U.S. retailer J. C. Penney and Cellfire are now offering mobile coupons so that you can download the coupons to your mobile phones and use at JCPenney stores directly. New imaging scanners capable of reading these “2D” barcode coupons have been deployed at point-of-sale registers in 16 JCPenney stores in the Houston metro area.

“We’ve always made it easy for our customers to save money,” said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. “These mobile coupons are the ultimate in customer convenience, because there’s no need to clip or carry around a printed coupon, and they can be instantly scanned from a cell phone. It’s another way we’re innovating to enhance the customer’s shopping experience.”

JCPenney will promote this initiative – introduced during National Coupon Month – through Web and mobile advertising, and directly via e-mail and other messaging to members of JCPenney’s JCP Rewards program in the Houston market.

To receive JCPenney coupons, shoppers must be registered with Cellfire and live within the Houston metro area. Cellfire automatically delivers savings directly to consumers on their mobile phones, and provides frequently updated discounts specific to their geographic area.

[via phonemag]