Lancaster's Shop Local program is all about the community. When shopping at any participating locally owned business will earn you rewards in the form of money in your pocket! After accumulating rewards, they can be redeemed via Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or a check.

All rewards are city-funded. There is no cost to the business.

Follow these three quick steps to start accumulating rewards today!

Download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and create your free account
Shop as usual at any participating business and start accumulating rewards
Redeem your cash back rewards via Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or request a Check

Get started today!

Download the app and earn rewards while supporting your community

10 Great Reasons to Shop More in Lancaster

1. Protect our unique character – Lancaster is unlike anywhere else. By choosing to support local businesses, you’re helping maintain the charm and special appeal of our many local merchants.

2. Support those who assist our community – Locally owned businesses are big boosters of our area schools and charities. This helps build stronger neighborhoods and a greater sense of community.

3. Help control your future – Local business owners have a real stake in the community. They help guide good decisions since they, like you, are directly impacted by the results.

4. Keep your dollars in town – Money spent here has a greater impact on our community, because dollars spent here will recirculate through the economy many times.

5. Better jobs and higher wages – When local businesses prosper, they can offer more jobs and higher wages which help support our families.

6. Entrepreneurs are the engine of growth – Our small businesses fuel economic innovation and growth, bringing a better quality of life to all who live here.

7. Environmental benefits – By shopping locally, we are kinder to the planet as we tend to drive less and walk more – thus using less energy, creating less pollution, and exercising more.

8. Healthy competition – Small businesses competing for your dollars ensure a healthier economy, better service, and lower prices.

9. Better selection – Local business owners understand their customers better and make product choices that reflect your needs and wants, leading to a better match and higher satisfaction.

10. In the public interest – When you shop in Lancaster, local sales tax dollars support the services we use every day, including parks, roads, and public safety.

General Questions

How does the app work?

How do you redeem rewards for cash back?

1. Make a purchase at a participating purchase

2. In the app, select "Redeem Rewards"

3. Select the participating business you made a purchase and upload a photo of the receipt. if your account is linked to a bank account, select the transaction from recent transactions

4. Enter the value that you would like redeemed from your balance.

5. Select how you would like to redeem your balance. Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or Check.

5. Submit the request! Thats it! Your request will be submitted to bludot for processing.

FAQs

I received a gift card, what do I do? Scan the QR code on the back of the card to download the Open Rewards: Shop Local app. After downloading, create your free profile to redeem the gift card. Businesses do NOT accept this card. This card contains no cash value. For additional information, please view the steps listed below under "Step-By-Step Guides"
Is the app free? Yes! The Open Rewards: Shop Local app is free on both the Apple Store and in the Google Marketplace
Am I required to provide my bank account information? No! You have the option to link your bank account for automated rewards or users can upload a photo of the receipt as proof of purchase as an alternative.
I made a purchase at a participating business and it is not appearing in my apps transactions.Please reach out to Technical Support to resolve this issue. Technical Support can be accessed via the Profile tab on the bottom of the app -> Settings -> Report an Issue.
How can I register my business? Please click the following link for business information: Business Information
How many rewards do I receive per purchase? By default rewards are set to 5% per purchase. If the percentage is different it will be displayed within the business information in the Directory tab.
Do the rewards expire? If your rewards have an expiration date, they will be shown in the "expiry" section of your app. If you don't see anything with an expiry, that means they don't expire. This is subject to change
Is there a rewards purchasing cap? Rewards are capped at a maximum of $50 per single purchase
I received a gift card, is there an expiration date? No! Currently our gift cards do not have an expiration date. Future gift cards may contain in writing an expiration date. This will be displayed on the gift card.
What businesses can participate in the program? To participate in the Open Rewards program your business must be a locally owned brick and motar business within the City of Lancaster's City limits. City discretion for approval. To register your business, click here. Please allow 30 days for review. No home-based businesses will be approved.

Additional FAQ's can be found here.

Business Owners

Adding your business

Chances are your business is already included in the program at launch. Try searching for your business in the app and if you found it, then you are all set!

You can still create an account for your business which will allow you to see activities data relating to your business as well as more promotional features. To do that, or if you don't see your business and want to add it, simply follow the instructions here: Bludot-Adding my business

Encountering an issue? Reach out to our team for support: EconDev@cityoflancasterca.gov

Promotional Material

FAQs

How do I let customers earn or redeem rewards at my business:

There is nothing you need to do! You don't need to train any of your staff, add anything to your POS, or make any changes to how you do business. Simply business as usual. Everything is handled via the app directly with the customers. That means customers should always pay for their bills with you in full as they normally would when they make a purchase with you.

How do I let customers know my business is part of Open Rewards:

Here are some ways you can promote!

Display the Open Rewards flyers and stickers at your business, eg. at the check-out counter, on your windows, etc
Share that your business is part of Open Rewards via social media
Tell your customers and help they earn rewards at no cost to you!

Customers are showing me the voucher cards the received from the City. What do I do?

Instruct the customers to add those voucher cards in their app. Each card has a unique code which they can enter in the app and receive the amount (eg. $20) in their rewards balance. They can then redeem that amount by making purchases at listed businesses. There is nothing you need to do, everything is done through the app. The consumers should pay for their bill with you in full.

I've already accepted voucher cards from customers and taken money off of their bill. What do I do?

Please contact Bludot support and we will guide you through getting reimbursed. In the future please direct customers to use the app instead of giving you the cards.

Can I see data about how customers are earning and redeeming rewards at my business?

Yes! Simply register for your business in the app and you'll see all the stats. Instructions are here: https://www.bludot.io/add-your-business

Help & Support

Technical Support

For technical support via Bludot, please follow the steps below:

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Step 1) In the "Profile" tab, select Settings

Step 2) Select Report an Issue

Step 3) Enter your email address and describe the issue

Step 4) Submit! A representative from Bludot will respond shortly.

Additional Assistance

For additional assistance or support, please feel free to email us directly at: econdev@cityoflancasterca.gov