We all know that one person in our group of friends; the one who knows the right bottle of wine to order with dinner, the best patio for a client meeting, or the poorly lit dive bar that makes the best Old Fashioned in town. They’re the ones who always know the next big hotspot, and they found it before it was cool. And, as Notable readers living the young professional lifestyle, that person is probably you.
Enter Vouchr, a new social gifting app for iPhone made by a local Toronto startup of the same name. Simply put, Vouchr lets you take the amazing things you’ve discovered around town and gift them to your friends to try, on you.
Here’s how it works: found a new speakeasy that’s doing things with artisanal cocktails you never thought possible? Create a voucher for the drink by snapping a photo, adding a personalized message and selecting who and how much it’s for. Your friend will be notified of both your excellent taste and generosity, and can claim their voucher at the speakeasy with the app. They then try the cocktail while Vouchr puts some cash in their PayPal wallet, feeling like you just let them in on the best kept secret in town.
The PayPal thing seems weird at first, but it’s actually what separates the app from other me-too social gifting services. Because the money is exchanged between you and your friend, it means there’s no weirdness with QR codes or whatnot when your friend goes to pay – they just pay normally knowing you hooked them up. It also means that you can create vouchers for practically anything. Cocktails? Check. The best tacos in town? Check. The new hot yoga class you’ve been hitting twice a week? Check.
Vouchr currently limits you to creating vouchers for your Facebook friends, but that still makes sense – why would you want to gift a drink to anyone other than your closest friends? (Well, maybe other than that cute someone across the room). Anyway, YPs know it’s not about the money – it’s about being the one in your group of friends that knows all the best things around town. With Vouchr, you can share them, and your great taste, with your friends.