Okay so maybe you've checked out some of the others Shopkick, Foursquare, etc, etc, etc
Introducing You To CheckPoints
A company called CheckPoints has just come out with yet another "check in" location based application. With this new smart phone application you are rewarded for scanning the barcodes of your favorite products while shopping. You just use your phones camera to scan the barcodes of products while shopping. You can also earn points just by "checking in" at stores or restaurants you are visiting.These product scans earn you points which can then be redeemed for prizes. Some of the other location based programs give you "tokens" or other meaningless online trinkets you can trade with others but really who cares about worthless tokens and trinkets. The beauty of CheckPoints is that you earn cold hard cash. Well not cash persay but gift cards to your favorite stores or points to buy some of your favorite products.
These are good prizes too!!! Amazon Gift Cards, Apple Gift Cards, Frequent Flyer Miles, Tablet PC's, Ipods, and even Video Games like the Nintendo Wii.
How Does CheckPoints Differ From ShopKick & Others...
CheckPoints wasn't the first on the scene so maybe you started out with Foursquare, ShopKick or one of the other location based apps.
Similar to Shopkick and others users use their smartphone's camera to scan product barcodes at retailers and in turn those scans turn into points which are later turned into prizes.
That's about all these different apps have in common. With Shopkick for example, consumers get points for checking in as well as scanning items as with CheckPoints. However to verify that someone has actually checked in and isn't just sitting in the comfort of their living room "fake" checking in at places; with ShopKick; retailers must install special equipment in their store to determine if a user of the app is physically present in the store and not just fake checking in to earn points.
Though I suppose Shopkick keeps users honest, the downside is that it limits the number and scope of businesses who will partner with ShopKick. Not all stores may want an outside company installing equipment in their stores and smaller retailers may not be interesting enough to ShopKick to make the investment of putting their equipment in that location.
So Why Should I Check In?
Does this sort of interaction appeal to you? It probably depends on what kind of "check-in" app user you are. I tried out Foursquare as personally I didn't like how it was a more personal based check in system. With CheckPoints though obviously someone is monitoring your behavior as a consumer, it's not being made known to other individuals using the program where you are at every moment of the day.
With FourSquare however, you can see others checking in which I personally don't like. I had deleted my Foursqaure app a while back but was recently sitting at a bar / restaurant with a buddy of mine and he opened up his Foursquare app and noticed "The Mayor" was at the bar.
The Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel you ask? No not the mayor of the city, "The Mayor" of the bar.
If your not familiar with Foursquare the people and/or person who attends a certain place the most becomes "The Mayor" of that location.
This is the type of thing which turns me off to Foursquare. I don't necessarily want my friends or family knowing where I am all the time let alone a stranger at a bar sitting in the booth behind me.
Some app users do enjoy the more social or personal aspect of apps like Foursquare, Brightkite, and Gowalla which award you with titles, stamples and pointless virtual rewards that mean nothing. Personally it doesn't do much for me.
The one thing I will say about Foursquare that I do enjoy is they seem to have more restaurants and retailers pushing special virtual coupons and promotions. I was at Houlihans the other day and I believe you got a free appetizer for Checking in on Foursquare. CheckPoints on the other hand doesn't have as many if any instant free offers however the points you earn that go towards prizes tend to be better than the other apps.
Many people like myself however "don't get" Foursquare. Maybe in the same way your still wondering "What the hell is the point of Twitter?"
Personally I find more value in things like CheckPoints and Topguest which give automatic rewards to frequent travelers in the form of free miles and discount hotel deals. The appeal of real rewards for disclosing my location holds much more appeal than meaningless titles, badges, stamps and whatever other crap some of these other apps are offering.
It basically boils down to "What's in it for me?" Personally I don't feel there is enough of a return to warrant the privacy invasion of the app as well as my friends knowing where I am at every moment of the day. I prefer getting points that can be used more broadly with online and offline brands as well as making charity donations.
What Do You Think?
Do you use one of these location based check in apps? Which ones do you use and which is your favorite? It will be interesting to see if "Checking In" will be the next big thing in mobile rewards or whether it will remain a niche thing as so many other location baed services are. What are your thoughts?
As an intersting side note, I already see "CheckPoint Cheat" websites comming out where people post pictures of the barcodes and you can scan them from the comfort of your couch off your computer earning points while watching tv rather than actually being in the store walking the isles hunting down these products.
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