On Foursquare and elsewhere mobile/LBS check-ins wind up being a form of mobile loyalty: check in the most, become the mayor, get free stuff. However Where is putting a slightly different spin or check-ins and local deals. The company is now going to be exposing people to local coupons and deals at the moment they check in:
When using WHERE to help discover local places, consumers will now receive coupons from local merchants when they check-in to a location. WHERE offers one of the most comprehensive collections of mobile coupon and offer inventory available from restaurants, retail stores, spas, and other service providers. With hundreds of thousands of deals presented daily, WHERE is a leader in helping mobile users find great deals nearby.
Where is aggregating deals from multiple sources (as with its local ad network) including the new DealMap.
Rather than a loyalty tool, rewarding people for their repeat business, this version of mobile coupons/deals become more of a new customer acquisition tool for local businesses nearby.