Punchcard – SnipSnap

The End of Punchcard

December 14, 2012

Well, that was nice while it lasted.

I was extremely excited to start using the Punchcard app the second I heard about it. Punchcard works by creating mobile customer loyalty cards for just about every single retailer’s store location. All users used to have to do to earn 10% back on all of their purchases at a particular, frequently shopped store location is upload a picture of each individual receipt with the date and total clearly captured. A receipt must be uploaded within 5 days of its issue date and each punch card must accumulate ten punches in six months to qualify for a reward. The reward for a successfully completed punch card used to be a check for the average of all ten receipts (up to $20). So, for example, if you purchased $30 of groceries ten times over a month, you would receive a $20 rebate from Punchcard in the mail, 4-6 weeks after your card was completed.

Now, without any real warning, Punchcard has changed its policies. The Punchcard team never sent out a push notification. They never really bothered to do anything except issue a response to frustrated Punchcard users on their website’s FAQS:

These “restaurant vouchers” are restaurant.com vouchers, which I’m absolutely not interested in using. (Here’s a restaurant.com review, which explains why restaurant.com vouchers and just not an effective way to get more for your money.)

I’m pretty angry. I’ve punched over a dozen receipts and I was looking forward to receiving my first check. But a restaurant.com voucher is not worth the time and energy it takes to save and upload a receipt. So, “Goodbye, Punchcard. You’re just not the same app I downloaded.“

Fix Your Black Friday with SnipSnap

November 23, 2012

So, you’re out Black Friday shopping – you’re tired and you’re hungry for turkey leftovers so you start making bad decisions. It happens to the best of us. Here’s how to diagnose your top five Black Friday shopping blunders and, better yet, how to fix them with mobile coupons.

You Don’t Need a Full-Priced Meal. Hungry? Of course. You’ve been through a whirlwind, between yesterday’s binge eating and today’s marathon at the mall. It’s easy to make bad decisions when you’re out shopping, especially when you’re buzzed off a good deal. Don’t! Make sure you SnipSnap a coupon for your favorite eatery and use it to save more, not eat more. SnipSnapped a coupon for a free appetizer? Treat it like an entree (because, trust me, the portions are huge) and get dinner for two for the price of one. Check out the Meal Deals coupon bundle on the Discover screen, or search by restaurant name in the SnipSnap database.
You CAN Use Coupons. It’s true. Lot’s of retailers’ prices are as low as they’ll go on Black Friday, which means that many coupons are void on America’s favorite shopping day. But some of them still work! Check out this $5 off your $50 purchase at Target coupon. It’s good until the 29th – no exclusions!
Black Friday Doesn’t Always Get You The Best Deals. Can’t use your coupons on Black Friday? So what? Use them another day. Aside from door buster deals, a lot of items aren’t at a significant discount. SnipSnap some high-value coupons, like these for Toys”R”Us, and save more without the Black Friday lines.
Make a List, Check it Twice, And Don’t Buy Anything Else. It’s really easy to get carried away on Black Friday, with everyone excitedly shoving each other out of the way for toasters and microwave ovens. It almost feels like the apocalypse or at least a national disaster, except, instead of running for cover, you’re running for clothing and accessories. Figure out what deals you want and stick to them. Anything else? Put it back and buy it later. This give you time to A) consider whether or not you really need it and B) SnipSnap coupons for better deals the rest of the year.
Stack SnipSnap with More Mobile Savings. Make sure you take advantage of all the ways you can save in seconds with your smart phone this holiday season. Scout the best gas prices with GasBuddy, get paid to shopkick, earn manufacturer rebates with Ibotta and store loyalty rewards with Punchcard. There is no limit to how many ways you can save with your phone!

Wegmans-Issued Mobile Coupons Coming Soon

November 13, 2012

Just now, I received my very first e-coupon from Wegmans for $1 off any Gillian’s Gluten Free Product. The bad news? This is a “print only” coupon. The good news? It should be a mobile coupon soon. The better news? There are mobile coupons you can redeem at Wegmans in the SnipSnap app right now.

Just to be clear: You should absolutely be able to redeem SnipSnapped print Wegmans store coupons off of your mobile phone. I’ve personally had success with both SnipSnap and SavingStar at Wegmans. (Click here to read Mo’ Money’s mobile savings guide for Wegmans.)

These new coupons are the first of Wegmans’ exclusive e-coupons. (Sign up for Wegmans Shoppers Club/emails here.) Hopefully, Wegmans will start integrating these new offers into its app, which I currently never use because it lacks mobile savings opportunities. From the looks of things, Wegmans is taking the hint about mobile coupons. For a grocery store that is, for the most part, “cutting edge,” it would shock me not to see Wegmans take advantage of more mobile couponing opportunities the way other stores have.

For now, make sure you check out all of the mobile coupons you can redeem at Wegmans right now in SnipSnap’s coupon database. Make sure you stack these offers with SavingStar manufacturers coupons and Punchcard loyalty rewards to shave hundreds off your holiday grocery bill this season!