What if I told you that there was a phone app that could help you stay focused during class AND pay for your next burrito? It may sound too good to be true, but it exists; it’s called Pocket Points and was created by two fraternity gentleman at Chico State University.
You may be wondering why you haven’t heard of this amazing app before – it’s because they launched just over a year ago, in September, 2014. Pocket Points is still in the process of expanding and adding more schools, and went live at UW on Sept. 30, of this year. I interviewed one of Pocket Points’ Business Development Interns, Madeleine Austin (she’s a student here at UW!), who has been helping promote the app and is recruiting more businesses to partner with Pocket Points on campus.
Q: Tell me a little about yourself and how you got involved with Pocket Points.
Maddy: I’m an informatics student and a CSE 14x TA. I heard about Pocket Points while doing research for a project in my INFO 200 class, which focused on technology and distractions in the classroom. On [Pocket Points’] website, I filled out an application for an internship on their website, and Griffin, one of the regional managers and my boss, replied to me the next day.
Q: Wow, it definitely pays off to take initiative! Can you tell me a little about the app and how it works?
Maddy: Yeah! Pocket Points records how long your phone is in lock mode during class and on average, rewards you a point for every 17 minutes you aren’t using your phone. The more people using the app at once, the faster you earn points! It uses Geo-fencing technology to determine if you are on campus, which basically means you can’t accumulate points through the app while you are at home and not in class. The points you collect can then be redeemed at local businesses for free and/or discounted items.
Q: Wow, that sounds awesome! What businesses have partnered with Pocket Points at UW?
Maddy: We’re still new and growing here at UW, but Thai 65, Finn’s, Arraya’s, Earl's, The North Face, Aladdin's, and a lot of other stores already have offers that are available through the app! I’m working on connecting with more businesses, including Jimmy John’s and Pot Belly!
Maddy and I also talked about how businesses are able to access the information about their page views through the app, and told me how passionate she was about spreading Pocket Points to everyone on campus. She said Pocket Points is currently focused on expanding on college campuses, including community colleges, but her goal is to include high schools in the upcoming years.
There are many organizations that are already on board at various campuses, including Qdoba, Jamba Juice, and Starbucks, but if you want to suggest any other partners, you can do so on their website: pocketpoints.com. You can also check out the full list of schools (more than 60!) where Pocket Points is live. Pocket Points is a beneficial relationship for everyone involved. It benefits the students, who are less distracted by their phones; it benefits the teachers, who have more attentive students; and it benefits the local businesses, who see increased sales. Pocket Points is a great example of innovative technology benefiting the classroom, and the sooner you download it, the sooner you can reap the benefits – so what are you waiting for?
