In a move that seems like a bit of a no-brainer, but for which the company is claiming a UK first: MyVoucherCodes has added the ability to make a restaurant booking from within its location-based ‘money saving’ smartphone app. That’s right, cashing in on those local discounts and promotions just got a lot easier, as has the ability for the 500 or so participating restaurants to generate additional bookings.
MyVoucherCodes isn’t saying officially who is powering the app’s new table booking functionality, although TechCrunch has learned that it comes via a partnership with OpenTable-owned Toptable.
Like similar location-based discount apps, MyVoucherCodes’ iOS and Android apps employ GPS to display current discounts and promotions available from retailers and restaurants in the locale. With today’s update, not only can users redeem those discounts but, in the case of a restaurant’s offer, they can reserve a table too via the ‘book’ symbol found on supporting vouchers. Users are then required to enter their dining details, such as the number of diners and the date and time they wish to reserve.
MyVoucherCodes, which claims to be the leading discount voucher website in the UK, first unveiled its ‘hyper-local’ strategy back in late 2010 with the launch of an iPhone app. It’s since launched on Android too, and says that its mobile apps have been downloaded “hundreds of thousands of times”, achieving a rate of more than 5,000 downloads per day as well as saving its users more than £1 million. Partner brands include Debenhams, YO! Sushi, Warehouse, Argos, GAP, Fitness First, and Hotel Chocolat.
It doesn’t operate in a vacuum, of course. Vouchercloud from Invitation Digital is probably MyVoucherCodes’ closest competitor. Alongside its own iPhone app, the company is also targeting the lower end of the market with an SMS-powered option.
And let’s not forget the host of deal-a-day Groupon clones, of which MyVoucherCodes founder Mark Pearson launched one of his own, only to see it absorbed into the MyVoucherCodes brand – and there’s also the mighty Groupon itself.