Quick Pitch: CardStar is a consumer-focused platform connecting loyalty cards, merchants and coupons via mobile devices.
Genius Idea: What do you have a card for? Seriously, think about the amount of cards an average person could acquire after a few years - one or two for grocery store discounts, one or two for airline rewards, several for your favorite stores, one for the pharmacy, one for the gym, and maybe a few for hotels, car rentals, and more. This is a problem that CardStar is trying to eliminate.
CardStar simply turns all of your cards digital. With the name of the retailer or merchant and your card number, CardStar can create a virtual representation of the card, complete with scannable barcode. It's really quite simple and rather ingenious
Beyond inputting your number and merchant for each card, you can also play with advanced settings like symbology, which changes the type of barcode displayed, and invertation, which just makes it easier to scan if you prefer to give your iPhone to a merchant in the other direction.
Yes, you will have to give your phone to the merchant to the scan, which might initially perplex the kid running the cash register at your local Blockbuster. Yet it's a better alternative than lugging a dozen cards around or forgetting to bring it with you on an errand trip.
Now, go to your local grocery store, then come back and tell us how the clerk reacted to your new membership card in the comments.
Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.