It's not hard at all to see the gains that wearable tech is making in the field. With more and more users taking advantage of this new form factor, and many more likely to follow, there are also plenty of unusual uses being considered for these new devices as well. While the smartwatch is expected to be the dominant wearable tech tool for some time, CardsApp is looking to make the proverbial hay while the equally proverbial sun shines, and is bringing out a new tool to help make the smartwatch a new breed of loyalty card.

Essentially, CardsApp is planning to do something that's been seen before, but more commonly in the smartphone. Instead of stores offering a system of loyalty cards that promptly get inserted into a wallet and then forgotten about, CardsApp will offer up a system of scannable quick response (QR) codes that can be easily accessed later. Then, when shopping at those stores, one need only select the appropriate card from the app to reap the benefits of same accordingly.

Plus, CardsApp can actually notify users about additional specials when in the area and in the loyalty card program. For instance, should a user pass by a Pizza Hut that's running a special on one-topping larges, CardsApp will respond and fill the user in on the pizza bargain. Users will even be able to manage the various facets of the program—adding and removing cards and so on—from a centralized interface.

Stores, meanwhile, get access to exciting tools as well; a variety of analytics tools are on hand ranging from total discount exposure to store navigation and the like, and CardsApp actually notes that the analytics potential is much higher than it is for email and SMS systems, since CardsApp can generate more feedback for the advertisers. CardsApp has been running some steady expansions throughout the United States and Europe, and is now looking for retail partners to give it some extra growth.

Perhaps the only way that this could be much better is if the CardsApp system could tell which store it was in, and activate the appropriate loyalty card just from being in the store. Thus, all it would take is for the user to look at the smartwatch and discover that, indeed, there were loyalty points to be had here and the appropriate loyalty card should be put to use. Still, what's here already will certainly do the job, and this is likely to give brick and mortar stores a little extra advantage in taking on online shopping venues, which have long had quite a bit of advantage in terms of convenience and, often, total product availability.

Still, it's likely to take some serious retail names getting behind CardsApp to really make it the kind of powerhouse that it could be. But with that kind of help backing it, not only could CardsApp really take off, but so too could CardsApp help fuel a further expansion of the smartwatch market by offering up an excellent reason for users to get involved.