Market Problem:
Rebates have long been a go-to tactic in promotional marketing, offering a cost-effective way to acquire customers and incentivize purchases without relying solely on upfront discounts. In the 2000s, prepaid Visa cards became the standard reward. But as consumers shifted to virtual payments, these physical cards created friction.
Promoters wanted to modernize the experience, but the virtual rebate solutions available were slow, clunky, and often unbranded. Most were issued by legacy banks using outdated, inflexible platforms. YA’s customers needed a virtual option that offered the same security but with a better, fully integrated user experience inside their promotional websites.
Who’s it for:
Promotional marketers at Fortune 1000 companies and their consumers
What we did:
To deliver a seamless virtual card experience, we partnered with MetaBank, a leading prepaid card issuer, and reimagined the entire rebate experience from the consumer’s perspective. Unlike other virtual card offerings built for broader use cases, ours was designed specifically for promotional rebates.
Because YA already verified user identity as part of the rebate process, we were able to eliminate many compliance-related steps that typically slow down card delivery. We built a system where, once a user passed fraud checks, their branded virtual card was created instantly and displayed right inside the customer’s rebate website.
Users could access their card and begin using it within seconds of submission — even in-store — driving rebate dollars directly back to the retailer and enhancing brand engagement.
Success metrics ($25m company):
- $1 million in at-risk revenue preserved, plus an additional $1 million in new revenue from other clients in the first 12 months
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Instant card delivery enabled rapid deployment for a Bud Light stunt marketing event after the 2018 Super Bowl
- Less than one second from rebate submission to card delivery, compared to hours or days with other solutions