Facebook doesn’t only want to be the leading advertising destination in the world of social media; it’s also trying to show it can drive foot traffic to physical retail locations and has been testing a feature to prove it.
According to a report in TechCrunch, Facebook has been quietly testing a feature whereby users can scan a personalized QR code to get discounts and bonuses when making purchases in select physical stores. TechCrunch reported some users of the tool will see their rewards show up in the More tab in the mobile Facebook app.
Facebook told TechCrunch it has been running a test with the QR codes for the past few months.
“To help businesses continue to connect with customers where they are, we’re running a small test that enables people to use the Facebook app to collect and redeem rewards when they make a purchase at a participating store,” Facebook said in the statement to PYMNTS.
If Facebook rolls it out on a broader scale, the report noted it could benefit everyone from users, to merchants to even Facebook. Users would get discounts just for being on Facebook, while merchants have another way to lure customers to their stores, and Facebook could provide another reason why people would want to use the social network platform.
What’s more, by offering rewards via a QR code, Facebook gets more data on what people purchase, which could improve its ability to target advertisements. TechCrunch noted Facebook has been playing with the idea of in-store discounts for around five years. In 2012, it launched Offers, which are discounts that can be redeemed online and offline. Last year Facebook overhauled that feature.
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