ACORN Open the app
📍 Built in New York City

Your local world, gamified.

Real places. Real rewards. Real people. No points-for-nothing.

Open ACORN I own a place
The ACORN logo: a squirrel in sunglasses eating from a bowl of nuts above the word ACORN
The ACORN story

One squirrel. One city. A lot of acorns.

Here is how a night out becomes a quest, and a neighborhood becomes yours.

  1. Chapter 1

    Every city starts with a seed.

    You open ACORN and plant yourself in a neighborhood. Tell it where you are and what you like, and your corner of the map starts to grow.

  2. Chapter 2

    Then you run.

    Quests, drops and new places pull you out the door. A café you walk past every day. A bowling alley you never knew was there. Go see.

  3. Chapter 3

    The first acorn tastes the best.

    Check in, finish a quest, try somewhere new, and the acorns land. Real rewards at real places, from the first visit.

  4. Chapter 4

    Spread the word.

    Good finds are better shared. Post your story, invite friends, and gather a Tribe that shows up with you.

  5. Chapter 5

    Build the stash.

    Acorns add up. Redeem them for perks and discounts at the places you already love, or keep stacking for something bigger.

  6. Chapter 6

    Learn the secret paths.

    The more you explore, the more you level up. The regulars know the best spots, and now you do too.

  7. Chapter 7

    Run the neighborhood.

    Host events, rally your Tribe, and put your block on the map. Local, in person, and led by the people who live there.

The ending

A city full of squirrels.

Rooftops, subway stairs, pizza counters, Central Park. Every corner of New York has a story waiting, and there is room for you in it.

Start your story

An illustrated New York City street scene packed with squirrels on rooftops, in the park, at a hot dog cart and on the subway
How it works

Go places. Get Acorns. Get good stuff.

Your neighbourhood already has everything. ACORN makes it easy to find, fun to explore, and worth your while.

1

Discover

Find real spots near you — restaurants, shops and neighbourhood places worth unlocking.

2

Scan & unlock

Scan a place's ACORN QR at the counter to unlock it, check in and start earning.

3

Earn Acorns

Visits, check-ins, quests and great posts all earn Acorns. Your level only ever goes up.

4

Redeem

Redeem Acorns for real rewards, right at the place. Trust before transaction.

What you can do

A whole neighbourhood in your pocket.

ACORN isn't a stamp card. It's a place where your neighbourhood talks back.

🧭

Discover

Browse places by area and category, and see which ones are live on ACORN.

🗺️

Live map

See what's happening around you right now, and share your spot only with who you choose.

🏆

Quests

Explore the map, complete quests and unlock rewards — on your own or with your Tribe.

👯

Tribez

Groups for what you love. Pick a few interests, find your people, plan the next thing.

🎉

Events

Plan a meetup, invite people, run a poll and pick a place — from brunch to axe throwing.

🍔

Order ahead

Skip the line at places that are ready to take your order, with member offers applied.

📸

Post your story

Tag your favourite spots, share photos and show your crew what you're up to.

🎯

Acorn Toss

A quick skill game at the counter. Practise for fun; the real discount lives in Today's offer.

What ACORN really is Payments coming soon

A payments platform for your neighborhood.

Points and quests are how you find the places. LOOT is how the money moves between you and them: bank to bank, inside one closed loop.

1

Link your bank

Connect your account once. No card numbers to type or share.

2

Load LOOT

Move money from your bank into your ACORN account when you want it there.

3

Pay at the counter

Scan, pay and get your member discount applied in the same tap.

4

The place gets paid

Money moves inside the loop to the business, without a card network in the middle.

For members

Pay, save, earn.

  • One account that works at every ACORN place
  • Member discounts applied automatically
  • Acorns on every visit, as a bonus on top of your money
For places

Lower cost than cards.

  • Take payments without a card network taking its cut
  • Joining is free, with loyalty, orders and promotions built in
  • Regulated U.S. banking partners behind the platform
Smart, and cashless

Ask Alfred. Pay with LOOT.

A concierge that knows the city, and a way to pay that goes straight from your bank.

AI concierge

Meet Alfred.

Ask for tonight, or for the whole week. "Halal dinner near me." "Two days in New York, I like jazz and pizza." Alfred checks ACORN places, today's offers and events first, then fills the gaps with what he knows about the city.

  • Plans a night out or a week ahead
  • Understands halal, kosher, vegan and other needs
  • Gives directions, and can message a place for you
Payments Coming soon

Meet LOOT.

LOOT is how you pay in ACORN. Link your bank once and pay at the counter from your phone. No card to carry, and your member discount is applied for you.

  • Bank-to-bank, with no card number to share
  • Member offers applied at checkout
  • Earn Acorns on every visit. Acorns are points, LOOT is your money
The app

Made to open on your phone.

ACORN runs right in your browser and installs to your home screen. No app store, no waiting.

  • See your Acorns and your next reward at a glance
  • Your status — from Sprout to Old Oak — only ever goes up
  • Ghost mode keeps you off the map whenever you like
Try it now
ACORN welcome screen with the squirrel mascot
ACORN home screen showing an Acorn balance and progress to the next reward
ACORN profile screen showing level and Acorn totals
Acorns

Acorns are your loyalty points.

Earn them by being active. Redeem them for real rewards at local businesses.

Earn

Every way to fill your stash
  • 📍
    Check inVisit places and check in to earn.
  • 🛒
    Every visit and purchaseShop at ACORN places and every transaction earns.
  • 🏆
    Complete questsJoin challenges for bonus Acorns.
  • 📸
    Post contentShare photos or stories. Merchants can reward the good ones.
  • 🏪
    Bring a place onto ACORNShow the owner your code — earn 100 🌰 when they go live.
  • 🤝
    Invite a friendYou both get 75 🌰 after their first verified activity.

Level up

Your level is based on lifetime Acorns earned
  1. Sprout0 🌰
  2. Nibbler250 🌰
  3. Branch Hopper500 🌰
  4. Town Crier1,000 🌰
  5. Stash Boss2,500 🌰
  6. Mayor5,000 🌰
  7. Old Oak10,000 🌰

Your status only goes up. Redeeming never erases it.

Something for everyone

There's a quest for that.

From birthdays to bowling, axe throwing to go-karts — ACORN is built around the things people actually do.

Squirrel celebrating with cake and champagneParties
Squirrel bowling a strikeBowling
Squirrel throwing an axe at a targetAxe throwing
Squirrel mid-jump on a trampolineTrampolines
Squirrel racing a go-kartGo-karts
Squirrel climbing a rock wallClimbing
For places

Own a place? Join free.

The places that make your neighbourhood your neighbourhood should get to stick around. ACORN helps people find them.

You get

The ACORN platform, free. New people through the door.

+

Members get

A discount on your products — BOGO, a coffee deal or a percentage.

  • A QR code for your counter — members scan to unlock and earn
  • Stamps, check-ins and Today's offers that bring people back
  • Order ahead, messages to your members and a simple console to run it
Bring your place onto ACORN
Squirrel host with a clipboard at an event
Privacy & safety

Trust comes first.

You choose what you share, and you can change your mind any time.

📍

Your location, your call

Location is off by default. If you turn it on, we use it only while the app is open — never in the background.

🚫

We don't sell your data

We do not sell your personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

🛡️

Built to be safe

Block and report tools are built in, and ACORN is not for anyone under 13.

Read the Privacy Policy
Squirrel taking a selfie with a plate of food

Ready to explore?

Open ACORN, find a place, scan, and watch your first Acorns land.

Open ACORN