Downtown Shoppers To Earn 5% Back Under New Rewards Program

MENLO PARK, CA — Shoppers at downtown Menlo Park businesses will be able to earn 5% back on purchases through a new rewards program designed to encourage local spending.

ShopMenlo, developed in partnership with Open Rewards, will let customers earn and redeem rewards at participating downtown businesses, according to the city's website.

The initiative is part of the city's Downtown Vibrancy effort to strengthen local businesses and encourage residents to shop locally.

Participating downtown businesses will be automatically enrolled and will not need to register separately. Businesses can continue accepting debit card and mobile wallet payments as usual.

To participate, shoppers must:

• Download the Open Rewards app.
• Link a debit card to their account.
• Make purchases using their phone's digital wallet.
• Accumulate rewards toward future purchases at downtown businesses.

The program will initially be limited to downtown Menlo Park businesses.

City officials cited research from Open Rewards showing that 87% of users said local shopping rewards influenced their purchasing decisions. The platform also reported that 75% of businesses experienced benefits, including attracting new customers and improving loyalty.

Officials have not announced an exact launch date. Additional information will be available through the city's downtown business webpage.