How the Tobacco Scan Data Program Works: A Retailer's Complete Guide

PMI Scan Data Program: SFPP Reporting & Retailer Guide

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 16:11:32 GMT

PMI Scan Data Program: ZYN Discounts, Retailer Benefits, SFPP Reporting & How to Participate

In our previous article we talked about how scandata has evolved since its inception in 2010 and how it plays an important role for retailers in managing promotional discounts, sales reporting, and retailer incentives.

Recent trends in tobacco industry where smoke products share is dwindling and smokeless products share increasing, ZYN nicotine pouches occupying a significant position in the U.S. nicotine pouch market. Retailers have good reason to understand PMI's scan data reporting requirements and associated promotional opportunities to take advantage of these trends.

Philip Morris International (PMI) scandata program is officially called as PMI US Smoke-Free Performance Program (SFPP) Data Program administered through Circana reflecting the growing importance of its nicotine pouches.

But what is PMI Scan Data Program? What does SFPP mean? Why is PMI scandata important? How do different types of promotional discounts work? And how can retailers participate?

This blog explains the PMI scandata program, common promotional structures, reporting requirements, retailer considerations, and how dezi can help.

What is PMI Scan Data Program?

The PMI Scandata Program refers to retail scandata reporting associated with Philip Morris International's U.S. business. Similar to Altria’s DTP Program , RJR Scandata Program , PMI scandata program uses sales information captured by retail point-of-sale (POS) systems to support qualifying reporting activities.

Scan data typically includes information such as:

Product UPCs or other product identifiers
Quantity of products sold
Transaction dates
Retail selling prices
Promotional discounts applied
Other fields required by the applicable reporting specifications

There are certain key characteristics of the PMI scandata program

Reporting requirements: PMI scandata has a very specific reporting format that dezi adheres to - we support pipe delimited without header format
File naming conventions as specified by Circana
Accurate data has to be sent to Circana by participating retailers by 5pm every Wednesday

Failure to meet any of the above requirements may result in the retailer receiving delayed payments or unable to participate in the PMI scandata program.

Why Is PMI Scandata Relevant to Retailers?

PMI owns Swedish Match, which markets ZYN nicotine pouches in the United States. We have seen recent trends within the tobacco industry - more regulations by FDA, changing tobacco consumer preferences and use of technology has made retailers view the scandata program as a strategic tool. Recent changes in FDA regulations have changed the way ZYN can be marketed within the US (please note that ZYN pouches are still considered nicotine products and have to meet all the statutory and legal requirements). Zyn nicotine products are considered to be the market leaders within this segment which coincides with the customer trend of tobacco customers preferring smokeless products.

These have created for retailers selling qualifying PMI products opportunities to participate in manufacturer-supported promotional programs, subject to eligibility and program terms.However, selling ZYN does not automatically establish eligibility for the PMI SFPP Data Program or any specific promotional discount.

Retailers should confirm qualifying products, participation requirements, and current offers through their sales agents.

What Types of Discounts Are Associated With PMI Scandata?

Retailers evaluating manufacturer scandata programs are often interested in the promotional opportunities associated with participation.

The PMI promotional categories identified within PMI scandata are

Buydown discounts
Multipack promotions
Loyalty discounts

dezi supports all the above discount types through its automated discount engine as well as the capability to report these kind of transactions.

PMI Promotional Discount Types Compared

How to participate in the PMI scandata program?

The PMI U.S. SFPP Data Program uses a structured reporting process involving retail transaction data. There are 4 stages in the retailer onboarding process

Enrollment: Approach your PMI sales representative and express your interest in participating in the PMI scandata program. The sales representative will have you sign the SFPP Data Program, post which Circana will send you details around file submission and sFTP credentials. This information has to be forwarded to your third party scandata provider like dezi
Testing: The third party scandata provider will submit test files, which Circana will perform formatting review post which the retailer can submit the actual scandata reports as per the format.
C ertification: In this phase Circana will review 2 weeks of consecutive weekly file submissions by the third party scandata provider. Circana will perform a review of each week’s data and communicate results to the retailer. The retailer in turn has to pass on the information to the third party scandata provider to fix any issues and submit the weekly report. This loop continues until Circana approves two weeks of scandata files.
Validation: Once the certification stage is completed, the retailer is expected to submit six weeks of consistent and accurate data submissions to Circana. Once this is done, the retailer attains “validated” status post which PMI discounts can be provided to the tobacco consumers.

