I was in one of my favorite places one Saturday morning recently talking to some geek friends. One of them mentioned that their wallet was getting so full of "store cards" they were thinking about just tossing them in the trash and not participating. I then said those famous words you know so well in today’s society, "There’s an app for that."
You know the cards that he was talking about, don’t you? The plastic cards you use to keep track of purchases at particular stores. We are all familiar with the routine when you purchase something; they scan your card and give you a discount after the two-hundredth purchase. Maybe you earned a free donut or get a discount on gas after you purchase a specified amount. Not only do you get a small card to fit neatly in your wallet or purse but you also get a little card that slides onto your key ring.
You get one of these for each store…now you get the picture. Here is a way to get rid of them!
Check your cards now and see how many you have – could there be five, ten, 20 or more? I had eight of them at one time including my library card. That is until I discovered the Key Ring app for my smartphone over a year ago. There are links at the Key Ring site (keyringapp.com) to download the app from your particular phone.
It is really a slick little program. After you install the app you need to set up a free account with your email address and password like usual. Then start by scanning the barcode on the card you want to add to Key Ring. It will get most everything that is listed in the barcode, like the cards logo, company name, your name, etc. If the particular card is not in Key Ring’s huge database of stores you can enter it yourself. Some cards do not have a barcode. For those you can type in the account number manually.
Once you have scanned in your cards give the application a few minutes to update.
One I use is the "Regal Entertainment Group Crown Club" card. Using my phone and Key Ring I went to the movies and used the app. Now this one does not have a barcode; however, the ticket taker typed in the number and it worked fine. I also asked if they got many of these "cards" on phone and she said, "Every now-and-then." So at least you and I aren’t the only ones. Key Ring also listed that I had earned free popcorn. I walked over to the snack counter, they scanned the "card" on my phone and I walked away with the popcorn. Immediately afterward the free popcorn disappeared off of the Key Ring app. Slick!
Once you have them set up head over to the Key Ring site and see what other cards you can sign up for at the site. It can search by your location. I found two tire stores and 13 pharmacies I can sign up for now. Wow, so many deals, so little time (and money)!
