Is Priceline trying to convert users of its Priceline Hotel & Car Negotiator app to Priceline.com bookers instead?
It turns out that if you book a room using Priceline's Name Your Own Price bidding service in the app, you subsequently may receive a Priceline email offering you $25 in Bonus cash toward your next hotel stay -- but only if you book on Priceline.com.
So, instead of becoming an avid user of the app, Priceline provides you the incentive to book a Name Your Own Price room the next time on Priceline.com as $25 in bonus cash can be added to your bid.
With all of the marketing that goes into pushing the app, why would Priceline want to coax people to book on its website?
Is this because Priceline feels the website is a better revenue generator?
Perhaps there is more of an upsell opportunity on the website?
Brian Ek, a Priceline spokesman, solves the mystery, saying the app currently isn't programmed to offer coupon redemption.
"It just wasn't a critical feature during the first stages of app development," Ek says. "I wouldn't be surprised to see it added down the road."
Priorities, priorities.