Last month, Veronica and I attended an event sponsored by two Seattle startups that we are becoming fast fans of. We have previously introduced you to Postmates and now we’d like to do a special write-up for Gratafy.
How many times have you found yourself missing a very important celebration with no way of making it up to your friend or family member? It happens to all of us. Things come up unexpectedly and we feel like an awful friend for not being there for them. It’s not the same as being present, but Gratafy allows you to take some of the heat off from your absence.
How exactly does it work? Say you’re missing a birthday party at a restaurant or a bar downtown – with Gratafy, you can still buy them dinner or an extra round of drinks even if you can’t be there! Everyone loves gifts so why not surprise your friend with one? After all… you owe them one, right?
To redeem a gift, all your friend has to do is make their usual order and when the bill arrives, your friend will open up their Gratafy app and show the server their personal gift code. Pretty simple, right?
Gratafy is available for use NOW in Seattle and as of this week – Los Angeles! Founded by two University of Washington alums Ryan Halper and Brian Erke, Gratafy plans to expand beyond these two cities and into several other major US Markets later this year.
Gratafy not only allows users to buy a bottle of Prosecco to commemorate a friend’s recent promotion, or thank a co-worker for a job well done, the app also enables merchant partners to open up a new revenue stream by selling merchandise without the buyer having to set foot inside of the establishment. “In a digital world where everyone craves more personal connections, Gratafy offers a new adventure in personal gifting and a sense of camaraderie for pure, simple-to-give fun for life’s moments: big, small and embarrassing,” says Ryan Halper, Gratafy co-founder and COO. “The process of giving, receiving, and redeeming is effortless, and can happen anytime from anywhere using a smartphone.”
Gratafy has also gone to great lengths to ensure that the gift redemption side of the product is an easy and seamless experience for both consumers and merchant partners. “Gratafy’s technology and simple-to-use interface allowed us to get up and running in a matter of hours,” notes John Howie, owner of John Howie Steak and Seastar. “Training staff is quick and painless. The guests love it! It’s a no brainer for any restaurant.”
The app is free to download and available for iPhone and Android in the App Store or on Google Play.
*Because we love Gratafy so much, they are gifting Seattle and Los Angeles Yow Yow! readers with $5 credit. All you have to do when using the app is enter in our promo code YowYow
Happy gifting!