Earn Rewards for Shopping Local with B-Local

What is B-Local?

B-Local is a new mobile application funded by the city of Boston created to support local businesses by encouraging people to shop local. The application uses your location to curate a list of participating businesses nearby. Registering on the application qualifies individuals to earn rewards for purchases made at participating businesses. Businesses can offer points and redeem points. We are excited to be part of this program and were visited by the program creators earlier this week.

The details:

• Download the application, create an account, and link a credit card or debit to it.

• For every $1 spent at a participating business, with the registered credit card, users will receive $1 credit. Credit caps at 30 (or $30 per transaction) so plan accordingly

• All participating businesses offer a minimum 20% contribution per transaction. Women owned businesses, black owned businesses, minority or immigrant own businesses, and Boston Main Street businesses have a 10% bonus and offer 30% contributions.

• Anyone, anywhere can accumulate points. There is not a Boston residency requirement and anyone visiting the city is encouraged to join.

The city is providing reimbursements to businesses that accept Boston points so it is a win for the customer and the local business. Rewards start to cap out at $100 per transaction, so a customer would earn 30 Boston Points on purchases of $100 or more. Each business has a profile that features their story and gives insight into the people who are running them. To get started, all is download the application and link a credit card or debit card to your account.

Where can I earn B-Local points?

There are approximately 250 participating businesses on the application (as of now) from all different categories. Download the B-local application to see which exact local businesses are participating. Many are within walking distance of The Upton’s furnished apartments. If you are visiting Boston for a short or extended stay, using B-Local is a great way to discover small businesses near The Upton and learn more about their offerings. If you live in Boston and don’t see a small business that you were looking for, let them know about B-local. It’s a very new application that many still do not know about and it is free for businesses to join.

Earn Boston Points at The Upton:

At The Upton, guests who use the B-local app will earn 30 Boston Points for every reservation, which means $30 to spend at another local Boston business. The reservation booking process is the exact same, but in order to earn your Boston Points, use the credit or debit card that is linked to your B-local account as the form of payment. The rewards will be visible on your B-Local account after 48 hours of the purchase. Spend the $30 that you earn on something fun during your visit to Boston.

South End Businesses on B-Local:

Mela Restaurant, Gilded Studio, Etant Spa, Stitch & Tickle, Minni, Wyllo, Beacon Gallery, Fountain Street Art Gallery, Lauren Passenti Jewelry, Pure Hair Design, Contouring by Kate, Kent Newton Salon, Fenny’s Salon and more

Where can I Redeem B-Local Points

Any business that has a “r” next to their logo on the application is a business that accepts Boston Points as a form of payment. The Upton does not accept Boston Points as a form of payment, however, many other local businesses do. See the B-Local application to learn which businesses you can spend your Boston points at.