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McDonalds Testing Coupons Via Cell Phone in Japan

by Tim Stevens on May 23, 2008 at 01:43 PM

McDonalds Testing Coupons Via Cell Phone in JapanCoupons are a bit of a drag. Yes, they can save you a ton of money, but collecting and organizing them is a pain, and of course they only save you money if you actually remember to bring them with you. We're not sure if it's the perfect solution, but it sounds like McDonalds may be on the right track. The company is testing an interesting concept in Japan involving digital coupons customers who can use directly from their cell phones.

In Japan, many cell phones are RFID-capable, meaning they can send out radio wave signals to communicate with receivers wirelessly. McDonalds' tech allows a user to download a coupon that emits a specific RFID signal when selected. The cashier will have a sensor that can receive the signal and apply the discount to the user's purchase -- all without anyone fumbling through their pockets for crumpled pieces of paper.

Unfortunately, few phones in the U.S. are RFID-capable, meaning we likely won't be seeing this tech here in the very near future. Go figure. [Source: Wired]

Tags: cell phones, CellPhones, mcdonalds, rfid

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