AT&T launched Data Perks, an app that lets customers “discover offers from brands and receive mobile data as a perk”, in partnership with Aquto, a sponsored data monetisation firm.

AT&T contract subscribers can complete surveys, sign up for trials or purchase products from participating brands and receive data as a reward. The enabling app is available for Android and iOS.

Data Perks will initially include offers from brands like Fandango, Hotel Tonight and Rosetta Stone.

Users can accumulate data and transfer up to 1,000MB per bill period to their AT&T account.

Susie Kim Riley, Aquto CEO, said mobile connectivity “has become the way people experience their lives and is critical to all economies. Our mission is to deliver mobile to the world through collaboration with operators, brands and app developers”.

“For marketers, Data Perks offers a new meaningful currency, mobile data, with which they can reward their customers,” she added.

Earned data is stored in the customer’s Data Perks account, and can then be transferred to their wireless account.

In January last year, AT&T first launched its Sponsored Data service which sees usage charges for specific content and apps charged to a sponsoring company, which the operator said was “similar to freephone telephone numbers or free shipping for internet companies”.