Gift Cards (And More!) Go Mobile
Posted: May 27, 2010 | Amanda Fildes
Target now accepts gift card payments via mobile device at its 1,740 U.S. stores. Card holders can enter the login and pin for the gift card online or on the mobile version of the site, and a 2D barcode appears for cashier to scan. Target is the first national chain to incorporate mobile enabled scanning across all locations but there are several other retailers - including Starbucks and 7-Eleven – piloting similar programs in their stores.
As the ability to scan barcodes from mobile devices becomes widely available, I envision uses expanding greatly to include other functions. This would be a powerful way for retailers or even consumer goods companies to offer coupons to customers. Giving consumers another (and I’d argue more convenient) way to save at the register could do wonders for brand loyalty. I would love to see this take off as a way to handle store membership cards too. It seems as if every retail store I go into now offers me a membership card for discounts or rewards, and I have to be honest I have started to turn most of them down because I can’t fathom adding another card to my wallet or key chain. If they could offer me a version of their membership that could be scanned from my phone when I come in, I’d probably accept every membership I was offered.
The key to this for me is that I go everywhere with my phone in hand. A retailer or consumer goods company that allows me to more easily spend or save with a few clicks of my phone would definitely be higher on my list than one that didn’t.
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