For those not familiar, the Upromise program puts a small percentage of a consumer's purchase into a college savings account when select brand items are bought. Shoppers register at Upromise.com and receive three to five percent back on purchases.
According to the report, Upromise has teamed up with 15,000 grocery stores across the country. In upstate New York, the program is available in Tops and Quality Markets.
Moderator Comment: Will programs such as Upromise lead to higher costs for products that are part of the program?
The Buffalo News piece cited Wegmans as one chain that was taking a pass on the Upromise program because it feared that manufacturers would have to raise prices to recoup costs. Upromise counters that fewer dollars will be spent on alternative marketing programs so prices will not go up. [George Anderson - Moderator]