Firethorn partners with bank on mobile gift card app
Merchant launch planned this year
Mobile commerce solutions provider Firethorn Holdings has partnered with Discover Financial Services on Firethorn’s soon to be released Swagg mobile gift card application.
Under the agreement, Discover’s network will provide core processing services for payment transactions when the Swagg service is utilized at retail merchants across the United States. Firethorn says it is currently signing up national US retailers for the venture, with American Apparel one of the first to accept the app.
The Swagg direct-to-consumer mobile commerce offering uses “smart” technology to allow consumers to purchase, personalize and exchange gift cards directly from their mobile device.
Firethorn says the offering will also provide consumers mobile access to account information and targeted offers.
“Our collaboration with Discover secures the backbone of our upcoming launch of Swagg,” said Rocco Fabiano, president of Firethorn Holdings. “Swagg will simplify how consumers transact and the Discover Network will seamlessly manage the payment system within their expansive network of merchants.”
Farhan Ahmad, general manager of prepaid and emerging payments at Discover, said that the bank’s “flexibility and innovative loyalty and usage programs, provides merchants with the opportunity to promote their brands to millions of consumers like never before, straight from the convenience of a mobile device.”
Firethorn says it is working with merchants toward launching Swagg in time for the 2010 holiday shopping season.