Kunai Enables Major Credit Card Network to Access Untapped Market By Redefining Loyalty Program Platform

Around 2018, Client recognized a gap in the loyalty and rewards space– one that could potentially be solved with the help of robust cloud implementation.

Rewards programs have always skewed to large merchants who boasted massive customer bases. Over the years, the retail landscape has radically changed with the introduction of e-commerce and direct to consumer business models.

Despite already having multiple perks and rewards platforms, all of the major credit card networks had overlooked a massive demographic: highly lucrative businesses who didn’t quite hit the 10MM revenue requirement to be considered for their major rewards programs.

Client sought to offer card members perks and rewards from partners with the potential to perform well on a benefits platform like Peloton, Turo, and Rent the Runway.

However, Client wouldn’t be able to build a new platform on top of their existing systems. Although their existing system could support new partners, the behind-the-scenes machinery was home to complex integrations that demanded a time and labor investment not feasible for rapidly onboarding a large number of partners.

Client would have to create a new platform from the ground up with robust scalability and future proofed infrastructure in mind.

The idea was to create a platform geared towards partnering with smaller merchants and delivering intriguing offers to card members. Immediately, Client knew that development would have to happen on the AWS cloud platform. Much of Client’s systems were already operating on AWS, and this would allow for rapid deployment and robust scalability.

An MVP (minimum viable product) would also have to be built and promoted to smaller, rapidly growing third party merchants during an early-adopter campaign to validate the platform and set the stage for further development.

With their deep expertise in the rewards field, mastery of the AWS suite of technologies, and reputation for fast and reliable development– Client contracted Kunai to design, develop, and bring to market the new Perks Platform. They would be responsible for everything from fast early prototypes and MVP builds to the large-scale operation of the future multimillion-dollar value platform.

Kunai’s teams spent three months building the rewards MVP. Through a series of workshops and design sprints, Kunai defined the scope of the MVP and deployed a scrum team to work within Client’s tech stack.

Kunai designed and launched Client’s custom ecosystem for introducing smaller merchant partners to their loyalty and rewards program.

The final build included an administration portal designed to track performance, was built and operated in the public cloud, and could manage multiple campaign constructs.

The merchant onboarding process could be largely automated and cut down a months-long process into a few scant weeks.

The platform also gives Client the option to engage with customers in a far more personalized manner than before. Customers could be sent rewards and updates wherever they are through email, text, in-person NFC areas, and other touchpoints.

What took months for implementation, onboarding, customization, and campaigning could now be executed in weeks, allowing Client to expand its loyalty offerings to high growth small businesses.