Chili’s is serving up a double helping of mobile with plans for a new loyalty program that will integrate with the chain’s order-and-pay tablets as well as a new service for texting guests when their reserved tables are ready. During its 2015 third quarter earnings call this week, Chili’s revealed its plans to soon introduce the loyalty program, called “My Chili’s Rewards,” in a bid to ramp up sales and in-store traffic. Guests will be able to use the Ziosk-powered tablets in restaurants to sign up for the platform, check accumulated points and redeem them when paying for meals.

During rain, rush hour, and even hurricanes, Uber sometimes increases its rates for rides by, say, eight times the normal fare. A ride that would usually cost $65, in a snowstorm, suddenly costs $192. A 20-minute ride, on Halloween, will suddenly set you back $362. Uber doesn’t make these price hikes just to annoy customers, though the strategy certainly at times has had that effect. According to Uber, surge pricing is necessary to incentivize its drivers to get on the road during the busiest times. "Higher prices are required in order to get cars on the road and keep them on the road during the busiest …

Coca-Cola is extending its presence in the mobile fitness space and bolstering its connection with mothers by joining drugstore chain CVS and Morris Media Network’s regional Parent magazine group in challenging Southern United States families to track healthy lifestyle practices on a mobile-optimized Web site in exchange for prizes. By going to the Fit Family Challenge responsive site, participants in the free, eight-week healthy lifestyle program in North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Tennessee can track their activity, eating habits and hydration levels and earn points toward prizes through June 15. Coca-Cola’s participation in the challenge follows its pledge in 2013 to promote …

Funding continues to flow into the mobile commerce sector, as venture capitalists show more support for services and platforms that show promise. Spring, a mobile commerce firm founded by venture capitalist David Tisch, has announced that it has received $25 million in its latest round of funding. This funding round was lead by Google Ventures, Sound Ventures, and Groupe Arnault. The funding will help the platform continue to improve its mobile application, also called Spring. The Spring mobile app is a shopping platform that allows users to browse for and purchase products on theirmobile devices. The application has found traction with consumers, …

French leather goods house Louis Vuitton is reaching out to consumers as they plan their summer vacations with a travel-themed effort on New York magazine’s blog The Cut. Louis Vuitton’s ad, found on the desktop and mobile-optimized versions of The Cut, leads with a bright blue sky from the brand’s 2015 Spirit of Travel campaign shoot in the Caribbean. While New York is slowly warming up, the tropical climes depicted will be a welcome departure for The Cut’s readership.

IT is a difficult task keeping up with the pace of business development in China. Just take ASX-listed 99 Wuxian as an example. It runs a mobile phone banking and commerce platform that is so successful that the vast majority of the major banks, insurance companies and telcos use it. And why not, with 99 Wuxian providing all of the mobile commerce support and development free and allowing its business partners to control the look of their mobile sites and provide them access to the traffic data? Building such a solid mobile payments platform has allowed the company to …

Samsung SDS, the IT service affiliate of Samsung Group, has announced that it is launching a new fingerprint mobile payment service with local payment gateway firms KG Mobilians and KG Inicis within South Korea, with global expansion planned for later. The South Korean tech giant has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Information Certificate Authority (KICA), a government-backed certificate licenser, and will later launch other authentication services based on biometrics, the company said. "Going forward, we plan to not only target hardware manufacturers that make smartphones, but to also provide our biometric solutions to online service and …

Salon chain Supercuts is attempting to extend its reach and book appointments via a new capability enabling customers to check-in for same-day hair services online or through its mobile application, underscoring how the service industry is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile to drive last-minute appointments. The salon brand’s mobile offerings are launching in addition to a new in-store feature, which will offer guests a complimentary Hot Towel Refresher, and an advertising campaign built around the art of the mobile-enabled selfie. Supercuts’ booking options will likely spur competitors in the service sector to roll out similar offerings if they have not …

Caribou Coffee is making the leap to mobile payment with its first mobile app. Caribou's custom app provides customers with mobile payment and access to the Caribou Perks loyalty program. The mobile pay feature allows Caribou Perks members to add funds and manage their account. Caribou Coffee partnered with brand and technology company Modern Climate to create a custom mobile app that delivers a personalized experience. The retailer plans to release updates to the app later in the year. "The mobile app has been a long-time coming, and we're thrilled to introduce a technology solution that enhances our guests' experience," said Michele …

Uber is revamping its strategies for the technology based generation. The company is experimenting with multiple ways to provide a better taxi experience to the customers by simplifying booking and payment, and by providing offers and loyalty points. It has already achieved its initial milestone of simplifying the payment experience through its one-time credit card link up facility. Uber’s recent partnership with Samsung features Uber in the ‘Galaxy Gifts’ widget on Samsung’s Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge along with other select Samsung models, such as Galaxy Note 4. Samsung users in the US will receive a first free ride up …