The trips Kati Bye takes to Old Towne have been filled with a little more excitement in the last few weeks thanks to a new app introduced by the City of Orange.

Known as Experience Orange, the rewards program gives customers who shop in the city 5 percent cash back on every purchase they make at businesses participating in the program.  The city hopes to attract more customers to downtown and other parts of the city with the app.

“I get excited to submit receipts and see all the locations participating in the program—from Grocery Outlet to Islands Restaurant to all my favorites in Old Towne within walking distance from my house: 1886, Finney’s, Byblos Cafe and Zinc Cafe.  I can’t wait to discover more,” Bye says.

The city and the Orange Chamber of Commerce teamed up to launch the program in June, looking to emphasize the value of supporting homegrown businesses.  It will help to support local jobs, investment and public services.

“This is part of a larger city-led effort to grow economic development,” says Aaron Schulze, Economic Development Manager for Orange.  “We are supporting our local businesses by directly driving traffic to them, while encouraging residents and visitors to choose Orange and keep our spending dollars in the city.”

More than 700 businesses have signed up for the program so far and several hundred customers downloaded the app within the first several weeks of it being launched.

How does it work?

Customers download a free “Open Rewards: Shop Local” app, link a card and select Orange as their community.  To earn rewards, customers can use a linked card or upload a purchase receipt to the app. Rewards can be obtained via Zelle, Venmo, PayPal or by check.

Businesses participating in the program include retail, restaurants and services.  Most located in Orange have already been added to the app, but business owners not included may also download the app and request to add their business.

Gretchen Davey-Molina, owner of Groovy Ghost Vintage, thinks Experience Orange is a great idea to help encourage more people to shop in the city.  She had previously explored offering a rewards program herself, but being a shop with multiple vendors made that prospect challenging.  The store specializes in records, clothing and other vintage items.

“Experience Orange is a unique offering that helps small businesses participate in a rewards program without worrying about the out-of-pocket cost,” says Davey-Molina.  “Customers are shopping and eating already in the area, and this is a great bonus for them and a definite incentive to bring them back next time.”

Bye, who serves as Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Facilities Management at Chapman University, says she is spreading the word at the college about Experience Orange.  The program is open to anyone who shops in the city, not just residents.

“I have informed many co-workers at Chapman who may not live in Orange, but dine here for lunch, of this perk,” she says.

Schulze says the city will examine several factors to determine the success of the program, including impact to local businesses and engagement among residents.

“In addition to monitoring the number of users who sign up for the app, we will solicit feedback from both business owners and shoppers regarding what they like and dislike about the program and make improvements as needed,” he says.

Bye and Davey-Molina have both heard positive feedback from other shoppers about the app.

“I’ve introduced a few of our regulars to the app, as I use it myself,” Davey-Molina says.  “They’ve really seemed to enjoy it after learning how to use it.”

The city plans to continue providing the app as long as it benefits businesses and shoppers.

To learn more about the app and how to download it, visit: www.CityOfOrange.org/our-city/experience-orange