Foursquare adds merchant rewards, tests NFC

The high profile check-in service has its eyes fixed on the potential of near field communication, coverage of the company’s entry into the mobile rewards business this week has revealed.

Foursquare
FOURSQUARE: Checking out NFC

Mobile check-in service Foursquare has launched version 3.0 of its mobile app and unveiled a new version of the Foursquare Merchant Platform, enabling merchants to offer a range of Foursquare Specials. Here, Techcrunch explains, businesses can:

…create deals on the fly and have them up and running across Foursquare’s network in minutes. That includes all of the new types of deals that Foursquare announced today as a part of the 3.0 release (Flash Specials, Friend Specials, Swarm Specials, Newbie Specials, etc). And here’s one key to all of this: Foursquare already has 250,000 verified businesses in their database. These new tools empower every single one of those immediately.

“Merchants will also now be able to take advantage of Foursquare’s new ‘Specials Nearby’ area of the newly revamped apps,” Techcrunch continues. “And they’ll be able to see what kind of check-ins this is bringing in.”

Foursquare invited in Business Insider to cover the build-up to the launch of the new platform. And, amongst a huge gallery of photos of the team behind the Foursquare service beavering away to complete the upgrade on time, is an image of an NFC tag affixed to a wall alongside a 2D barcode.

“Tap your NFC (near field communication) equipped Android phone to that blue badge, and you’ll be automatically checked in to Foursquare HQ,” Business Insider explains.

Foursquare's NFC test
WRITING ON THE WALL: A sign above the light switch invites visitors to 'Check in @ Foursquare HQ' with NFC. Pic: BusinessInsider.com

There’s no NFC integration in the current Foursquare offering, and the image indicates that the company is still very much in the testing phase. But it’s clear there’s huge potential in an NFC-enabled Foursquare Merchant Platform and mobile app — as the marketing effort Google is putting into the launch of its NFC Hotpot service in Las Vegas, for one, shows.

Next: Visit the NFCW Expo to find new suppliers and solutions

One comment on this article

  1. Had this idea about a year back. Good to see them incorporating this as it will get rid of the drive by check ins that plague foursquare and other geo-social sites.
    Vendors will now have a stronger way of vetting their visitors and could get rid of those multiple coffee loyalty cards once and for all.

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