A little over a week ago, we reported that SCVNGR has introduced their new check-in service. They are now separating themselves from other check-in service applications like Foursquare by rewarding their participants with actual prizes.

This is a really cool concept and what makes this interesting is that the new program allows businesses to reward customers with whatever prize they choose to offer. Businesses can control how many rewards to offer, along with how many points a customer needs to unlock rewards, and they can set expiration dates on specific rewards. This is a way for businesses to attract customers and also creates incentives for customers to hit up these businesses and spend some cash.

“Alternative shoe retailer Journeys is the first national retailer to roll out with rewards on SCVNGR. Starting today, consumers travel to any of their 800+ stores to play quick, fun challenges on SCVNGR, earn points, and unlock sweet rewards (like $10 off your purchase at any Journeys location)!”

Philadelphia and Boston will be the first cities where businesses can get in on the create-your-own rewards which is set to start on August 15th. Eventually SCVNGR will hit all markets with the do-it-yourself program, but San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, San Diego, Seattle, Denver and Detroit will be next on the list to follow the two initial cities.

Read the full press release below.

Say Hello to Rewards on SCVNGR

For Businesses and Customers Alike, New Gaming Element Answers Eternal Question: What to Do With All These Points?

BOSTON, MA–(Marketwire – July 29, 2010) – Peeps, listen up. Go places. Do challenges. Earn points. Share where you are and what you’re up to with your friends. And now, unlock rewards to get free stuff! Awesome.

Business owners, hi. Drive traffic, easily build mobile engagement, and increase your sales because your patrons love you. Oh and did we mention we love you, too?

Today, we’re launching a new feature on SCVNGR. It’s a game element called the reward. And it’s a thing (like free coffee, half off a sandwich, a discount on dry cleaning or two-for-one ice cream sundaes) that you unlock from your favorite businesses, or reward to your happy customers, by earning enough points.

Just go to any place that’s built rewards on SCVNGR and do challenges (don’t forget to try our sweet new social check-in) to earn points towards unlocking an awesome reward. Once you’ve unlocked it, just show the reward in the SCVNGR app at the counter and redeem! Forget waiting around for someone to get bumped as mayor, or release their iron-fisted grip on an item-badge. Get free stuff because you’ve earned it. That free sandwich is all yours! (om nom nom nom)

It’s time to reward all the customers who are making your location a socially happening place (not just that one guy who hangs out in the corner all day).

A Social Traffic Engine for Business

Business owners, if we’re asking you to give out free stuff (and we are), you’ve got to get something in return (and you will). We think you should be able to attract new customers, reward your regulars and generate a ton of viral buzz about your location all at the same time, in real-time. With rewards on SCVNGR, this is all possible. Better still, it’s fast and easy.

Whether you’re a neighborhood coffee shop, a local bar, a regional sporting goods store or a national retailer like Journeys (who’s launching rewards today at 800+ locations nationwide), rewards and challenges on SCVNGR are a great thing for your business. We like to think of it as your very own social traffic engine. With our rewards, your customers are motivated to keep coming back, bring their friends and engage with your business.

Neighborhood watering hole? Give ’em a free pour for coming in with friends. Salon owners, $10 off their next appointment after earning enough points sounds like a stylish thing to do. Auto body shop? Have ’em snap a before-and-after challenge and get a discount on a detailing job. From burrito joints to sandwich shops, rewards on SCVNGR makes mobile sense (and cents! Ha!) for businesses.

“Businesses of any kind are the perfect places to play SCVNGR and owners should be able to engage with their customers in a fun andrewarding way. Pun intended,” said SCVNGR Chief Ninja Seth Priebatsch, who usually doesn’t intend puns. “For example, other mobile location apps don’t allow multiple people to earn rewards — one guy or gal can sit on any given ‘mayorship’ for months. That’s lame. And not very meritocratic. All of your best customers should be able to earn rewards. SCVNGR’s a game. Why not let everyone win?”

SCVNGR is insanely effective at achieving four things for your business: driving traffic to your location, increasing engagement at your location, activating buzz about your location and increasing sales, both measurably and reproducibly. You can set it up faster than a Yelp profile and track it as easily as an AdWords campaign. Most importantly, your customers can walk in, have fun and earn something awesome to reward their engagement and loyalty.

Building is Easy for Businesses

Soon business owners will be able build quick (and fun) rewards and challenges at their location(s) with an easy self-serve interface online. In the meantime, they can sign up at http://rewards.scvngr.com. Set up challenges at your business, add some rewards — it’s as simple as that. No messy codes, no integration with your point-of-sale systems, and no cheating. SCVNGR is simple, easy, secure and self-contained.

“When the platform’s open to everyone, the possibilities are endless. It’s the next major element that we’re adding to what we call the game layer on top of the world, and we can’t wait to see what people do with it,” added Priebatsch, who will address the important intersection of social currency, mobile tech and gaming elements on this Friday at the TechCrunch Social Currency Crunch-Up.

National Rollout

Rewards on SCVNGR will roll out to the ten largest U.S. cities over the next two months, starting in Boston and Philadelphia and with national retailers like Journeys at their 800+ locations starting today.

The first 50 small businesses in each city who want to start building rewards on SCVNGR will get to do so for free (usually between $500 – $1,000 per year) by signing up at http://rewards.scvngr.com.

So start playing SCVNGR. Go places. Do challenges. Earn points! And now, unlock rewards!

Grab the free SCVNGR app for iPhone & Android.

About SCVNGR

SCVNGR is a game. Playing is simple: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points! Share where you are and what you’re up to with your friends on SCVNGR, Facebook and Twitter. SCVNGR is played via a free iPhone & Android app. But playing SCVNGR is only half of it. Individuals and enterprises build on SCVNGR by adding custom challenges and rewards at their locations. SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. Visit www.scvngr.com to learn more.

Via: SCVNGR (Thanks Anna!)