Coupons and Rebates are issued by brands or retailers to be used as a part of sales promotions for their products. Other uses include attracting customers to entertainment attractions (amusement parks, zoos, museums, etc.) and services (salons, spas, etc.). The difference between a coupon and a rebate has to do with the timing of the reward. A coupon provides an immediate discount, reducing the amount owed for the purchase. A rebate provides a delayed discount, returning the amount to the consumer after the purchase – through a check, electronic funds transfer, statement credit, loyalty points or voucher/card good for future purchases.
MMA defines Mobile Price Promotions as electronic coupons or rebates that traverse the full redemption process without the requirement for conversion into a paper or other hard copy format. While any individual step in the overall redemption process may occur manually, these coupons and rebates can either be discovered or redeemed via a mobile device.
Mobile Price Promotions are often distributed through a variety of mobile means including: SMS, MMS, Mobile Applications, Mobile Web, Bluetooth, NFC and 1D/2D barcode scanning.