For any more information regarding SFPP Data Program contact Circana at 1-855-670-7737 or email at pmisfpphelpdesk@circana.com

Important Considerations for PMI Scandata Retailers

Before participating, retailers should understand several important requirements.

Product eligibility: Not every product sold by a manufacturer automatically qualifies for every promotional offer.
Reporting accuracy: Incomplete or incorrect transaction information can affect reporting validation.
POS compatibility: dezi integrates with different PoS systems and retailers should contact us to check for their PoS compatibility.
Promotional compliance: Discounts and loyalty offers must comply with applicable manufacturer terms and federal, state, and local laws.
Age verification: Federal law prohibits selling tobacco and nicotine products to anyone younger than 21. Retailers must check photographic identification for customers under age 30 attempting to purchase tobacco products.
Recordkeeping: Maintaining accurate transaction records can help address reporting questions and discrepancies.

Frequently Asked Questions About the PMI Scandata Program

1. What is the PMI Scandata Program?

The PMI Scandata Program refers to retail sales data reporting associated with PMI's U.S. business. The program is also known as the PMI U.S Smoke-Free Performance (SFPP) Data Program.

2. What does SFPP stand for in the PMI SFPP Data Program?

SFPP is the acronym used in PMI U.S.'s official data program - Smoke-Free Performance Program.

3. Is the PMI SFPP Data Program new?

No. The PMI SFPP Data Program already exists..

4. Is PMI Scandata related to ZYN?

PMI owns Swedish Match, which markets ZYN nicotine pouches in the United States. Product eligibility for particular PMI promotions must be confirmed under the applicable program rules.

5. What types of discounts are associated with PMI Scandata?

The promotional categories identified in dezi's program information include buydowns, multipack offers, and loyalty discounts.

6. How much can retailers receive in PMI discounts?

Discount amounts and reimbursement terms depend on the applicable PMI promotional agreements. Retailers should confirm current rates and qualifying conditions through authorized program channels.

7. Does the PMI SFPP Data Program require weekly reporting?

Yes.

8. What is the PMI scandata validation process?

Validation is the stage in which submitted reporting files are reviewed before the participant is authorized to begin regular production reporting.

9. Do I need a compatible POS system?

Dezi integrates with multiple PoS systems that enable automatic discounting and reporting of scandata. If your PoS is not compatible, please contact us so that we can try to integrate with your PoS company

10. Can I use dezi for PMI Scandata reporting?

Yes

11. Can I switch from another reporting provider to dezi?

A transition may be possible, subject to PMI program requirements, existing agreements, and technical compatibility.

12. Can my store participate in multiple manufacturer scandata programs?

Potentially. Retailers may participate in multiple manufacturer programs where permitted, but each program has separate requirements and eligibility conditions.

13. Does participating in PMI Scandata guarantee promotional reimbursement?

No. Any promotional reimbursement or incentive depends on the applicable program terms, qualifying transactions, and compliance with reporting requirements.

14. How do I enroll in the PMI SFPP Data Program?

Retailers have to contact their PMI sales representative to initiate the PMI scandata program. Dezi will work with the retailers through the enrollment process as described above.

15. How can I get assistance with PMI scandata reporting?

Retailers can contact dezi to discuss its PMI reporting support, available POS integrations, and potential next steps.

16. My question is not listed here?

We are here to help with any of your scandata related questions - please contact us and one of our support team would get back to you shortly

Final Thoughts: Understanding PMI Scandata and SFPP Reporting

The PMI SFPP Data Program provides an established framework for reporting qualifying retail sales information.

For convenience store owners, gas station operators, and tobacco retailers, understanding the program's reporting process, promotional categories, and eligibility requirements can help support informed participation.

Accurate POS data, successful validation, and consistent weekly reporting are important elements of the program's documented reporting process.

Whether you're exploring the PMI program for the first time or already participate through another provider, dezi can help you understand its available reporting services.

Need Help With PMI Scan Data Reporting?

Connect with dezi to learn about POS compatibility, reporting support, and service availability.

