Discover launches Passbook support for cardholder rewards
Discover released an updated version of its iPhone app on Thursday that will enable cardholders to store and redeem eCertificates through Apple?s Passbook app.
Version 4.10 of the Discover Mobile app allows cardholders to turn their Cashback Bonus rewards into eCertificates, which can then be stored in Passbook and used as a point-of-sale payment at a time and participating merchant of the customer?s choosing.
Discover becomes the first company to utilize Apple?s Passbook to focus on credit-card rewards. American Express currently offers a Passbook-enabled app, but there are not yet any rewards capabilities.
Passbook ? released to the public alongside iOS 6 on Sept. 19 with the intended purpose of housing coupons, boarding passes, tickets and various forms of mobile payment ? has steadily been adding integration with other apps.
In the past week, real estate company Re/Max unveiled an updated version of its app that would allow agents to keep digital business cards in Passbook, and Google added Passbook support to iOS app for Chrome, its Web browser.
And in mid-November, Apple itself changed its Apple Store app to add Passbook-ready digital gift cards. Some early adopters of Passbook functionality have included companies such as Amtrak, Delta, Starbucks and Target, which allows users to present store coupons via Passbook at the time of purchase.
Other new features available in Discover?s update include the ability to make payments and search transaction history, send cash to people using PayPal?s Messenger and refer friends to Discover to earn extra rewards.
Version 4.10 of the Discover Mobile app allows cardholders to turn their Cashback Bonus rewards into eCertificates, which can then be stored in Passbook and used as a point-of-sale payment at a time and participating merchant of the customer?s choosing.
Discover becomes the first company to utilize Apple?s Passbook to focus on credit-card rewards. American Express currently offers a Passbook-enabled app, but there are not yet any rewards capabilities.
Passbook ? released to the public alongside iOS 6 on Sept. 19 with the intended purpose of housing coupons, boarding passes, tickets and various forms of mobile payment ? has steadily been adding integration with other apps.
In the past week, real estate company Re/Max unveiled an updated version of its app that would allow agents to keep digital business cards in Passbook, and Google added Passbook support to iOS app for Chrome, its Web browser.
And in mid-November, Apple itself changed its Apple Store app to add Passbook-ready digital gift cards. Some early adopters of Passbook functionality have included companies such as Amtrak, Delta, Starbucks and Target, which allows users to present store coupons via Passbook at the time of purchase.
Other new features available in Discover?s update include the ability to make payments and search transaction history, send cash to people using PayPal?s Messenger and refer friends to Discover to earn extra rewards.
Comments
Target updated their app yesterday to add geolocation support for their Passbook discounts too.
Passbook really is part of a "marketplace" protocol. Apple needs to free Passbook from the annual OS update cycle. Passbook should have a monthly update cycle to support Internet commerce rollout schedule. People tweak their Internet systems faster than device systems.
@nagromme, Discover already allows you to use your reward $$ apply toward your Amazon purchase. I think the purpose for the gift cards is for merchants to increase their foot traffic for their stores.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwmac
Just paid my Discover bill today and had a $50 cashback accrued. Much more tempting to just use that $50 as a credit towards my bill which is what I chose. I prefer my Amex cashback card since they don't require increments of $50 like Discover and my Citicard MC, they give a cashback bonus to my account every month automatically.
Exactly. My wife and I use our Discover to pay some bills, gas, groceries, utilities - etc. Every month we use the cash back as a credit. I like it, but it'd be nice if they didn't require the $50 increments.
Passbook has to be the slowest rollout of any Apple app, ever - am I right? It sure seems like it.
Originally Posted by allenbf
Passbook has to be the slowest rollout of any Apple app, ever - am I right? It sure seems like it.
Not really, since it's out. You're talking about support, in which case the iTunes Store has it beat by about five years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Not really, since it's out. You're talking about support, in which case the iTunes Store has it beat by about five years.
Yes, that is what I meant. And good point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by allenbf
Exactly. My wife and I use our Discover to pay some bills, gas, groceries, utilities - etc. Every month we use the cash back as a credit. I like it, but it'd be nice if they didn't require the $50 increments.
Check out the Amex platinum simply cash card. They give you a monthly cashback regardless of the amount automatically. No $50 increments to worry about. This is my favorite card by far and no annual fee either. I earned about $260 back so far this year.
Passport is really cool. But it does not work that well. Sometimes, when I approach a Starbucks that I have tagged as one of my favs, the Starbucks passport pops up on the lockscreen. Sometimes, it doesn't. Now, this could be my GPS not working so well. Still, the overall experience could use improvement. I do, however, enjoy using it so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by patsu
Amex implemented Passbook transaction statement months ago, for people to eyeball their Amex transactions on-the-go. If they can implement reward points redemption in Passbook also, they would have a live and engaging system to encourage usage, almost like a game. :-P
Months ago?
Quote:
Originally Posted by patsu
Yap, late September. You can google the news yourself.
To me, "months ago" suggests quite a while ago. I was thinking iOS6 launched with Passport just recently. But, technically, September is "months" ago, albeit barely two months. Time flies ...
Welp, it's experienced in Internet time !
I think the card companies already auto-credit you for your spending. The Discover Passbook integration is for you to choose how to use your credits. That's why you need to choose what gifts to get.
Quote:
Originally Posted by patsu
When is Capital One or Visa or MasterCard going to do this ?
Target updated their app yesterday to add geolocation support for their Passbook discounts too.
Passbook really is part of a "marketplace" protocol. Apple needs to free Passbook from the annual OS update cycle. Passbook should have a monthly update cycle to support Internet commerce rollout schedule. People tweak their Internet systems faster than device systems.
I don't understand what you mean by your last paragraph. AFAICT, there is no limit imposed by iOS or the Passbook app... As you posted in a prior thread Passbook is more of a "platform" than an app -- iOS and the Passbook iPhone app are just ways to access the platform.
Most of the heavy lifting (creating and distributing Passes) is done outside of the Passbook app and iOS -- using a web server, PHP (or somesuch), HTML, and json...
The Discover app is an exception in that it can be used to create and distribute a passes within the iOS app and the device, itself.
Unfortunately, I just cashed my Discover cash back -- so I can't try the app yet!
I have been fiddling with the Passbook platform and have been able to create and distribute passes without writing any iOS code...
I am quite impressed with the power and flexibility of the platform without any app or device coding required. Of curse you can always write a specialty iOS app that goes beyond the capabilities of the Passbook app that Apple provides. The recent RE/Max thread discussed a speciality app that updated contacts using a pass as the distribution media.