Back in early February, GoMo News reported that massive retail chain Target planned on launching a loyalty coupon system for mobile devices (see our report here). And now Target has followed through, and the service is live. Not only that, but Target is using it to send coupons out to customers who want to get savings over their mobile.
How does it work?
The mobile service ties in with Targets existing loyalty card programme – as in, you need to have a loyalty card before the mobile coupons will work. But once you set yourself up on mobile, you can leave the card at home. You can even lose it. Target is aware that everyone and their Granny offers loyalty cards in America, and consumers can’t possibly fit them all in their wallets. So now, for Target, you don’t need to.
You can updated your Target GiftCard on your mobile. Just open the Target mobile site on your browser, and it will display a mobile barcode linked to your loyalty account. Special devices (now installed at every Target point-of-sale across the country) read the barcode and, hey presto!, your loyalty points are updated.
What we think?
It’s great the loyalty is now being managed over mobile, but that’s not the most important thing about this story. The most important thing is that Target has now installed mobile barcode scanners at every Target retailer in America. And it’s using them.
Target has announced that it will now be sending coupons out via SMS to shoppers phones. You can opt-in on the Target website, or by texting “COUPONS” to 827438. After that, Target will notify you by text whenever a new coupon becomes available. You can then use that coupon by the exact same method you update your loyalty card. The SMS you recieve links you to a mobile barcode, which you scan at the Target checkout. All you need is a phone with a web browser – and that is certainly not limited to smartphones.
Oh, the possibilities.
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