Facebook Launching New Group-Buying Discount Service “Deals” In Select Cities!
Check-in services are all the rage these days. Just about everyone has heard of Foursquare and the now infamous Groupon. Even Google caught wind of the craze and started rolling out their own discount based check-in program in select cities. While Facebook introduced “checking-in” a few months back it didn’t really offer any kind of incentives for doing so (other than letting that one creepy guy know whenever you make a trip to Panda Express so he can watch you from his car and breathe heavily on his window while listening to Barbra Streisand as tears stream down his face). Wait- what?
Anyways, it looks like all of that is about to change with the launch of Facebook’s Deals. Starting tomorrow, the social media giant, will begin offering “Deals” for users in select areas (San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas and San Diego) of specific check-in discounts at eateries and promoted venues in their city.
Facebook may also be looking into using their Credits currency for discounts on their Deals program as well. Currently, its only being used for buying virtual goods and game-related content like a shiny new shovel in Farmville.
With yet another big corporation trying to cash in on the online-discount phenomena, I wonder if Groupon is beginning to regret rejecting Google’s buy out offer? Look for yet another update to your Facebook app if this Deals thing really takes off and I’ll be seeing you at Panda Express (or the parking lot at least).
[Via Facebook]