FourSquare and Chinoki offer instant savings

Oct. 8, 2012 (WPVI) -- If you're the type who doesn't plan ahead or doesn't like clipping coupons, that doesn't mean you can't save money.

More and more, consumers can use their Smartphones to pick up spur-of-the-moment deals around town.

"People are constantly checking their phones, emails, text messages, Facebook," explains Andy Farrell, owner of The Field House. "So, being able to use an app that behaves in the moment and speaks to our guests' needs in that moment, is really effective."

That's why Farrell is now posting money-saving deals using Chinoki.com to attract customers to his craft-beer sports bar in Center City.

"Chinoki" means "cherry-picker." Users who sign up online can pick the local businesses from which they'd like to get offers, via text message or email.

And those offers can be very specific.

Matt Balin, founder of Chinoki.com, explains, "Businesses using our app have the ability to run a promotion for a short amount of time. If they're trying to drive foot traffic today when it's raining, they could say, 'C'mon in, get 20% off right now.'"

At PYT, a burger-themed restaurant and bar at the Piazza at Schmidt's , the preferred app is FourSquare. Check in and you'll get a free beer.

Andy Crowley of PYT explains, "I'll be serving somebody at the bar and I don't even have to say anything and they'll look and say, 'I get a free beer if I check in here.' And I have people coming in because they look when they're in the area and the see that there's a special here."

Crowley says the deals bring in first-time customers, who become regulars.

To find out how to download FourSquare, click here.

To sign up for Chinoki.com, click here.

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money saving, online saving, saving with 6abc, amy buckman

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