LevelUp Introduces Custom Hardware Line to Accelerate National Rollout

CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwire - Jan 26, 2012) - Today, LevelUp announces a new custom hardware line for merchants. Now, any business, regardless of location, can sign up for LevelUp (for free) and be up and running in minutes. Open the box, turn on the T-Mobile terminal, plug it in, and you're connected to the LevelUp nationwide payment network. It's that easy. And, LevelUp has dropped its $55/month merchant fee, so local businesses get all the great value, instantly, for free.

"LevelUp has been growing astronomically since we've launched in our first four cities. As a part of our nationwide rollout strategy, we've introduced new self-service hardware to make it that much easier for merchants anywhere to join LevelUp," said Seth Priebatsch, chief ninja of SCVNGR and LevelUp. "We've had a three-pronged strategy for making LevelUp free to local businesses: Step 1: Launch the LevelUp merchant app to iPhone and Android, Step 2: Make the counter experience fast, clean and elegant with this new hardware line, and Step 3: Ummm... EPA?"

The new LevelUp hardware is functional (plug it in and process payments instantly at a lower interchange rate than credit cards). It's also a little flashy too, glowing an ambient green to show that a payment went through successfully.

Each LevelUp dock comes with a customized Android device, running only LevelUp and connected to the T-Mobile network through our nationwide partnership agreement.

LevelUp Is Free, But What Does The Hardware Cost?

Merchants anywhere can now sign up for LevelUp, download the LevelUp merchant app (available for iPhone and Android) for free, and start accepting mobile payments and engaging your customers immediately.

You don't need the dock, but if you've got a counter that's looking a little lonely and want to speed up your lines, you can lease the new LevelUp hardware for $25 per month or $250 per year.

Or, you can have the new hardware for free in one of two ways:

• In one of our four cities (Boston, San Francisco, New York City and Philadelphia) just get two new customers to visit your place and pay with LevelUp each day, and we'll credit you back the cost of hardware each month.
• In a new city? Sign up a business nearby and both you and they will get the hardware for free for two months. Sign another business? Two more months free.

Businesses, ready to get on the mobile payment train? Check out http://TheLevelUp.com/business for more information.

About LevelUp
LevelUp is the smarter way to pay. Pay with your phone. Save time. Save money. It's 100% free and easy to use. Get started at http://TheLevelUp.com. For merchants, LevelUp is like a high-tech loyalty program, meets mobile payments, meets customer analytics cornucopia of awesome-sauce. Learn more at http://TheLevelUp.com/business. SCVNGR + LevelUp is funded by Google Ventures, Highland Capital Partners and Balderton Capital.