Oregon resort offers barcode coupons to skiers

January 3, 2008

Mobile coupons for mobile people

Mt. Bachelor, one of the largest ski resorts in North America, and RocketBux Inc., a mobile software company, have teamed up to provide mobile phone barcode coupons to the Bend, OR-area resort's customers.

This is the first application of optimized standard barcodes on phones used by the public, RockerBux claims.

"Our barcodes are optimized for different phone screen types, ranging from low-quality phones to the high-quality iPhone," said Fred Boos, co-founder and chief innovator at RocketBux, Bend. "We also don't require any special software to be downloaded to the phone or any proprietary hardware at the retailer."

With RocketBux technology, Mt. Bachelor has been able to send daily text alerts notifying resort customers of snow conditions.

Now, RocketBux has added mobile coupons in the form of a barcode for on-mountain deals. A barcode is displayed on the mobile phone screen and can then be scanned with standard image-type barcode wands that are already in use at Mt. Bachelor.

The first mobile barcode offers are being redeemed at Mt. Bachelor. Promotions for downtown Bend merchants will soon follow.

"In the retail environment, any retailer with an image-based barcode scanner can read our barcodes," Mr. Boos said. "For example, all Target and Wal-Mart stores use image scanners."

The barcode is simply the same that is seen on any coupon, only specially optimized for the phone screen for reliable scanning.

"The potential for commerce is endless in all sorts of verticals," Mr. Boos said.

RocktBux is currently focusing on the recreation, consumer packaged goods and big-box retail sectors.

With the RocketBux Wallet product, consumers can have their coupons stored on the RocketBux platform and have them easily accessible. Also, expired coupons will be purged from the system.

To try a demo, consumers can text the word Carv and send it to the number 20123 on a Web-enabled mobile phone.

Comments on "Oregon resort offers barcode coupons to skiers "

1. Chas Mason says:

   December 11, 2008 at 4:41pm

   This short code is no longer alive... it just goes to show that as long as Nuestar and CTIA is in charge of this and charging $1,000.00 per month plus service provider, gateway, etc, etc charges involved in running a campaign there is ZERO hope for any long term value in short codes. Professionally, they should charge a upfront fee ($2,000) and then maybe a $500 or even $250 per month. Companies referenced in this article will never be able to justify the cost on a $50 ski ticket. Not ever where is Aspen you know!? This would also show why agencies simply rent the code when the client needs it versus long term solution... like websites. Considering that there are roughly one million short codes, even is the Nuestar and CTIA was to get $5 per code per month they would make near $5,000,000 PER MONTH! Ah, but the short sided thinking of their director, now now now, me me me, money money money. Look at Godaddy.com, they charged less and now have made LOTS more and a lot more then Verisign/Network Solutions ever made with their short sided expensive approach.