To redeem a Scoutmob purchase, you present the deal to participating merchants, which offer discounts of 50% to 100%.
"Our thought is that locals should impulsively explore their cities; having to pay upfront for a deal doesn’t really allow that behavior," Michael Tavani, co-founder of Scoutmob, said in a statement. "We’ve always been good at driving people to unique local merchants around each city, and now Foursquare will enhance the Scoutmob experience through their tips and location-based social features."
Unlike other Foursquare deal platforms, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, Scoutmob requires no credit card or cash obligation. The company receives a flat rate payment once the deal is redeemed.
Scoutmob's local editors also provide tips on what foods to order, who to speak to and other facts about a particular city. Scoutmob deals are available in 13 U.S. cities: Chicago, DC, New York, Atlanta, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Nashville, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas and Austin. It has plans to add more cities in 2012.