Contact dezi About PMI Scan Data

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes for tobacco and nicotine product retailers. PMI and ZYN are trademarks of their respective owners. dezi is an independent scan data reporting provider preparing to support PMI's existing program. Program eligibility, promotional offers, reimbursement terms, and service availability are subject to applicable agreements and confirmation. Retailers must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Evolution of Tobacco Scandata Program - From Reporting to Building Customer Relationships

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:32:08 GMT

Tobacco Scandata Program Evolution

Tobacco scandata has changed significantly over the past decade. What began primarily as a way to capture transaction-level sales, validate manufacturer-funded promotions and support retailer reimbursement is gradually becoming part of a broader customer engagement ecosystem.

That evolution has not happened in isolation. Tobacco manufacturers have fewer traditional marketing avenues, the product mix has expanded beyond cigarettes, retailers are participating in more manufacturer programs, and consumers have grown accustomed to loyalty programs and personalized digital offers in other areas of retail. At the same time, point-of-sale technology has become sophisticated enough to connect transactions, loyalty identification, promotions and reporting.

The result is a very different role for scandata. It still has to answer the fundamental question, “What happened at the register?” Increasingly, however, it can also help manufacturers and retailers understand “What should happen next?”

We are going to talk about what are the factors that are shaping this evolution

Changing market landscape
The history of tobacco scandata program
How tobacco scandata program has evolved
What will the future look like for tobacco scandata program

Dwindling marketing channels for Tobacco Manufacturers

Over the years, marketing channels for tobacco manufacturers have dwindled and by 2020, broadcast, print, and sponsorship were gone. What remained was the store.

So the budget moved. In 2022, the largest cigarette companies spent $8.01 billion on advertising and promotion, and price discounts paid to retailers were the single largest category at $5.74 billion — 71.7% of the total. Including discounts paid to wholesalers, price discounting accounts for roughly 86% of all industry spending.

Manufacturers can't run a Super Bowl ad, so they compete on shelf price instead. Competing on shelf price requires proof that the contracted price was honored, the promotion ran, and real units moved at SKU level. That proof is produced by the POS (point-of-sale) system .

Retailers aren't being paid for scan data as a favor. They're being paid because they're the last remaining media channel.

History of Tobacco Scandata Program

Tobacco scandata programs emerged over time as manufacturers increased their reliance on retail-level transaction data and retailer-funded promotional programs. By the mid-2010s, major manufacturers were formally incentivizing retailers to submit transaction-level scan data. Initially introduced by Altria other manufacturers have joined the bandwagon offering different kinds of discounts to tobacco customers.

In 2010 Altria introduced the scandata program as a multi pack discount to be given by retailers at the transaction time
By 2015 RJR have introduced their own scandata program
In 2016 Altria has introduced Marlboro Loyalty Program
In 2017 RJR has introduced Loyalty Fund Offers
In 2019 ITG scandata requirements were introduced
In 2020 Swedish Match has retailers participating in their scandata requirements
In 2023 Altria has introduced AGDC Digital Trade Program (DTP) with retailers ability to participate in Tier1, 2 & 3 levels
Starting 2025 Altria has modified its DTP program to include Tier 1, 2, 3 & 4 requirements with a focus on personalization and customer relationships through app

How Scandata has evolved over years?

Manufactures, Retailers & Consumers perspectives have evolved about scandata over the years.

Consumers

When the scandata program was introduced, consumers were viewing this as more of a temporary thing and might be discontinued at any time. What we have seen is that the customer behavior has changed with regard to scandata - they are now demanding that they get these discounts but also are looking for more personalized discounts based on their preferences. They would like to get new offers on their app as well notifications with regards to these new discounts.

Retailers

Retailers are viewing scandata as a core functionality of the PoS system that would help them in their business. For them, scan data increasingly supports three connected outcomes: revenue, execution and customer relationships. They want a system that supports multiple manufactures, that seamlessly integrates into pos system and applies discounts at the transaction level, able to report without any manual intervention and to reconcile so that they do not miss out on the payments front.

Manufacturers

Over the years with dwindling marketing channels, we have seen a major shift on the manufacturer's front - usage of scandata as a strategic customer engagement tool rather than a reporting program.

