LevelUp, a mobile payment platform for smart phones and other mobile devices, has re-launched one of its most popular services. The service was once built to track deals and bargains offered by local retailers in any given area. LevelUp chose to discontinue the service because it did not mesh well with the platform at the time. Now, however, the company has taken a new approach to developing a new system, one that is based loosely on a model being used by Starbucks.
Starbucks’ mobile payment system uses an app that can create QR codes unique for each customer. The code is scanned by employees at checkout, at which point the customer can make a payment directly from their smart phone. Though consumers have shown that they are largely unfamiliar with QR codes, there has been a growing demand from businesses regarding Starbucks’ system, or ones similar to it. This demand is what LevelUp hopes to capitalize on.
LevelUp caters to businesses almost exclusively and has claimed that Starbucks is one of the major driving forces behind recent sales. Businesses see a great opportunity to mimic the success seen by Starbucks because LevelUp’s system is so similar. In the short time since the company re-launched its service, it has seen more than 1,400 businesses sign up. Another 600 retailers are expected to hop on board this month alone. If growth continues at this pace, LevelUp may one day overshadow Starbucks in terms of mobile commerce.
