AOL's Shortcuts.com Makes Coupons Mobile

by Mark Walsh, Mar 19, 2009, 7:00 AM

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AOL has extended its Shortcuts.com coupon service to mobile phones, allowing users to get discounts on purchases while in grocery store aisles or elsewhere.

Under the new program, Shortcuts.com members can now use their cell phones to select coupons while on the go and have them loaded onto grocery store shopping cards. When they swipe their cards at check-out, the coupon value is automatically deducted from their total bill.

"Now consumers don't need to worry about whether they've remembered all of their coupons," said Kimberley Partoll, executive vice president for new ventures at AOL. "Shortcuts.com Mobile enables users to access coupon savings while they're doing their shopping and the coupons are available for use once they hit the checkout line."

Coupons, both online and offline, have enjoyed a resurgence in the last year as consumers increasingly look for ways to save money amid the recession. In an online retailing report issued last month, comScore pointed out that traffic to coupon sites in December was up 46% from a year ago. Searches on the term "coupon," meanwhile, have tripled, and more than half (53%) of the online population is using coupons more often.

Shortcuts.com works with major grocery chains including Kroger, King Soopers, Fry's and Dillons, and its electronic coupons are redeemable at more than 4,000 individual stores nationwide. It plans to announce another grocery chain partner this spring.

The new mobile site can be accessed by any cell phone with a Web browser and requires no application download. Users can also search for coupons by categories such as baking, dairy and health and beauty. Within a category, they choose from a list of brands from Huggies to Healthy Choice to add coupons. New users must first sign up online via PC before logging in from cell phones.

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0 comments on "AOL's Shortcuts.com Makes Coupons Mobile".

1. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited
   

   commented on: March 19, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.

   Picture this. You are waiting in line. In front of you, there is a person with many grocercies who was too lazy to cut coupons and is using their cell phone, trying to find a coupon for each of their purchases so they can quickly scan their phone. Better you than me. Unless there is program where all the figuring out is done in advance and there is one swipe for all.

2. Patrick Downes from patrickdownes2.com
   

   commented on: March 19, 2009 at 11:57 a.m.

   Yes Paula that sounds like a nightmare!
   Let's just jump ahead, abolish the penny, and finally go cashless and just swipe away the day.

3. Geoff Mancini from review publishing
   

   commented on: April 3, 2009 at 10:42 a.m.

   You won't be in the same line as the folks that have the mobile coupons. Just like when they introduced self check out there will a seperate line. Think of it as the EZ Pass lane on your local highway...

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