Groupon Releases Merchant Redemption Application

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Groupon has debuted a mobile redemption-tracking app to enhance and streamline the merchant experience. Available as a free download in the Android Marketplace and soon in the Apple App Store, the Merchant App allows staff to scan and verify Groupons using their device’s camera. In coming months, Groupon will ship Android phones and iPod Touches with the app preloaded to thousands of businesses as part of their featured promotion on the popular site.

“The Merchant App makes it dead simple for merchants to track their Groupons, which is especially helpful for businesses that have sold thousands of Groupons or span multiple locations,” said Andrew Mason, founder and chief executive officer of Groupon. “We’ve worked closely with our merchants, and their feedback has shaped a robust arsenal of services that we’re excited to roll out.”

The app greatly simplifies Groupon processing by enabling staff to redeem Groupon vouchers anywhere they have an appropriate mobile device such as the Android, iPod Touch and iPhone. Purchase data is immediately transmitted to the existing merchant interface on Groupon.com, allowing business owners to track redemption and customer check amount in real time.

“The Merchant App has been a powerful tool to make the overall redemption process smarter,” said Paul Kavouksorian of Paul K restaurant in San Francisco, which has been testing the iPhone app for several weeks. “My staff loves it. It’s simple to use and eliminates errors in processing vouchers that have been redeemed. We’d definitely recommend this app to other Groupon clients.”

In addition to an enhanced redemption experience, Groupon will debut a comprehensive merchant analytics dashboard and communications tools to help businesses stay in touch with their new Groupon customers. These upgrades complement Groupon’s existing suite of merchant services, which includes webinars, employee preparation videos, capacity planning and ROI calculators, and discounts under its Chamber of Commerce.