Bank Innovation’s Wish List: Better Coupons

All I want for the holidays from my lender are better coupons.

While scoping out various innovations in banking all year, what has interested me most as a consumer is financial institutions’ heightened interest in commerce advancements and integrating merchant-funded rewards into consumers’ transactions. Whom better to give me discounts than my card issuer — whether that be a bank or standalone card company — which knows my transactions most intimately, after all? But here’s the immediate problem if issuers disrupt the coupon space: You, issuer, say you can offer me better targeted deals than Groupon, but can you ink deals with retailers I actually like? Because that’s what I most want from you this holiday: coupons that inspire me to shop.

But the truth is what I most like to buy – and also where I need the discount the most – won’t be what you will likely offer me because of my spend patterns. Independent stores, the shopping love of my life, aren’t good candidates for merchant-funded rewards, even when vendors do the due partnership diligence for the issuer. Everyday purchases, which are still a great fit and want from consumers, are a much better discount coupon for issuers to provide. But until issuers can dish discounts on the independents, too, the Groupons of the world will have a place in the market. Which leads me to the second problem that exists today.

Beyond partnering up with the “right” retailers, the other challenge issuers have when trying to seize daily deal business away from its Groupon ringleader is that the wonder in shopping is taken away from the consumer. Here’s how: In buying, there’s something novel about the act of discovery of finding things, which Groupon, its copycats and good ‘ole actual brick-and-mortar shopping allow a consumer to do. In other words, maybe the coupon I most want is for a retailer I never shopped at before? That’s why if banks want a cut of commerce through a daily-deal-type model, they should remember this: a delight in shopping is the discovery of something lovely. Certainly, some vendors have been dabbling in this arena so that issuers can help provide this discovery experience for their customers, too. Truaxis, for instance, shows consumers what other shoppers like them want, Cartera Commerce grants web surfers coupons based on their searches, and PayPal is heavily innovating in the scene with digital wish-listing, to name just a few recent efforts. Plus, as the digital wallet era matures, the loyalty/coupon dynamic will constantly refine itself to meet consumers’ wants and needs.

That aside, and focusing strickly on the short-term, here is my coupon wish list to become incorporated into my transactions, some of which, issuers already provide:

• Coffee
• Whole Foods
• Bloomingdales
• Movies
• Museums
• Bars 
• Travel
• Independent, well, anything
• Spas

In return for the discounted goods, dear issuer, I’ll keep swiping your card — while humming a Christmas tune.

All I want for the holidays from my lender are better coupons.

While scoping out various innovations in banking all year, what has interested me most as a consumer is financial institutions’ heightened interest in commerce advancements and integrating merchant-funded rewards into consumers’ transactions. Whom better to give me discounts than my card issuer — whether that be a bank or standalone card company — which knows my transactions most intimately, after all? But here’s the immediate problem if issuers disrupt the coupon space: You, issuer, say you can offer me better targeted deals than Groupon, but can you ink deals with retailers I actually like? Because that’s what I most want from you this holiday: coupons that inspire me to shop.

But the truth is what I most like to buy – and also where I need the discount the most – won’t be what you will likely offer me because of my spend patterns. Independent stores, the shopping love of my life, aren’t good candidates for merchant-funded rewards, even when vendors do the due partnership diligence for the issuer. Everyday purchases, which are still a great fit and want from consumers, are a much better discount coupon for issuers to provide. But until issuers can dish discounts on the independents, too, the Groupons of the world will have a place in the market. Which leads me to the second problem that exists today.

Beyond partnering up with the “right” retailers, the other challenge issuers have when trying to seize daily deal business away from its Groupon ringleader is that the wonder in shopping is taken away from the consumer. Here’s how: In buying, there’s something novel about the act of discovery of finding things, which Groupon, its copycats and good ‘ole actual brick-and-mortar shopping allow a consumer to do. In other words, maybe the coupon I most want is for a retailer I never shopped at before? That’s why if banks want a cut of commerce through a daily-deal-type model, they should remember this: a delight in shopping is the discovery of something lovely. Certainly, some vendors have been dabbling in this arena so that issuers can help provide this discovery experience for their customers, too. Truaxis, for instance, shows consumers what other shoppers like them want, Cartera Commerce grants web surfers coupons based on their searches, and PayPal is heavily innovating in the scene with digital wish-listing, to name just a few recent efforts. Plus, as the digital wallet era matures, the loyalty/coupon dynamic will constantly refine itself to meet consumers’ wants and needs.

That aside, and focusing strickly on the short-term, here is my coupon wish list to become incorporated into my transactions, some of which, issuers already provide:

• Coffee
• Whole Foods
• Bloomingdales
• Movies
• Museums
• Bars 
• Travel
• Independent, well, anything
• Spas

In return for the discounted goods, dear issuer, I’ll keep swiping your card — while humming a Christmas tune.