I did not realize when I woke up today that I would be taking public office! I am now officially the Foursquare Mayor of my local Tropical Smoothie! I checked in to get my 10% discount today for lunch and apparently that was enough to appoint me Mayor. I guess it's a function of who has checked in at a particular location the most in 60 days.
That's quite a lot of pressure. I will have to uphold the integrity of their 'Eat Better, Feel Better' mantra as well as making sure I wear flip flops or sandals as often as possible while maintaining the tropical vibe. That certainly won't be a problem! The weather has been in the 80s and we plan to chill on the beach tomorrow for the first time this year and will certainly be sporting some sandals and tropical attire.
From what I read, the idea is that once you become mayor, venues may choose to reward their most loyal customers with additional discounts/incentives. But alas, that is not the case thus far into my first term as Mayor.
Tropical Smoothie was the first local venue I noticed that gives a discount for checking in. You check in via the FourSquare app on your phone and then show your screen for a 10% discount. While I was there today I noticed that the FireHouse subs was also showing a deal. For every 3 check-ins, you get a free 32oz drink with your food purchase. So it does look like more places are getting on board with the check-in based discounts, which is cool.
I'm a big fan of using coupons to save $. I think it's a major pain to have to remember to look for coupons or keep them with you at all times, or to always have your entertainment book handy to get a discount. Since you usually always have your phone with you, why not convert over to paperless coupons that you can use by showing your phone screen. I think that will soon be the case. The entertainment book does have an app, which is handy to see what places nearby have coupons, but they don't yet allow you to utilize your screen as the coupon.
Companies will have to come up with a way to be able to mark your coupon as used so you can't just keep using a coupon over and over if they don't want you to, but I think things like FourSquare will get more and more popular and a handy way to save a few $. It's also good for the businesses as they can have a much better idea of who their customers are and how often they come in.
Do you have any apps which allow you to receive a discount on food, products, etc. by just showing your screen? I'd love to hear about them.
Sincerely,
Mayor of Tropical Smoothie