Founded by TellMe Networks founder Angus Davis in 2009, Swipely originally proposed to be a kind of Mint.com for compulsive sharers, letting users post reviews of products they’d bought. As it turns out, Davis said in an interview, “Most people don’t like reviews.”
Swipely is planning to announce a complete makeover today, shifting its focus from reviews toward cash back and loyalty programs. The new version rolls out in limited release to Rhode Island users. With 75 Ocean State merchants, Swipely users – who number in “the thousands,” in total, Davis said – will receive cash back on their first visit, and loyalty points every time they buy. They’ll also be able to see their own shopping history rendered as a map, or by category, and see updates from a list of most-visited stores – like an automatic Facebook news feed of their favorite establishments.
It’s part Mint.com’s purchase tracking, part Groupon’s deal broadcasts, part Foursquare’s loyalty rewards. But unlike Mint, the service focuses exclusively on retail shopping and dining out. Unlike Groupon, there’s no pay in advance. Unlike Foursquare, there’s no check-in. Davis said he believes the new Swipely will help merchants connect offline spending with online tracking. “That’s why we started Swipely,” he said.
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