Bristol Pound has launched its first official app for mobiles offering a range of new services for users of the UK’s most successful local currency.
The free ‘£B app’ will simplify the £B mobile phone text payment system, TXT2PAY, notify users of nearby Bristol Pound businesses, track users’ spending and highlight discounts offered by traders to Bristol Pound members. 
The Bristol Pound has become the UK’s most successful local currency since its launch nearly two years ago.
More than £618,000 Bristol Pounds have been issued since then and 704 Bristol-based businesses now accept the currency.
A not-for-profit social enterprise, it is run as a partnership between the Bristol Pound CIC and Bristol Credit Union.
Graham Woodruff, Bristol Pound CIC technical director said: “People have been nagging us for an app since we launched, so we’re delighted to finally have one. We hope that our members will try it out and let us know how it goes.”
The app has been developed by a small Bristol firm Pocket Intelligence and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple phones) and from Google Play (for Android phones). With the app, members can easily make payments on the move, using easy to use and read features to make the experience simple and fun.
Nick Xiao of Pocket Intelligence said: “We love the city of Bristol and are proud of being Bristolians. The launch of Bristol Pound was a phenomenal event that gives even more character to the city, supports local businesses and promotes a fairer, happier and greener community.
“As one of the local businesses we are keen to contribute as much as we can in our own way, and developing a mobile app for Bristol Pound is the most pragmatic way for us to do so.”
The App helps members to send TXT2PAY messages more quickly and generally simplifies the current TXT2PAY process by part-completing the text payment. It also uses the inbuilt GPS facility in mobile phones to find the nearest Bristol Pound traders to your current location.
The app provides an up-to-date list of nearby Bristol Pound businesses, which are taken directly from the online Bristol Pound directory. The discounts that are offered to £B spenders by £B traders will be clearly listed when the user goes to the business profiles.
Members are also able to see a breakdown of their £B transactions to demonstrate how much they have contributed to their local economy.
Bristol Pound CIC director Stephen Clarke said: “Members already love using the TXT2PAY service; it is a risk-free way to make a clear statement that they want to support their local high streets; this app will make it even easier.”
