Foursquare Plans Coupons For People That Check-In To Businesses

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Foursquare Plans Coupons For People That Check-In To Businesses [sfgate.com]

Foursquare is about to start trying to make big money.

The plan: allow merchants to create coupons for the people who "check-in" to their business locations.

In a Q&A with the Wall Street Journal's Spencer Ante, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley says the idea is that merchants will use their Foursquare "dashboard" to figure which kinds of customers they need to incent to come back to the store.

What has taken them so long! This seemed like a no-brainer for Foursquare when I first suggested it ages ago.

[incrediBILL]

Maybe the timing wasn't right before with all the Groupon hype. Now you barely hear anyone mention Groupon, except complaints, while Foursquare has built up quite a following. Could be ripe for the picking.

Seems like they also miss some other obvious add-on business like prompting people to order delivery food, etc. when they aren't checked-in anywhere.

[johnhh]

but do you want to give vouchers to people that visit your shop/store anyway, no, you want to get new customers.

So thats leaves the personal info of people who live/shop/checkin nearby but DON'T visit my store in the same area.

[travelin cat]

They have to incentivize the check-in process some way. How many people just care about being a "mayor"?

I never check-in on foursquare as there is no real reason to do so... until now.

[jecasc]

I am glad I have a good income so I don't need to sell my privacy for a free muffin.

[ThatsBoBo]

FourSquare has been doing this for a while. I often check in to a location and get a free drink or discounted meal.

It looks like they are going to expand it.