DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. is holding a developer contest to promote integration of the application program interface (API) for its Balance Rewards customer loyalty program.
The API enables users of other apps to earn Balance Rewards loyalty program points for making healthy choices. Rewards points can be redeemed for merchandise in-store or online.
Walgreens said Monday that through Nov. 28, third-party app developers can access contest details and submit an integrated app entry by visiting the Balance Rewards App Challenge page.
Winners will be announced during the Walgreens session at the upcoming mHealth Summit 2014 in Washington, D.C., which runs Dec. 7 to 11.
The awards include the Walgreens Best Overall App Integration Award ($7,000), the Henry Ford Health System Patient Engagement Award ($3,000) and the People’s Choice for Best App Integration Award ($3,000).
"Through our API developer program, we’re able to extend our loyalty program into the digital ecosystem, ultimately reaching more consumers and rewarding them for their healthy activities," Abhi Dhar, group vice president and chief technology officer for digital at Walgreens, said in a statement. "By developing more API offerings, we’re continuing to invest in developer relationships and see the value they deliver."
In 2012, Walgreens launched its QuickPrints API, which enabled photo apps to provide users with the ability to send photos directly to a Walgreens store for printing. The drug chain said that at the time, less than 1% of the its digital print business came from mobile. Now 40% comes from mobile, with more than 125 third-party photo app integrations.
Last year, Walgreens rolled out its Prescription API, which allowed prescription refill and transfer capabilities for users of third-party apps.
This summer, Walgreens launched its Balance Rewards API to extend the Balance Rewards for healthy choices program. Fitness devices and apps such as GenieMD, HoMedics, LifeTrak, Lose It!, Misfit, Nudge, Omron Fitness and RunKeeper have integrated the Balance Rewards API to enable users to automatically earn points for healthy activities such as walking, running and biking.
