Boston mobile payment company LevelUp is getting in on the iBeacon game. The company announced on Tuesday that it is starting an integration with the devices at businesses around the city of Boston this week, aiming to bring the targeted rewards service to 14,000 merchants and 1.5 million users.
iBeacons, or beacons, are small, location-sensitive devices that use Bluetooth to connect to customers’ smartphones when they come within a certain distance of a given store. Beacons can then push users notifications on upcoming rewards and personalized deals, increasing brand loyalty.
Seth Priebatsch, Chief Ninja of LevelUp, told PYMNTS that data analysis revealed customers spend up to 40 percent more than average when they are aware that they will be unlocking a loyalty reward.
Continued Priebatsch, “Buildling iBeacon support into apps built on the LevelUp platform will help customers stay apprised of their upcoming rewards and help businesses earn more through their loyalty programs.”
LevelUp’s iBeacon platform is already live at three Financial District eateries, including Grassroots Café, Uno Due Go and Café du Boston. The company expects to add to that list soon, however. LevelUp ran an iBeacon beta test with 20 different businesses, and claims that they are seeing more transactions since the tech was installed.
News of the iBeacon integration comes weeks after LevelUp announced that it would be reducing credit card processing fees for merchants to 2 percent to 1.95 percent.
Currently the iBeacon integration is only available for iOS, but LevelUp plans to add Android at some point in the future.
Image via LevelUp
