84 MAY 2017 http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
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Shopping triggers two emotional responses: gratification and remorse. Most of the time we feel gratified from
purchasing items we’ve long pined for. Conversely, when we end up spending more than we should, it’s the latter
that takes hold. Shopping is great, and we shouldn’t feel guilty about buying things as long as it’s within our allowed
spending budget. To rid you of the guilt of shopping, Snapcart found a way to incentivize shoppers through its app.
Here’s how.What is Snapcart?
Snapcart is an Indonesia-based cashback
platform launched recently in the
Philippines. Users of the app can get rebates
from capturing personal purchase receipts,
meanwhile the app collects valuable data—
purchase data, analytics, and real-time
insights--in return.Your trash bin is a goldmine. Why? Receipts
stowed in the bin holds information
about you. One example is your buying
behaviour. This is beneficial to retailers as,
with this data, they can create a blueprint
for effectively marketing their products.
Through receipts they are able to learn
different product pricing and more, which
serves as key information to help them
better position their produce in the market.
However, this valuable information is rather
hard to acquire.To encourage consumers not to carelessly
throw away receipts, this humble start-up
came up with the idea to reward customers
and turn paper statements into big data at
the disposal of brands and retailers.How does the app work?
The app is free and can be installed on
Android and iOS devices. Once you have the
app, you have to create an account. You can
either sign up via email or Facebook. For this
review, I linked my Facebook account and
found the process fast and easy.Now that you have an account, you’ll be
welcomed by quick how-to’s and can
immediately snap receipts after.
Currently, the app only honors receipts of
purchases from grocery stores, cosmetics,
pharmacies, and fresh food. Any purchase
statement from establishments not
mentioned might be rejected. As it is
scanned through your phone’s camera,
receipts must be generated by automated
cash registers with details clearly displayed. I
didn’t know these when I first used the app,
but a quick scan through the FAQs section
helped me know the app better.I have collected quite a number of receipts
from grocery stores, can I scan them all?
Snapcart allows a maximum of three receipt
upload per day. You can scan remaining
receipts the following day. Also know that
the app will reject the receipt if it’s dated
seven days after the purchase.The Snapcart Experience:
If you consider yourself a social media
expert, snapping receipts should come
easy. The app has a built-in camera solely
meant for scanning receipts accurately. You
just have to position the statement on a flat
surface and position your camera atop, just
like creating a flat lay. If your receipt is long,
there is an add button for capturing receipts
from top to bottom within seconds. If in
case you made a booboo, i.e. unintentionally
moved the camera, Snapcart allows retakes.After you’ve uploaded the receipt, the app
will now do its work.In my experience, the app took around four
hours to validate the receipt I uploaded. On
the side, there are activities in-app you can
partake in to gain coins while waiting. Coins
can be used to play Snaptastic. This feature is
like Wheel of Fortune, giving you a chance at
winning more coins or prizes from the app’s
various partners.How do I redeem my cashbacks? Once you
reach the minimum cash out amount, you
will be redirected to a page where you are
to provide more details to further verify your
identity. After you’re done with the process,
you can cash out via bank transfer or other
channels such as pre-paid phone top-up,
e-voucher, e-wallet. How long you get your
cashback credit depends on your preferred
cash out channel (average of seven working
days). Note that there’s a PHP 20 transfer fee,
which will be subtracted to your cash out
amount.Users also level up within the app
depending on frequency of use. This allows
them to receive bigger cashbacks in the long
run.Easy-to-use and a rewarding experience
makes Snapcart a staple for shoppers. With
this app you can keep buyer’s remorse at
bay!Turn your
Reciepts
into
App
review
Cash
Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos