LevelUp 'Takes Over' Austin Convention Center Powering Mobile Payments at All Concession Stands

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - Mar 7, 2013) - Two years ago at SXSW, you could message everyone you met with GroupMe. Last year, you could stalk your neighbor with Highlight. This year, the revolution will be far less creepy, as SXSW attendees say no to plastic cards and yes to paying with their phones!

That's because LevelUp will be the only mobile payment method accepted at every concession stand at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW. We're bringing the mobile payment revolution to the trend-setting masses at SXSW, so don't worry about leaving your wallet at the airport. We got you covered.

Paying with LevelUp is good for consumers and good for businesses. Consumers save money on their initial purchase, and get additional incentives for becoming a loyal customer. Businesses save big on interchange fees and pass those savings back to customers. Talk about a win-win.

In case you haven't heard, we've had one helluva year at LevelUp. After talking about Interchange Zero at SXSW last year, we finally made it a reality. We launched LevelUp White-label an industry-first option for merchants, offering a completely customized, branded payment experience. We integrated with more than 30% of existing POS systems. We hit 500,000 users and celebrated. Then, we hit 1 million users and really celebrated. And we're just getting started! LevelUp's sweep as the only mobile payments option to work at food vendors through the Austin Convention Center validates what we've been saying all along: mobile payments are here, and they're here to stay.

To celebrate, LevelUp will be flooding SXSW with over $100,000 of credit (a.k.a free money) for attendees to spend at the concession stands at SXSW. There are tons of ways to unlock this credit. For starters, just paying with your phone at any concession stand will save you a few bucks right away. And, you can unlock loyalty rewards for heading back. To unlock super special savings, tap the "scan" icon in the app and scan the specially colored LevelUp QR Codes scattered throughout Austin.

We'll also be showcasing our brand new hardware line, which we'll be offering for free to merchants on LevelUp. It can integrate right into most POS systems or plug into a standalone mini-tablet to enter the amount and complete the transaction. (For truly mobile merchants, you can also just download the LevelUp Merchant app for iPhone or Android.)

"Never before has one payment method been universally available throughout SXSW -- so we're super excited to finally make that happen," said Seth Priebatsch, LevelUp's Chief Ninja. "LevelUp is on a mission to force a massive industry shift where merchants stop paying money just to move money, and consumers see real value out of the act of paying with their phones. The SXSW 'takeover' is a great way to showcase signs of things to come in the mobile payments revolution."

So what are you waiting for? Grab the free app for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone and pay with LevelUp! Want to learn more? Head to www.thelevelup.com or visit us at any concession stand at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW!

About LevelUp
LevelUp is a revolutionary new way to pay. Users pay with their phone, saving time and money. Businesses pay 0% payment processing fees and reinvest those savings into growing their businesses by attracting new customers and bringing them back.

LevelUp is a part of SCVNGR which is backed by Google Ventures, Balderton Capital, Continental Advisors, Highland Capital, Transmedia Capital and T-Venture.