Coupons – like the ones provided by services like Groupon – are all around us today, but getting the opportunity to use them is something else altogether. Keeping track of the available coupons is a hassle, and matching them up with the businesses coupons can be used at takes more a lot of work and energy – to the extent that users often just give up on the coupon. How's this for a solution: Instead of checking the Groupon site, trying to figure out if a coupon is available, you just take a photo of the logo of the establishment you're planning to make a purchase in. An app checks the logo and scans a database of available coupons – and if any are available, they are automatically downloaded to your smartphone, ready for you to use on the spot! It sounds perfect for coupon fans – and who doesn't want to save money these days? And it took Israeli startup PicAlogo to come up with the free smartphone app ( the free iPhone app is available for download , and the Android version will follow soon) that checks-in to services like Foursquare, Facebook and Gowalla, while delivering business-specific coupons by Groupon and others. PicAlogo was founded by Amit Sherman, Ziv Kitlaro, Yael Nathan and Eli Swed. Swed, PicAlogo CEO, believe that the new app will dramatically simplify the check-in process – and make it much easier to use mobile coupons. One of the problems with check-in services is that they rely on GPS to determine your location and list it on their database – a major problem in indoor settings, like malls, where GPS does not work well. PicAlogo uses a much more reliable smartphone feature – the phone's camera – to help check-in services figure out where you are. Swed believe that the application can also be expected to accelerate the adoption rate of location-based services, such as business specific coupons, adding that “it's so simple it can even be used by a grandmother in the supermarket.” Why the logo? "The business logo is everywhere, from the napkins, through the sugar bags to the signs. Once a picture of the logo is taken, the app identifies the business, checks in – and delivers available coupons”, says Swed. Swed envisions people - even grandmothers - walking into a supermarket, taking a picture of the sign and getting discounts directly to their phones - without announcing their location to anyone. With PicAlogo, coupons are no longer a hassle -they're a pleasure!
