Facebook takes on Groupon and LivingSocial

Facebook has expanded its "Facebook Deals" social-buying service today, launching in five test markets including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco.

The anticipated "Groupon Killer" allows people to buy deals on Facebook directly from their profile pages, and share them with friends.  Deals offers coupons from businesses in your immediate vicinity when you check-in using Facebook's location-sharing service.  People will be able to buy deals using credit cards or Facebook credits. You will then be able to print out a voucher to take with you and redeem your deal locally.

With over 600 Million users of Facebook worldwide, the social network has a huge audience that should prove even more enticing for businesses than Groupon and LivingSocial, the current market leaders in localized group coupons.

Still, there may be a subtle difference, as Facebook's Emily White told the AP:

"We're building a product that is social from the ground up," says Emily White, director of local for Facebook. "All of these deals are things you want to do with friends, so no teeth whitening, but yes to river rafting."

Related stories:
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/04/26/facebook_launches_deals_program_rivals_groupon/
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/04/26/will-facebook-deals-trump-groupon-or-livingsocial-or-google-offers/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/226244/facebook_launches_deals_to_compete_with_groupon.html

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