Chinese check-in social networking app Jiepang has teamed up with Starbucks in Eastern China to run a holiday discount campaign for its users. 

From today until 17 December, Jiepang users who check-in at a Starbucks store in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces will receive a virtual Starbucks badge. When the number of badges issued hits 20,000, the Christmas rewards will be unlocked, and those who have collected the badge will be able to enjoy a free upgrade on their drink between 17-25 December.

Jiepang users with NFC-enabled smartphones will be able to check in by waving their phone over a NFC postcard that will be placed on the community boards inside the Starbucks stores.

“Jiepang users love checking into Starbucks,” says David Liu, founder and CEO of Jiepang. “We are passionate about using the newest mobile technologies, such as NFC, to make an amazing experience of sharing real life.”

“Starbucks is proud to partner with Jiepang for our Christmas campaign,” says Lu Huang, marketing director of President Starbucks Coffee Shanghai. “Weve seen that customers are increasingly embracing the use of social media to share their Starbucks moments, especially during holiday seasons. The partnership with Jiepang enables us to acknowledge and reward this important part of Starbucks fourth place [digital] experiences.”