Smart offers discounts through text messaging

Bargain-hunters and discount-seekers will find new purpose in using their mobile phones with Smart Communications Inc.’s latest offering – discount coupons through text.

With Smart’s Mobile Coupon Service, subscribers of Smart and sister-firm Pilipino Telephone Corp.’s Talk ’N Text now have access to promos and discounts from participating stores and restaurants by simply using their mobile phones.

For a minimal P15 download of a company logo, customers will get big discounts or freebies upon purchase of products from participating merchants.

"Mobile phones ceased to be mere tools for voice calls when text messaging became a popular medium for communications. Now, our subscribers can use their cellular phones to access discounts and get more value for their hard-earned money," said Edgardo Bautista, Smart head for product development.

"This is a new innovative way of offering incentives to customers. Merchants are leveraging on the reach and efficiency of mobile communications technology," added Danilo Ibarra, Smart head for e-services.

One of the participating merchants is e2door.com, which offers the convenience of online shopping and enables consumers to purchase goods not available in the country via the Internet.

Monchu Garcia, president of e-2-door, said offering discounts through the text messaging medium gives the company the advantage of delivering clear and concise messages to customers.

"With SMS (Short Messaging Service), we can communicate our value to the customers. It’s more intimate," he said.

To avail of the daily promos and discounts offered by participating merchants, key in MC Help and send to 270. To download the list of participating merchants, type MC List and send to the same access number 270.

Subscribers must download a logo of the store or restaurant by sending <logo name> to 270 to avail themselves of the promo. Coupons must be downloaded on the day the user will avail himself or herself of the discount.

Those who download a logo of Seattle’s Best Coffee by keying in "sbc" and sending it to 270, for example, will get a free stroop waffle for every purchase of a drink, except drip coffee or hot tea.

e-2-door, on the other hand, is offering a 10 percent discount on handling/shipping fee for online purchases of less than $200 from US sites and a heftier 20 percent discount for purchases above $200.

Shoe lovers may get discounts from Nike Stadium, Puma Shop or The Athlete’s Foot, while those into sports may avail themselves of special promos at Planet Sports, Toby’s and Gold’s Gym.

Those who download a logo of Nike Stadium by sending "stadium" to 270 will get a 10 percent off on regular-priced items in all its stores nationwide upon presenting the logo.

Participating merchants and their logo names include the following: A&W <a&w>; The Athlete’s Foot <afoot>; Arena Concept Shop <arena>; Au Bar <aubar>; Avis <avis>; Bargo Sports Bar <bargo>; Bistro 110 <bistro 110>; Burgoo <burgoo>; Cabalen <cabalen>; Che Restaurant <che>;

Cheesecake <cheezcake>; Cinnabon <cnbon>; Citadel <ctdel>; Davids Dayspa <ddayspa>; Dome Café <dome>; David’s Prestige <dprestige>; David’s Salon <dsalon>; Dusit Hotel Nikko <dusit>; E-2-Door <e2door>; El Cuento <elcuento>;

Gold’s Gym <gold>; Grilla <grilla>; Hotshots <hotshots>; IO Family KTV <ioktv>; New Kamameshi House <kamameshi>; La Souffle <lesouffle>; Magic Sing <magic>; Magoo’s <magoos>; Mario’s <marios>; Le Mecene <mecene>; Meylin <meylin>;

Mario’s Kitchen <mkitchen>; Mystic Grill <mystic>; New Balance <nbalance>; National Sports Grill <nsg>; Pazzo <pazzo>; Piu Pazzo <piupaz>; Planet Sports <planet>; Puma Shop <puma>; Q-Power Station <qpstation>; Recipe <recipe>;

Red Salon <red>; San Mig Pub <sanmig>; Seattle’s Best Coffee <sbc>; Suburbia <sburbia>; Slimmer’s World <slimmers>; Soul Foods <soul>; Nike Stadium <stadium>; Little Tikes <tikes>; Toby’s <tobys>; Tongyang <tongyang>; Waltermart <wmart>; and Zillion Disco Club <zillion>.