Grabbing a deal online is something that the vast majority of us do, thanks to new websites such as Groupon and KGB Deals. However, having to find the voucher before you go out can be annoying, and this is where the new Facebook Deals application comes in.

In the last month Facebook has launched a brand new element to its Places application within the UK. For those who do not know, Facebook Places allows you to ‘check-in’ at any location you are at; whether it is your home, your University lecture hall, or the bar down the road. Whilst this only had limited appeal in the past, Facebook has now increased the offering on Places to include Deals with major retail chains.

The scheme is available to everybody through the Facebook Touch mobile website (touch.facebook.com) or through the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android or Windows Phone applications that can be downloaded. Once you’ve got yourself onto Places, finding great deals is as easy as deciding whether to go out on a student night or not!

All you need to do is scan the local area for places you can ‘check-in’ at and look for the ones with a special yellow or green ticket next to them. By clicking on the ticket, you can see what offers are available and all you need to do to redeem it is walk in, check in and show the cashier your phone. Simple.

There are four types of deals that can be provided through Places: individual, friend, loyalty and charity and these may be available in limited quantities – so don’t hesitate about checking in and bagging your offer. Friend details require you to check-in with a certain amount of friends, whilst loyalty deals act much like a regular loyalty card. It will be interesting to see how these are implemented further but these are likely to provide great discounts for students in the future.

To start with, companies like Debenhams, Argos, O2 and YO! Sushi will be trialing the new features, whilst Alton Towers are opening exclusively for free to those who check-in on Friday 18th February.

So, keep your eyes on your phone when you’re out and about and you might well find some savvy savings just by going on Facebook in public!

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