Consumers using the iPad can buy deals near their current location and redeem them electronically. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

“Our primary goals for the Groupon iPad app were user engagement and delight,” said Julie Mossler, spokeswoman for Groupon, Chicago.

“We wanted to leverage the strengths of the iPad experience, the visual and tactile elements, and marry them seamlessly with Groupon’s strength – compelling local deals,” she said.

Groupon deals are currently available in more than 170 cities.

Deal of the day
After consumers download the iPad app, they can browse current deals around their area.

Groupon takes advantage of the tablet’s large canvas and posts several deals in one page. Consumers can also see each deal and how many consumers bought it.

The app gives users access to their Groupon account and new customers can sign up for one.

When they sign up, consumers can store their credit card information to make the payment process go by a lot quicker.

Additionally, customers can view their past Groupons as well as ones that they have not redeemed yet to see when they expire.

“It was a combination of user experience potential and customer prospects that drove the decision for a Groupon iPad app,” Ms. Mossler said. “On the iPad, deal discovery, whether to buy or window shop, can be maximized beyond any other platform.

“In addition, deal information can be presented clearly in a single snapshot,” she said. “Last but definitely not least, our customers requested it and we often look to them to shape the future of the product.”

For example, consumers who are based in New York and traveling to Los Angeles, can view the deals in Los Angeles.

The company is getting the word out about the app to its millions of domestic subscribers through updates to its Web site, marketing materials and via email campaigns and online advertising.

“Mobile is an already successful and emerging part of our business,” Ms. Mossler said.

“We’re investing heavily in talent and technology – innovations like Groupon Now, which will offer real-time deals for last minute inventory like restaurant tables or event tickets, are exciting opportunities that could only exist in a mobile world,” she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York