J.C. Penney launches mobile coupon program with Cellfire

San Jose, Calif. J.C. Penney Co. and Cellfire announced Thursday they have launched an innovative cell-phone coupon program. Using the latest technology, customers can download and carry coupons on their mobile phones that can be scanned directly from the phone's display screen at the register. New imaging scanners capable of reading these "2D" bar-code coupons have been deployed at point-of-sale registers in 16 J.C. Penney stores in the Houston metro area.

"We've always made it easy for our customers to save money," said Mike Boylson, executive VP and chief marketing officer for J.C. Penney. "These mobile coupons are the ultimate in customer convenience, because there's no need to clip or carry around a printed coupon, and they can be instantly scanned from a cell phone. It's another way we're innovating to enhance the customer's shopping experience."

The retailer will promote this initiative -- introduced during National Coupon Month -- through Web and mobile advertising, and directly via e-mail and other messaging to members of J.C. Penney's JCP Rewards program in the Houston market. Customers who have downloaded Cellfire can have access to the same coupons on their cell phones they would receive from J.C. Penney by mail.

"Mobile coupon scanning is the latest way we are helping consumers easily take advantage of the discounts at their fingertips," said Brent Dusing, CEO of Cellfire. "We believe this will be the first step in taking this technology to a variety of markets and industries, passing along the savings to consumers nationwide."

J.C. Penney's mobile coupon scanning program uses the Motorola DS9808 digital imager scanner. The scanner will allow J.C. Penney associates to quickly and effectively scan mobile coupons at first pass -- helping increase productivity and ultimately improve the overall customer experience.