Manufacturers are building relationships with consumers through personalization, app engagement and complex promotional offers
Altria changed the DTP requirements - starting 2025 they introduced Tier 4 requirements which talks about P+ (personalization +) - building 1-1 relationships with tobacco consumer
Earlier scandata model can summarized as
Transaction → Report → Reimbursement
The emerging scandata model increasingly looks more like:
Identify → Offer → Transact → Measure → Re-engage

What next for Scandata?

A shrinking customer base, changing consumer preferences, tighter regulation and fierce competition among retailers—combined with rapid advances in technology—will continue to change how manufacturers use scandata. What started primarily as a reporting and reimbursement tool is increasingly becoming a customer engagement and analytics platform.

We believe more manufacturers are likely to follow the broader direction Altria has taken by using scandata to support stronger customer relationships and more personalized offers. This will also make discount programs more sophisticated, with eligibility increasingly influenced by the customer, product, purchase history and promotional rules rather than a single discount applied to everyone.

AI could accelerate this evolution by helping manufacturers analyze transaction and engagement data, identify customer patterns and determine which offers may be most relevant. The future of scandata may therefore move beyond reporting what happened toward helping manufacturers and retailers understand what offer or interaction should happ en next .

How the Tobacco Scandata Program Works: A Retailer's Complete Guide

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:39:38 GMT

Many retailers process numerous transactions every month, and the data generated often goes unused. Purchase histories remain within POS systems, making it difficult to understand the shopper’s behaviour, identify loyal customers, or determine when regulars begin to disengage. This often leads to lower campaign performance, missed opportunities and decreased customer retention.

The Scandata Program emerges as a promising solution for this problem, known for translating barcodes into meaningful customer intelligence. Using data-driven insights, businesses can improve customer loyalty, optimise campaigns, and increase average basket value, resulting in long-term growth.

The 2026 guide highlights the working process of the Scandata program for retailers, so let’s get started....

How the Scandata Program Works

The working process of the tobacco scandata program for retailers has been divided into simple steps:

1. Product scanned: This is identified by Dezi and checked against the active program.

2. Age verification: Secondly, the age gate triggers before sales via 2D barcode scan or EAIV, where your tier requires it.

3. Discounts found & applied automatically: Dezi checks every applicable offer buydown, multipack trigger, digital and paper buydown, and personalization+ offer tied to the customer history & applies the coupon.

4. Transaction closed: The sale completes with the full record captured: UPC, price paid, quantity, timestamp, register, store, loyalty ID, and the promotional flag that makes the discount reimbursable.

5. Weekly report generated & submitted: Transactions are formatted according to each manufacturer's specifications and transmitted on their schedules. Altria, RJR, ITG and the rest each receive their own file, in their own format, on their own deadline.

6. Back-office report generated for reconciliation : A parallel report goes to you, showing what was reported, what was discounted, and what you're owed, so when payment arrives, you have something to check it against.

The Scandata Technology Stack: Discounting Engine, POS, Reporting Engine, Back Office & Support

1. The Discounting Engine:

This applies the right discount to the right SKU at the right moment, within the right budget. Four discount types have to be handled natively: buydowns, which are simple manufacturer-funded price reductions on a single item; multipacks, triggered when a customer buys two or more qualifying units, powerful but the most commonly misconfigured promotion in the industry, since setting the trigger wrong means you either fail to fund or over-discount into your own pocket; digital and paper coupons, including mobile barcodes scanned from a customer's phone; and Personalization+ offers, applied against a specific verified consumer's purchase history rather than a blanket store-wide price. Dezi handles all four and enforces budget caps so you never overspend a funded allocation, and manages promotional windows automatically so expired offers stop firing on day one rather than day nine.

2. The POS Layer. Generic retail POS systems cannot meet tobacco scandata requirements, because each manufacturer demands data in its own precise format Altria's Digital Trade Program uses different file structures than the RJ Reynolds or ITG programs. Rather than force a rip-and-replace, dezi integrates with your existing platform to enable full participation in Altria DTP Tiers 2, 3 and 4, RJR scandata programs, and ITG reporting, including Korona POS and PC America, RMH POS, StoreTender, and Clover Station devices via the Clover app market. This layer also carries the age gate, which is no longer optional at higher tiers: dezi handles age validation technology at the register using a 2D barcode scanner, and electronic age & identity verification where the program demands it.

