'Credibles' App Helping Small Bay Area Businesses Stay Afloat, Reward Repeat Customers

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- A new app is helping businesses keep cash on hand, and letting customers earn bonuses by pre-paying for the products they need.

The "Credibles" app lets customers set up an account with a participating store, and put money toward future purchases, earning them bonuses.  The Local Butcher shop in Berkeley offers $440 worth of meat for a $400 deposit.

The concept helps businesses stay cash flow positive.

"Cash is king, and if you don't have it you can't pay your staff, you can't buy new inventory, you can't run a business," Monica Rocchino, Co-owner of The Local Butcher Shop said.  "It helps us with all of our overhead costs that don't ebb and flow with our inventory purchases or our revenue ups and downs."

The app's co-founder says it helps businesses reward repeat customers.

"They can just reach out to customers and say, 'hey, you come in here all the time, why don't you put some of your money up front and then we give you a sweet deal?'," Credibles Co-founder Amo Hesse said.

The Credibles system is only available in about 100 stores across the country, but about 1,000 people have signed up with an account.