We recently had the opportunity to give the new Air Miles beacon technology a spin and thought it was something we just had to share.

First though, what is beacon technology? Beacons are a type of location-detecting service that can then send notifications to your mobile device with special offers or other items of interest, depending on the program.

The number of Air Miles collectors active on mobile has increased by 31 per cent year over year (2011 – 2014). The program aims to bring more value its collectors with a pilot program currently in-market and being tested in 15 Rexall stores in Toronto and Staples stores in Edmonton and Calgary.

“It’s not about how many offers we display, but getting offers they’ll use into their hands,” says Michael Cohen, director of development for Air Miles. “Location-based offers add that context to relevance.”

After seeing it in action, we can’t wait for more retailers and offers to be rolled out. We love using our Air Miles to keep our Starbucks card fully loaded (mama needs her caffeine!) Here’s what you need to know about the program:

• The beacon program is available via the Air Miles app, which is available for free download for mobile devices.
• The offers are displayed like a set of cards, cascading from top to bottom.
• All settings are user controlled, just like any other app.
• Cashiers can either scan the app or punch in a PLU for those sponsors that don’t currently have mobile-scanning technology.
• Offers are greyed out when expired or used.
• Offers are fairly broad for now but Air Miles is looking to provide more customized experiences as the program continues to roll out.
• One future feature the company is looking at is providing notifications for Air Miles cash – so that when you’re in a participating sponsor store you know that you can redeem and save instantly.

The program will be rolling out over the next year – so keep checking back on the app for updated features and sponsors. If you’re already an Air Miles collector, this is just one pretty simple way to earn miles faster.

Tell us – what do you think of the new Air Miles beacon technology? What features or offers would you most like to see?

Note: I did not receive compensation of any kind for this review.