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Bling takes off in WP
  
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By Pat Hill
With a cell phone, a Bling Tag and a bank account, consumers in the Bling loop pay for purchases at more than 25 retail stores and restaurants in Woodland Park. To top it off, the Bling mobile pops up all over town in one parking lot or another.
Joel and Sarah Vasek offer the Bling service at Joanie’s Deli and Bakery. Last week, Bling’s regional president/ mobile driver, Rod Stambaugh, paid a bill for $7.48 in about 1 second.
Cell phone in hand, Stambaugh tapped the tag side up on the Blinger terminal at the cash register, and within seconds, received a real-time balance on his checking account at Park State Bank & Trust.
“One of the benefits for retailers is that it costs less to accept a Bling transaction than a credit or debit card and they get their money a lot faster,” Stambaugh said.
Consumers who Bling earn 3 percent cash-back in the form of loyalty points on every transaction. The points can be redeemed at any business that accepts Bling.
“If I have enough points to pay for the purchase, when I tap my tag on the Blinger and it will give me the option of using my points to pay for the item, or debit my account,” he said. “Park State Bank is paying the 3 percent.”
The Vaseks are upping the ante by offering consumers a bonus.
“With five visits of $3 or more, with the sixth visit, you have an option to take a 10 percent discount on the purchase,” Joel Vasek said.
For Stambaugh’s purchase of two cups of coffee and a bowl of fruit, the deli’s transaction cost was 16 cents.
“If he’d used his credit card, I’d be paying at least twice as much to the credit-card company,” Vasek said. “The Bling option encourages people to shop local.”
For the merchants there is no cost to the Bling setup.
Bling Nation opened in Palo Alto, Calif. in 2006 and is expanding across the U.S. In Colorado, merchants in La Junta have signed on to the Bling system along with State Bank.
“In Woodland Park, we are talking to more banks about Bling Nation. Our goal is to enable the entire community to use their mobile phone to purchase items using the network,” Stambaugh said.
For information, call Stambaugh at 720-810-4228.
Joel and Sarah Vasek offer the Bling service at Joanie’s Deli and Bakery. Last week, Bling’s regional president/ mobile driver, Rod Stambaugh, paid a bill for $7.48 in about 1 second.
Cell phone in hand, Stambaugh tapped the tag side up on the Blinger terminal at the cash register, and within seconds, received a real-time balance on his checking account at Park State Bank & Trust.
“One of the benefits for retailers is that it costs less to accept a Bling transaction than a credit or debit card and they get their money a lot faster,” Stambaugh said.
Consumers who Bling earn 3 percent cash-back in the form of loyalty points on every transaction. The points can be redeemed at any business that accepts Bling.
“If I have enough points to pay for the purchase, when I tap my tag on the Blinger and it will give me the option of using my points to pay for the item, or debit my account,” he said. “Park State Bank is paying the 3 percent.”
The Vaseks are upping the ante by offering consumers a bonus.
“With five visits of $3 or more, with the sixth visit, you have an option to take a 10 percent discount on the purchase,” Joel Vasek said.
For Stambaugh’s purchase of two cups of coffee and a bowl of fruit, the deli’s transaction cost was 16 cents.
“If he’d used his credit card, I’d be paying at least twice as much to the credit-card company,” Vasek said. “The Bling option encourages people to shop local.”
For the merchants there is no cost to the Bling setup.
Bling Nation opened in Palo Alto, Calif. in 2006 and is expanding across the U.S. In Colorado, merchants in La Junta have signed on to the Bling system along with State Bank.
“In Woodland Park, we are talking to more banks about Bling Nation. Our goal is to enable the entire community to use their mobile phone to purchase items using the network,” Stambaugh said.
For information, call Stambaugh at 720-810-4228.
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