FaceBook launches Places Deals in UK
and Europe taking mobile coupons to
the next level

By Heather McLean

Facebook has announced it has launched its mobile Places Deals discounts and vouchers offering in the latest versions of its Android and iPhone apps for the UK.

Launched last November in the US, Places Deals allows mobile users to identify special offers and discounts being offered near their location, combining location data with a mobile voucher system.

UK launch partners include StarBucks, which launched mobile payments last week, O2, which is offering money off convert tickets, Debenhams, H&M, Argos, Alton Towers and Mazda.

Juniper Research analyst, Howard Wilcox, stated on his blog that this move is taking mobile vouchers to the next level: “In Juniper’s research on mobile coupons, we’ve noted the importance of viral marketing, and we’ve also seen the launch of some coupons services linked into social networking for specific user groups such as young mums. This however takes integration of social networking with mobile commerce and coupons to the next level.”

Wilcox’ opinion on Places Deals is: “This is a smart move and my view is that this one is destined to make a big impact. The secret sauce? My guess is this. Keep striking new deals and offers with merchants and mobile operators. They need to be up to date and relevant but also there needs to be a steady stream of new ones to keep people interested.”

Shops and brands that wish to let FaceBook users know about an offer publish a ‘Golden Ticket’ through Places Deals, which shows up if a venue offering the deal is nearby to the end user when they click on the app on their mobile phone.

If the user wants the offer, they claim it and show the mobile voucher on the handset at the till of the shop they need to go to. The end user’s name and contact information is not shared with the shop, however.

Included in the UK launch deals are the first 30,000 FaceBook users to go into a StarBucks coffee shop will receive a free coffee, the first four people to upgrade their network contracts and go into an O2 shop will win a free Xbox or Playstation, and the first 1,000 to go into a Debenham’s shop and check in will receive a free mascara.

FaceBook has commented that millions of its US users are using the service. Approximately 166 million, or one third, of FaceBook’s global user membership checks into the service via their mobile phones, providing this mobile voucher service with a captive audience.

The service is also launching in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Canada. The company is not currently looking at monetising the service.