Credit card brand Visa Inc. announced it is moving into mobile coupons and is working with retailer Gap to deliver real-time discounts and promotions to consumers via SMS text messages.

The new mobile service is being enabled by Visa's global processing network, according to the announcement. Consumers who opt-in to the service receive offers on their mobile devices when qualifying transactions are made with enrolled Visa accounts. Visa said the service is part of its larger strategy to personalize the consumer shopping experience and deliver more value to merchants and financial institutions. 

"Visa's ability to process and analyze transactions in real-time provides the capability for retailers to reach potential customers while they're out shopping and allows financial institutions to reward Visa account holders with value-added services tailored to them," said Jim McCarthy, global head of products for Visa. 

"We have reached the point when the power of Visa's global network goes well beyond processing purchases to delivering critical information that benefits consumers, merchants and financial institutions,” McCarthy said.

The Gap program was originally launched as a pilot program in November 2010. Customers enrolled on the Web and were sent coupons after making transactions through registered Visa accounts meeting certain pre-determined criteria, such as spending a certain amount on a specific day or during a specified time period. Customers could then redeem the offers by showing the text message displayed on their mobile devices at the Gap. 

"As an early adopter of innovative new technologies, we were excited to be the first global retailer to test the new Visa service," said Amy Carr, director of Customer Relationship Management Strategy, Gap Inc.

"(The program) provided us insight into our enrolled consumers that we never had in the past, which improved the targeting of our promotional programs, timing of communications and allowed us to tailor offers to Gap customers,” Carr said.

Visa plans to make the new service available to retailers nationwide.