This review brought to you by Clutch Shopping , a Mobile Wallet and Loyalty App; all opinions are my own.
I’m THAT person who has to rifle through her wallet while standing at the check stand looking for her debit card. I’m sure most people assume all those cards I’m fumbling through are credit cards and think I should stop shopping. They’re not. They’re gift cards and loyalty cards and they clog my wallet up so much that I get frustrated every time I pull up to a drive-thru window or step up to the cash register.
I tried to solve my problem recently by buying a larger wallet. But that just caused more problems because it’s so large that it doesn’t fit in my pocket and takes up half my purse. Little did I know that the true answer to my problem was a free mobile wallet app called Clutch.
Clutch is a virtual wallet that stores all of your gift cards and loyalty cards. Plus it’s a shopping app and gift app. It’s feature-packed and simple to use. It’s available for Android and Apple OS.
Clutch: My Experience – Gift App
Entering my cards was simple. I chose to do it on my iPad so that typing was a bit easier for me. Scanning the cards with UPCs was fabulous, though sadly most of the cards didn’t have them. Once the card number was entered, I simply typed in the rest of the information and saved the card. One feature I loved is that while entering the card, the camera app is enabled, and you’re prompted to take a photo of the front and back of the card. What a fabulous way to have all the information from the card available if I typed the info incorrectly or there is more information I need. I do wish there was a “note” section where I could enter my information like who gave me the card, any limitations or restrictions, or other incidental information.
When I use a gift card I manually update the new balance total. The system isn’t linked to the retailer so if you need to check a balance you need to verify it with the provider. I do hope that as the app moves forward, they consider at least offering links to the proper site to verify balances, and perhaps at some point a direct way to verify the card balance, at least with select and popular merchants.
Clutch: My Experience – Loyalty App
I admit, I rarely use them because I lose them. I’ve had a Catherine’s card which I paid for and have never been able to use online because I’ve lost the card. I contacted them for the number and now it’s in my Clutch app so whether I shop online or in the store, I’ll get the extra 10% off I paid for. I’m adding my airline frequent flyer numbers soon. As soon as I can find them. Again, I’m missing out on bonuses because I’m flying without connecting my reservation to them.
Clutch App: My Experience – Overall Impression
I found the app easy to download and install on both my iPad and Android smartphone. The app works well in both, causes no issues with connection or lag, and allows me to make changes, add, or delete from either. Just remember which social media site you signed up with (or email addy) so when you sign onto your account from another device you don’t accidentally open a new account (which I did). Once I logged in with my email address I was fine.
I had one little complaint about the cosmetics of the app. I not a fan of the patterned background they’ve used and found it made it harder for me to read. Granted, I’m older, but it’s something the developer might want to consider changing. Otherwise it’s very intuitive and easy to use within minutes.
I also wish that I could get access to my Clutch account from my laptop or desktop to enter/remove/update cards with a real keyboard and because I do about 90% of my shopping online. That’s something I hope the developers think about adding.
Clutch App: Shopping
There are so many other features in this free mobile app that I”m just starting to explore. Local and online shopping features, social media connections including importing your Facebook friends to keep track of birthdays, buy and send gift cards, and more. Plus they have a reward system in place that rewards you for using the app. Every function has a point value and once your points accumulate to the reward level, you’re able to exchange them for gift cards.
The Clutch App is a great free mobile wallet that has a great social media component. I’m looking forward to seeing how it grows. For now it’s lightened my load in my wallet…who knows, maybe know I’ll be able to carry some cash in it!
Download the fee Clutch App via Apple iTunes and the Google Play Store. Search for “Clutch Shopping” if you’re accessing it directly from your device.
How do you keep track of all of your cards?
