The biggest issue facing FourSquare and other check-in services is that users actually have to tell them their location, but now developers are designing apps that will run in the background and automatically tell the user when they’re nearby a deal. This week deal pusher Scoutmob continues the reverse check-in trend by becoming the exclusive discount locater for the Google app Field Trip.
Launched by NianticLabs@Google, Field Trip allows users to visit a city and get push notifications whenever they pass a historical location, notable building or, now, a good local deal.
Scoutmob’s deals cover the gambit, from Groupon-like food discounts to Esty-esque local-made goods. Launched three years ago, it supports a bakers dozen: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
The stand-alone Scoutmob and, now, Field Trip are among the many apps using push notifications to give users the best deals. A particularly popular one, Shopkick, recently got a Sunday circular inspired visual makeover for its four million users.
Based in Atlanta, Scoutmob raised $3.25 million last Spring from a potpourri of investors including AOL Ventures, New Atlantic Ventures and COX Enterprises, Inc.
According to AppData, Scoutmob was number 52 on the Android Travel & Local charts, but switched to the Shopping category last week and is currently number 64. Field Trip is number 37 on the Android Travel & Local charts.
