LevelUp is now accessible via the Pebble smartwatch, and to support the launch, the mobile payments company will award the seven millionth LevelUp transaction with a free Pebble watch and LevelUp credit.

The LevelUp Pebble application was created by BeautifulLab and lets consumers pay at local businesses through the device strapped to their wrist. In honor of this new app, LevelUp is running a giveaway.

“Our strategy here is to simply celebrate a new ‘connected app’ on LevelUp,” said Matt Kiernan, marketing director at LevelUp, Boston. “The Pebble app was built entirely by a third party team, BeautifulLab. They weren’t contracted by LevelUp but instead contacted us asking for access to our API so they could build a Pebble app.

“One of the major benefits to having an open developer platform is that both consumers and merchants will benefit from different services and devices connecting to LevelUp,” he said. “The Pebble app is a great example and we want to celebrate it.

“The giveaway itself may drive a modest increase in transactions, however the Pebble app itself will drive more transactions by simply creating more opportunities for people to use a mobile payment option.”

Pebble payments
Consumers can download the LevelUp for Pebble for free in the Pebble app store. Then they can link a credit or debit card to the app.

Then they can scan the QR code on their Pebble watch at any merchant that accepts LevelUp.

There are currently LevelUp merchants in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta and Seattle.

To promote the new Pebble app, LevelUp sent out an email announcing that whoever makes the seven millionth transaction will win a free Pebble watch as well as $250 of LevelUp credit. Anyone who makes a LevelUp transaction before March 31 will automatically be eligible to win if he or she is the seven millionth transaction.

MCommerce
While mass adoption of mobile payments continues to be sluggish, new mobile payment solutions continue to emerge.

Not only can consumers pay with a smartphone, but they can also pay with a smartwatch, smart ring and Google Glass. Whether the demand is there remains to be seen, but developers are getting more creative when it comes to streamlining mobile payments.

As the solutions multiply, competition increases, and the various mobile payment companies are trying harder and harder to reach consumers (see story).

“The biggest challenge any mobile payment solution faces right now is creating real, tangible value that will drive adoption amongst businesses and consumers,” Mr. Kiernan said.

“I think last year was the year we saw the first real steps taken by early-adopter businesses [in mobile payments]. This year, we’re already seeing a rapid increase in adoption by both businesses and consumers.”

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York