I don't want to be a Debby Downer, I really want to help you out, so please know this comes from a good place. Have you talked to any merchants? If you had, th

I don't want to be a Debby Downer, I really want to help you out, so please know this comes from a good place. Have you talked to any merchants? If you had, they would tell you what would be required for them to participate. They would say "What is the point of this?" or "How will this make me money?" And you could talk to them (your customers) about it instead of polling the Lords of Ether. And then you would start giving reasons why your app would drive sales, and they would help you to frame your message to make it compelling for merchants. It seems that you have stumbled upon the two-sided network chicken-egg problem. To conquer your problem, you need a small band of folks on both sides (consumer and merchant) who are in love with your system and will provide you with precious feedback,referrals, and case studies. They will make or break your service, so find someone who really needs you. I had more, but I hope this gets your train of thought going in the right directions. Best of luck!