This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Java Buzz by a san juan. Original Post: My experience w/ Smart Coupons on my Target Visa SmartCard Feed Title: small devices in my dandelion patch Feed URL: http://sedoparking.com/search/registrar.php?domain=®istrar=sedopark Feed Description: J2ME, emergent software and other tiny things. Latest Java Buzz Posts Latest Java Buzz Posts by a san juan Latest Posts From small devices in my dandelion patch

JavaCard powers many of the new multi-application smartcards proliferating around the world. It is one of the hidden success stories of Java, having crushed the two attempts by Microsoft to dominate this market.

I was recently surprised to discover that Target (a very large retail chain in the USA) was offering downloadable "Smart Coupons" for its Visa smartcard. Customer could download coupons from their website directly onto the Visa card, and these coupons are then automatically redeemed at the checkout line.

I decided to try the process out.

I first visited the Target Visa homepage, where I could download the smart coupons.

I was presented with a link called "Load Coupons". After hitting "Load Coupons", what looks like a java applet was downloaded and seemed to mediate the transfer of info between the smartcard reader and the web application.

The first page after login showed the many categories of coupons available. You could also view the complete list of coupons.

I loaded two smart coupons into my card and logged off.

This afternoon I went over to a nearby Target store and bought one of the items. I strolled over to the checkout line and found out Target had installed new credit card machines that accomodated all credit cards, BUT could also interact with the Target Visa smartcards (the machine functioned weirdly like a vacuum cleaner, quickly sucking in any card that you placed close to its "mouth", but that's another story).

After noting down that my card had smartcoupons, the machine congratulated me and said I had just saved $1 (about a 25% discount)! The discount showed as a "manufacturer's e-discount" in the receipt.

Very very cool.

However, some suggestions and problems that I found.

First, there is no way for customers who are shopping to find out what they have on their card until they checkout and pay. This is a MAJOR hassle since one benefit of having smart coupons on the credit card is supposedly to alleviate the need to drag along tons of paper coupons to the store. I ended up printing out the list of items I had on the card and bringing this along with me when I shopped. Having something like a smartcard reader available to shoppers around the store (much like price checking scanners) might be a good idea.

Secondly, Target did not advertise the smart coupon concept that much in the store, although all the employees knew about it and knew how it worked. The experience was very seamless to me and the savings are real - I think stronger marketing on Target's part just might make this a runaway success.

Finally, most of the items with discounts were smaller items like bath and beauty products, softdrinks, and the like. I'm hoping as time passes that larger, more expensive items will be available as smart coupons.

All in all, I found the entire process seamless and relatively easy. If this is the future of shopping, then I'm all for it.