Evolution

The shift to automation has also paved the way for the platform’s international expansion. Now operating in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Angola, and Mozambique, Smartbis offers multi-language support, preserves conversation histories, and operates continuously without overloading the technical team.

Internally, the company leveraged this shift to redesign its offering. Low-adoption features were discontinued, while core services — such as digital loyalty cards, rewards programs, and cashback — were enhanced. According to company data, over 60% of recent reviews highlight ease of use as a positive differentiator.

Balancing Efficiency and Empathy

Eduardo Thomas, founder of Smartbis, stated: “The transition to automated service marked a new chapter for the company, especially by enabling scale and control in the customer journey with loyalty marketing.” In his statement to the press, Thomas also emphasized that while automation delivers gains in scale, cost, and standardization, the model requires strategic oversight to ensure the customer experience remains humanized, empathetic, and relevant.

The full adoption of AI in sales represents a new phase in digital service. Striking a balance between technological efficiency and human connection is set to become one of the key drivers in evolving consumer experiences in the years to come.

Hey Indie Hackers,

I’m the founder of Smartbis, a white-label cashback and loyalty marketing platform based in Brazil. We help SMBs (especially retail, restaurants, and local services) launch their own branded loyalty programs with cashback, points, vouchers, and marketing automation — all without needing a developer.

Over the past few years, we’ve grown to 60,000+ businesses using our platform, mostly in Brazil. Now we’re exploring how to take this solution global, or at least validate international interest.

Key features:

• Custom branded loyalty apps & dashboards

• Cashback, points, digital wallets, and gamification

• Automated WhatsApp, SMS, and email campaigns

• Easy integration with POS/e-commerce platforms (via API, Zapier, or direct plugins)

Why I’m here:

• I’d love feedback on the concept and positioning

• Curious how this resonates with indie hackers or small business owners outside Brazil

• Looking to connect with potential collaborators, resellers, or marketers who’ve scaled SaaS internationally

Landing page (WIP): https://www.smartbis.com

If you’ve built SaaS for SMBs or worked with loyalty/cashback tools, I’d really appreciate any insight or critique. I’m happy to answer questions or share more about what worked (and didn’t) for us in LATAM.

Thanks!