This is a really cool opportunity to provide input into credit card benefits or features!
Before you get started, it is important to note the difference between “rewards”, “benefits”, or “features”. “Rewards” are tied directly to your overall spend at a bank, such as cashback, points, and introductory sign up bonuses. “Benefits” are not directly related to your spend, such as $10 Lyft credit for taking 5 Lyft rides in a month, trip cancellation insurances, cell phone protection insurances, airport lounge access, ID Theft monitoring services, and complimentary ShopRunner membership. “Features” can be related to the actual physical card, or functionalities such as having the ability to put your True NameTM on the card, being able to see where you card is stored across all of your favorite online stores, or have a card designed for people with visual disabilities.
Please note: Mastercard cannot impact "Rewards", APR, balance transfer offers, and category-wide benefits (i.e. cash back on all subscription services), as those are controlled by our bank partners.
The Challenge
Mastercard would like to hear about what “benefits” and “features” you would like to add on YOUR card so that you would like to use your card more for everyday purchases, encourage digital spend, and increase overall stickiness with a card.
Prizes
There is a total prize pool available of up to $6,000 USD
One (1) Grand Prize: $3,500 USD
Five (5) First Prizes: $500 USD each
Things to Keep in Mind
Is it different from other benefits you’ve seen in the credit card category?
The consumer pain point this addresses (does it make their lives easier, is it safer, does it make them feel more financially responsible?)
Would it work for multiple geographies (e.g., would it work equally well for someone living in Hawaii v. New York)?
Think around the topics of everyday value, safety & security, travel, entertainment, wellness, and hospitality
Is this a “reward”, or a “benefit” or a “feature”? Unfortunately, Mastercard cannot impact rewards, since they come from our bank partners.
For additional context on what cardholders are looking for when paying, here are the 7 consumer need-states, i.e., what people are looking for in various types of purchase occasions.
Mastercard would like to hear about what “benefits” and “features” you would like to add on YOUR card so that you would like to use your card more for everyday purchases, encourage digital spend, and increase overall stickiness with a card.
Evaluation Criteria
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges from Mastercard's US Consumer Credit team.
All entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Criteria
Description
Score
Engaging, compelling
Does the benefit encourage cardholders to use the card more? Does it encourage stickiness?
40
Relevancy
Is the benefit relevant / appealing to a significant portion of the consumer base? i.e. a benefit that should not only appeal to a handful of consumers.
25
Innovative Approach / Wow Factor
Is the benefit first of its kind and never tried before on a credit card? Is it newsworthy?
15
Scalability
Is the benefit scalable for Mastercard’s bank partners in the United States?
10
Viability
Can the benefit be implemented in the market in the next year? Once it’s implemented, is there a risk in the benefit becoming obsolete or not available in the next 2-3 years?
10
Total Points
100
Tips
DOs
Stretch your thinking for credit card benefits / features. Be as bold and innovative as possible!
A benefit or a feature may not appeal to all users, but it may be appealing to a specific segment. As long as the idea appeals to a significant mass (i.e. Millennials), we welcome all ideas.
Solutions must fit within the scope of this challenge: consider the U.S. market only, Mastercard will be the provider of the benefit, NOT the banks. Rewards or sign-on bonuses are NOT part of the scope.
DON’Ts:
Ideas that are not connected to consumer credit cards (i.e. small business credit cards) are not within scope.
Ideas that are related to ‘rewards’, ‘sign on bonuses’, ‘APR’s’, ‘balance transfer offers’, or any other bank-provided offers are not within scope
Timeline
Open to submissions: March 1, 2020
Winners notified: May 4, 2020
Eligibility
All entrants must be legal permanent U.S. residents (including D.C.), who have reached the legal age of majority (which is 18 in most states, but 19 in Alabama and Nebraska and 21 in Mississippi) in their state of residence before 3/2/20.
Complete Terms and Conditions with complete eligibility requirements will be available in March when the challenge opens for submissions.
We launched this challenge with hopes of collecting innovative ideas to update our consumer credit card benefits. We received great submissions, and thank you all participants for submitting your ideas. We really appreciate the time and effort you have put into the challenge.
Here are the final winners of the challenge:
The Grand Prize ($3,500): Elise King
First Prizes ($500): BEN, NOVIC, Chelsie Corbett, IdeaGuy, Rex Callis
Thank you again for your submissions, and I hope you had fun ideating as much as we enjoyed reading them!
