A new iPhone application that lets consumers rack up reward points by simply walking in to stores could give banks and card issuers the foundation for a truly mobile loyalty program.

shopkick, the name of the application and of the Palo Alto, Calif., startup that developed it, delivers discount offers to users once they have entered a participating retailer's store and awards additional points — or "kickbucks" — for scanning specified items or trying on clothing in a dressing room.

Analysts said it would be relatively easy for banks to tap in to shopkick's app model.

"I think, for [card] issuers, yes, there are definitely opportunities to tie their rewards capabilities with this type of solution," said Gwenn Bezard, a research director at Aite Group LLC in Boston.