Phone App Lets You Get Your Coupon On

HOUSTON - Saving money in and around Houston is about to get a whole lot easier, that is, if you own the right kind of cell phone.

Forget about the 'cuttable', 'clippable', or printable kind of coupon. These days, all you need is a smart phone to cash in on bargains. It's Valpak of Houston new way of offering savings to consumers.

Valpak is offering a downloadable program that's attracting up to 7000 new users to the company's website every month.

"We could not believe there would be that many people looking for offers," said Mark Mauser, co-owner of Valpak of Houston.

Valpak's mobile 'couponing' uses your phone's GPS to help you find deals in your area. Services are broken up into categories, represented by icons.

It includes everything from auto repair to eating out.

But there have been a few hiccups. Mauser says a handful of bargain hunters reported having their smart phone coupons rejected.

"Some people didn't let their employees know that they were running these things, and we didn't educate them enough to let them know that if a someone comes in with a phone with a coupon on it you need to take it," he said.

Doug Delony, FOX 26's My Tech Guy, says the confusion is understandable when something is so new.

"This is a new area. As it grows and grows, it make take a little while for some of those stores, some of the smaller stores, or a cashier to understand," said Delony.

It may not be your typical coupon, but then again, those logging on and cashing in on the savings aren't your typical "couponers."

While women, ages 35 to 50, are the ones most likely to use the old-fashion Valpak coupons that come in the mail, research shows most of the online bargain hunters are men, not women, followed by budget-savvy teenagers.

"A lot of the younger kids are getting into this stuff," said Mauser. "I mean my daughter is getting into this stuff, and she's 13. When she's out with friends, if they're out at the movies, she finds out (on her phone) if there's someplace (nearby) she can go eat."

To get the app:

http://www.valpak.com/coupons/show/mobile