3. The Reporting Engine. The unglamorous system that determines whether you actually get paid. It formats every transaction to each manufacturer's spec, transmits on schedule, monitors for acceptance, and catches rejections before the payment window closes. A rejected file nobody notices is a month of unpaid incentives, and a store whose connection silently goes offline often doesn't discover it for two cycles. Dezi automates submission across all supported manufacturers, monitors connection health, and flags failures rather than letting them accumulate.

4. Back Office. This turns scandata from a compliance chore into a management tool. Reconciliation answers what each manufacturer actually paid you against what they owed very few retailers check, and it is the fastest way to find money. Fund tracking shows how much of your promotional allocation you've spent and whether you're pacing to leave any unclaimed. Category insight gives real velocity by SKU, daypart, and store, showing which facings earn their space and which are dead inventory absorbing capital. Multi-store roll-up gives operators one view instead of one login per manufacturer per store.

5. Support. The four systems above only pay if they're configured correctly and stay that way, which is where most retailers actually struggle. Our team handles enrollment paperwork and provider designation with each manufacturer, configures your feed and verifies the first successful transmission rather than assuming it, and trains your staff on the register workflow before your first reporting period. After launch, we monitor your connection health, alert you when a file rejects or a promotion misfires, and work the reconciliation with you each cycle. Program rules, tier requirements, and file specs change without much warning; we track those changes and update your configuration so you aren't the one discovering a spec revision through a missed payment.

Why Tobacco Manufacturers Pay Retailers Instead of Buying Ads

Most retailers have never had this explained, and it's the key to understanding why the money is so reliable.

Over five decades, tobacco manufacturers lost nearly every marketing channel they had:

And the money went where it was supposed to. Today, roughly 96% of tobacco marketing spend. At present, the tobacco market spends about 96% of its budget, of which $8.4 billion flows through the POS almost entirely to fund price discounts and coupons.

Nearly every marketing dollar in this industry now moves through the register. That's the logic behind scandata. Manufacturers can't run a Super Bowl ad, so they compete on shelf price instead, and competing on shelf price requires proof. Proof you honored the contracted price, proof the promotion ran, proof of real sell-through at the SKU level. Your POS is the only thing that can produce it.

One flag: the source mixes two different figures, 96.6% and "over 97%", drawn from different studies covering different product categories, and pairs $8.4 billion with the FTC's $8.01 billion.

You are not being paid for data as a favor. You are being paid because you are the last remaining media channel.

Which Tobacco Manufacturers Run Scandata Programs

The tobacco Scandata program is run by numerous operators highlighted as follows:

Manufacturer What they cover program note

1. Altria (AGDC) — Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, Helix/on!

Marlboro, Copenhagen, Skoal, on!

Runs the Digital Trade Program (DTP), the most structured and most lucrative framework in the category

2. RJ Reynolds (Reynolds American)

Newport, Camel, Pall Mall, VUSE, Grizzly

Runs the Digital Partnership Program (DPP), with level-based technology requirements, loyalty and multi-pack discount reporting, and access to Joint Business Funds (JBF) and Customer Support Funds (CSF)

3. ITG Brands

Winston, Kool, Salem, Maverick, blu

Requirements broadly parallel the Reynolds program, with loyalty discounts, mobile coupons, and multi-pack discount reporting

4. Swedish Match

ZYN, General snus, White Owl, Game

Modern oral leader; scandata reporting increasingly central to trade support

5. JTI (Japan Tobacco International)

Logic, Natural American Spirit (intl.), Nordic Spirit

Growing U.S. trade program footprint

How Tobacco Scandata Program Benefits the Retailers

The Tobacco Scandata program benefits retailers in numerous ways, highlighted as follows:

