App reviews: FiveStars, LevelUp

I often collect the loyalty reward cards that get punched with each purchase. And then I lose them. So I checked out two apps that could replace that old paper method.

LevelUp

The first one I tried, after noticing its little cube scanners at carryout restaurants was LevelUp (free, iOS and Android), which is a Boston-based mobile payment system founded in 2011 that also offers loyalty rewards points. After downloading and signing up for the app (easy), you add a set amount of money to the account by inputting credit card information and head out to spend.

I added $25, then wandered over to the Chop't salad company in Washington, D.C. Food in hand, I opened the app and a QR-style bar code (hello, 2008!) appeared on my screen. I held it to the scanner and it deducted the cost of my food from my account. Done: I ate.

The cashier spoke highly of the program and said that after I spend $100 I will receive a $10 credit. Since I eat there most Saturdays for lunch, the program makes sense.

Locations may offer a $2 or $3 reward for the first visit.

FiveStars Loyalty

I discovered the FiveStars mobile reward app (free, iOS and Android) while buying jeans. Unlike LevelUp, which is a mobile payment system first, FiveStars, founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, is strictly a loyalty rewards program, allowing you to make purchases after collecting enough reward points from certain retailers. I enrolled by typing my phone number into a keypad at the store. Later that day, I downloaded the app.

In the past few weeks, I've received enough points to redeem a $40 in-store credit (250 points) or a $15 in-store credit (for 125 points) or a free pair of socks (75 points). On my last visit, I used a 10 percent discount for spending $50 or more.

To redeem the points, I simply typed in my telephone number at the store. (Note: You might want to disable text notifications. The app sends a fair number of them.)

These are just two of the loyalty apps out there. But if my experience is any indication, they might be enticing enough to get you to return to their participating establishments - perhaps more often than you should go.

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STATS:

NAME: LevelUp

COST: Free

OPERATING SYSTEM: iOS and Android

CREATOR: SCVNGR

USER RATINGS: Apple, 4 1/2 stars out of 5 (1,731 ratings); Google Play, 4 1/2 stars out of 5 (2,659 ratings)

REVIEW'S BOTTOM LINE: Easy to use, an excellent choice for frequently visited restaurants.

NAME: FiveStars

COST: Free

OPERATING SYSTEM: iOS and Android

CREATOR: FiveStars Loyalty

USER RATINGS: Apple, 4 1/2 stars out of 5 (2,070 ratings); Google Play, 4 1/2 stars out of 5 (8,105 ratings)

REVIEW'S BOTTOM LINE: The rewards pile up quickly.