SCVNGR, a Cambridge, Mass.-based start-up, is expanding its LevelUp mobile payment product to include a new web app to go with the existing Android and iOS apps. According to the company, "essentially any human with the Internet now has access" to LevelUp.

"Currently, mobile payments are still terribly limited by niche requirements like Near Field Communications chips and licenses with certain card merchants, but it's just not going to work until anyone and everyone can pay with their phones," said Seth Priebatsch, identified in the announcement as "Chief Ninja" of LevelUp and SCVNGR. "LevelUp solves this problem by allowing anyone with a web-connected device — and, coming soon, an offline HTML5 version of the app — to show up at their favorite merchants and just pay."

LevelUp is a mobile payment method that gives users a "personal QR code" to pay at merchants. The QR code is linked to a credit or debit card. Additionally, users who pay with the LevelUp app earn credit at merchants with every payment as well as gain access to specials and daily deals. 

Merchants can either use a reader from LevelUp to accept the QR codes or download the LevelUp merchant app to use smartphones to scan the codes. LevelUp also lets merchants combine payments with discount and loyalty programs.

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