Direct manufacturer payments: Enrolled retailers get contracted payments after providing item-level sales data. It is separate revenue provided for participation and reporting, as a monthly cycle instead of a promotional amount.
Margin on a category: For many convenience retailers, scandata payments account for a substantial share of what tobacco actually contributes to the bottom line.
Access to higher tiers and better pricing: Meeting the requirements for a higher tier improves your buy-side position, which lets you compete on shelf price against nearby stores rather than losing traffic to them.
Guaranteed promotional funding: You run the promotion at the required price, report it, and recover the difference, so participating in manufacturer promotions stops being a margin decision.
Operational visibility: Retailers routinely discover overstocked slow movers and understocked fast movers once the SKU-level picture exists.
Verified age compliance infrastructure: AVT and EAIV requirements push you onto verification systems that reduce failed-inspection risk. The compliance benefit outlasts any individual program cycle.
Customer database: Loyalty enrollment converts anonymous tobacco transactions into identifiable, reachable customers in a category where repeat purchase frequency is unusually high, and retention is worth more than acquisition.
Competitive parity: In a category where customers select stores primarily on price, non-participation is a compounding disadvantage rather than a neutral choice.

Where Retailers Lose Scandata Money

1. Enrolled at Tier 1 & stopped: The base scan payment is the smallest bucket. Tiers 2–4 are where the economics change.

2. Silent transmission failures: A sync goes offline. Files stop. Nobody notices for six weeks. If your store isn't submitting files, the manufacturer doesn't pay, and this most commonly happens because the connection has gone offline.

3. Misconfigured multipacks: Steps done out of order, wrong trigger quantity, discount funded from the wrong bucket. The customer gets the deal; you eat it.

4. Unclaimed promotional funds: Allocated budget expires unspent because nobody was tracking pace.

5. No reconciliation: Payment arrives, gets deposited, never gets checked against entitlement.

6. One manufacturer only: Running Altria but not RJR, ITG, Swedish Match, or the modern-oral challengers, leaving whole revenue streams untouched.

The Bottom Line

The tobacco scandata program is the rare arrangement where a retailer gets paid for work they are already doing. You are ringing up the transactions regardless. The only question is whether that data is being captured cleanly, transmitted correctly, discounted accurately, and reconciled honestly or whether it's evaporating between your register and the manufacturer's validation system.

Come back to the three numbers. 55.5 million adult consumers. 21.5% of everything convenience retail sells. $8.4 billion in marketing spend, 96.6% of it aimed squarely at the point of sale.

That third number is not a statistic about the tobacco industry. It's a statistic about you . Nearly every marketing dollar in a multi-billion-dollar category now flows through a register — and some of it is addressed to yours.

dezi, powered by mKonnekt, is built to make sure it arrives. One integration. Every major manufacturer. Tiers 1 through 4. Automated reporting, compliant discounting, verified age gating, and back-office visibility — without changing how you run your store.

Ready to see what your store is currently leaving on the table? Scan the QR code on our in-store materials, or reach the dezi team at 1-888-294-3394 (Mon–Fri, 8 AM–10 PM EST).

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

1. Do I need to replace my POS to join a scandata program?
Usually not; your system needs to capture item-level detail: SKU, price, quantity, timestamp and Dezi integrates with existing platforms including Korona, PC America, RMH, StoreTender, and Clover. A standalone card terminal or a register that rings tobacco on a single department key won't qualify, but a capable POS rarely needs replacing.

2. How long does enrollment take before the first payment arrives?
Manufacturer approval is the longest step and typically drives the timeline. Once accounts are open, provider designation, feed configuration, and age verification can move in parallel. The most common cause of a delayed first payment isn't approval; it's an unverified feed or incomplete EFT details.

3. Can I participate with more than one manufacturer at the same time?
Yes, and you should. Each program is administered separately with its own file format, schedule, and identifiers, which is why running several manually goes wrong. A single integration handles all of them and is the difference between one revenue stream and five.

4. What's the difference between the tiers, and is a higher tier worth it?
Tiers set both your payment rate and your promotional pricing position, and they carry requirements — AVT at Tier 2, EAIV at Tier 3 and above. Tier 1 is the smallest bucket by a wide margin, so for most stores the technology investment required to reach Tier 2 or higher returns quickly.

5. Why does reconciliation matter if the payments arrive automatically?
Because what arrives and what you're owed are frequently different numbers. Unmapped SKUs, buydowns that were never flagged as promotional, and rate tiers applied below what you earned all reduce payment silently. Caught within the same cycle, these are usually correctable; caught six months later, they generally aren't.