Facebook wants to prove it drives brick-and-mortar foot traffic with its latest feature test. TechCrunch has discovered a previously unreported Facebook feature where users can scan a personalized QR code to score discounts or bonuses when they buy something in-person at certain shops. Some users see the Rewards feature listed in the More tab of their Facebook mobile app, TechCrunch says.
When asked, Facebook said it has been running the test over the past few months, and provided this statement: “To help businesses continue to connect with customers where they are, we’re running a small test that enables people to use the Facebook app to collect and redeem rewards when they make a purchase at a participating store.”
Facebook Rewards could benefit users, merchants and the social network. People could earn free discounts just for being Facebook users. Merchants could lure people to their stores, earning a higher margin than the Rewards they give while fostering repeat customers and word-of-mouth promotion. Facebook could become more appealing to users while earning ad revenue from businesses looking to promote their Rewards giveaways via ads. The feature could also give Facebook more data on who buys what where, which it can use to improve the relevance of ad targeting and News Feed content.
Snap Inc. has been pushing its own way to drive people to brick-and-mortar stores and track their visits. Brands can buy Sponsored Geofilters ads that let Snapchat users overlay special graphics related to a business over their photos and videos when they’re nearby. Snap then shares this info with the business through its “Snap to Store” program.
