Foursquare gets ready to release an overhauled platform for businesses
Foursquare’s new explore tab and points are cool, but in the long run it’s the new business features that the company hopes will lead it to profitability. Today they’ve announced the upcoming launch of their new platform for merchants, along with a host of launch partners that will be offering the new special types starting this Friday.
The new platform is fully automated and will allow verified businesses to set up all the new special types announced yesterday. As before, specials are entirely free to businesses.
Businesses will be able to run multiple specials simultaneously, replacing the system that only allowed one special at a time. A business could now have a mayor special and a loyalty special for those who haven’t quite reached the mayorship, for instance. They’ll also be able to see aggregated statistics about each special so they can gauge its performance.
To kick off the new types of specials, foursquare announced ten nationwide specials at major retailers and restaurants. Most of them start this Friday, March 11.
- Sports Authority is running a Flash Special, where the first person to check in to each of their stores after 11am on March 11 scores a free gift card, up to $200 in value.
- Be one of the first 10 people at any Barnes & Noble to check in after 10am on March 11 to get $10 off a NOOK Color.
- Check in with three foursquare friends at H&M and get 24% off any item.
- At Whole Foods, check in with a friend at any participating location and score a free cookie.
- Go to any Chili’s nationwide and check in with three friends and your table will get a free appetizer.
- Toys R Us in Times Square is running a Flash Special for the first five people to check in after 11am, who will all get their photo on a huge screen in Times Square.
- At participating Applebee’s restaurants you can take advantage of their Swarm Special with everyone in the Swarm getting free mozzarella sticks if 5 people check in after 9pm.
- Radio Shack is offering 20% to all customers who check in for the first time at any of the over five thousand locations nationwide.
- Coffee Bean is also running a Newbie Special nationwide, where all first-time check-ins get a dollar off any drink starting on March 23rd.
- A Newbie Special gets you $1 off the new Angus Three Cheese & Bacon at over 3,500 Arby’s across the US!
Do you think the new special types and platform will help foursquare monetize? What do you think of the specials from foursquare’s launch partners?
Maybe one day they’ll fix how the verify businesses because I’m having one hell of a time getting my work verified.
I had the same issue so I sent a feedback email. They contacted me and had it corrected in about 2 days.