Mobile Users Have Mixed Feelings About Location-Based Coupons

67% Say Location-Based Coupons are Convenient, 44.8% Have Security Concerns, and 25.6% Say They are Open to Receiving These Types of Coupons on Their Mobile Device

Sharing their location with retailers in order to receive discounts may be worth the privacy risk for the majority of mobile consumers. 67.0% somewhat/strongly agree that location-based coupons are very convenient and useful according to a recent mobile survey among smartphone and tablet users conducted by Prosper Mobile Insights. Respondents answered questions directly on their mobile devices.

Further, 1 in 4 (25.6%) Mobile Users say they would prefer to receive coupons on a smartphone or tablet automatically when they are near a store. However, double that number (51.1%) would prefer to receive coupons on their device via email. Manually searching for coupons, scanning QR codes and receiving promotional texts/IMs also rank higher than automatic location-based coupons. Receiving discounts on the spot, though, appears more popular than "checking in" through social media (only 10.3% would prefer this method).

Coupon Preferences on Smartphones/Tablets:

• Receive via email: 51.1%
• Manually search for them: 32.2%
• Scan a QR code when inside a store: 31.9%
• Receive via text or instant message: 31.0%
• Receive automatically when near a store: 25.6%
• Check in through social media: 10.3%
• Don’t want to receive coupons at all on device: 18.1%

Source: Prosper Mobile Insights Mobile Survey, September 11, 2011
While 81.9% are open to receiving coupons on their smartphone or tablet in one form or another, location-based coupons do raise privacy concerns -- 44.8% are somewhat/very concerned about their location being tracked or other security issues. 29.6% are neutral while 25.6% are not concerned.

Other Key Findings Among Mobile Users:

• 44.0% admit they communicate more impersonally (text/IM) with their loved ones as a result of owning a smartphone or tablet. However, 56.0% say they call loved ones more often than they text. 16.4% say calling and texting is 50/50, while 27.6% text significant others more often.
• 88.7% regularly or occasionally use a smartphone or tablet at work while 86.7% take their devices to outdoor activities. 77.0% bring smartphones or tablets along to nightclubs, 75.4% use them in the bathroom and 71.6% are active on their devices while eating a family meal.
• Mobile users take their devices everywhere, right? Actually, the majority do not use their smartphones or tablets in church (67.4%) or at the movie theater (57.4%).

(Source: BIGResearch, 10/05/11)