Target: New Way to Save at Target

Source: Mashable.com

Apple’s Passbook has only been out for a few days, but so far retailers at least are embracing it. The app, which lets users store and retrieve coupons and loyalty cards from their favorite brands, was released as part of a software update (iOS 6) for Apple’s mobile and tablet devices. It comes pre-installed on iPhone 5 smartphones, which went on sale Friday morning.

On Thursday, Target populated Passbook with 10 offers, including $3 off a L’Oreal anti-aging facial skin care item and $3 off a 10 oz. model of Biotrue contact lens solution. Customers can browse offers and redeem them at checkout using a scannable bar code store in Passbook. They can also automatically subscribe to new offers as they become available, and opt to receive reminders about offers they’ve saved when they’re near or entering a Target — so they won’t, for instance, forget to stop by the beauty aisle.

Beyond Target and Gap, brands and retailers including American Airlines, United Airlines, Walgreens, Sephora and Fandango have integrated their loyalty rewards programs through Passbook. Adoption rates appear to be strong: Approximately 17,000 holders of Sephora’s “Beauty Insider” loyalty card added it to their Passbooks in the first 24 hours of iOS 6′s availability, according to Branding Brand, which built Sephora’s mobile app. The beauty retailer sent an e-mail blast prompting users to add their cards to Passbook on launch day.