Pocket Points app rewards students for not using cell phones in class
More student deals could be right around the corner through a new app that is gaining popularity at Utah State University.
Pocket Points encourages students to quit using their phones during class by rewarding them with points while their phones are locked. Those points can then be exchanged for discounts at local restaurants and businesses around Logan.
According the Pocket Points website, the app was started in 2014 by two students at Chico State University in Chico, California who wanted to incentivize students to stay focused in class. The app is now being used at over 190 colleges and Universities throughout the United States. Utah State University began using Pocket Points just over a semester ago and students seem to have lots to say about it.
“My favorite thing about Pocket Points,” said math education major Lane Tait, “is the overall incentive it gives students to stay off their phones while in class and earn points towards discounts at local restaurants. I think it’s a genius idea.”
The Pocket Points app gives 10 automatic points to users who invite their friends to join.
“I told lots of my friends, and they told their friends, and news of how great it was just spread like wildfire,” said freshman Ashley Nielson, who is currently sixth on the leaderboard that is included in the app. “I have so many points that I don’t even know what to do with all of them. I liked getting free pizza from Pizza Pie Café.”
The leaderboard motivates Brian Adair, who regularly makes his way to the top numbers of the leaderboard, to stay off his phone during class.
“What I like most about Pocket Points is just that little bit of extra motivation to not use my phone in class,” he said. “The competition to be first for the day and week sometimes makes me stay on campus and study longer.”
The app has also become a way to socialize with friends, Adair said.
“Everyone in our study group used it during homework and once a week we would go get free pizza after we got done with our assignment.”
Other students want better prizes available than what the app currently offers.
Student Thomas Hill said, “The things they offer aren’t as tantalizing as escaping the boredom of some lectures. I think if it were more popular here in Logan, a lot more local restaurants would want to participate and offer discounts through the app.”
From the businesses end, the app seems to be helping Morty’s Café, one of the most popular businesses featured on the app.
Caleb Barclay, an employee at Morty’s, said: “It’s a cool idea. Lots of people come in and use that app. Most use our ‘Iconic Burger and Fries for $5’ discount. I feel like it’s helped get the word out about Morty’s.”
Josh Carlisle, a junior studying marketing, uses the app regularly. He uses a good chunk of points at Morty’s.
A friend who wanted to get the 10 free points first introduced Carlisle to the app. After he began using Pocket Points, he thought it was a great idea and contacted the app’s founders in California. They offered him a position to be the Pocket Points Student Representative for Utah State University.
With this position, Carlisle does his best to promote the app to the students by giving short presentations to classes.
“I’m surprised at how many people recognize me as the Pocket Points guy. I wasn’t expecting that,” Carlisle said.
He explained that the app is created so that the more students who are online at one time, the faster the points are added. There is also an in-app suggestion box where users can go in and suggest places they wished offered discounts.
“The more suggestions that there are for a certain business, the more incentive that business has to join. I think the number one request we have right now is Café Rio. Hopefully we can get them on board soon,” Carlisle said.
The app makes sense for students, Adair said.
“I would recommend the app for people who already spend a lot of time on campus,” he said. “It is rewarding to go and get a free treat or a discount because you’ve been studying all day.”