AppCard, a financial technology and retail loyalty platform, has launched a grocer-branded payment card program with Neighborhood Fresh, giving the independent grocer’s shoppers access to an AppCard Credit Card and AppCard Smart Card customized for the Neighborhood Fresh brand.
The launch is aimed at extending payment-linked rewards, long dominated by national chains, to independent grocers. Co-branded card programs typically require significant scale, bank partnerships, regulatory expertise and ongoing program management, which has largely kept independents out of the category. AppCard’s model handles the banking, compliance, marketing, fraud, servicing and technology infrastructure on the grocer’s behalf.
“Independent grocers deserve access to the same loyalty-building tools that the largest retailers have used for decades,” said Jeremy Rabe, chief growth officer at AppCard. “A grocer-branded card can turn everyday spend into stronger shopper engagement, more frequent store visits and rewards that come back to the store instead of leaving the grocery ecosystem.”
How the program works
Approved cardholders use the AppCard Credit Card to earn AppCard Perks, redeemable at Neighborhood Fresh. The program offers enhanced rewards on Neighborhood Fresh private-label items, store purchases, fuel, a cardholder-selected category and everyday purchases, along with a welcome bonus and no annual fee. The AppCard Smart Card gives shoppers another way to participate in the rewards program while building credit.
For grocers, the program is designed to strengthen shopper loyalty, increase rewards engagement, lower card processing costs and provide additional insight into customer spending behavior.
A shift in retail loyalty
“Grocers are looking for ways to make loyalty more valuable, more measurable and more connected to the store,” said Josh Kuhbander, VP at Neighborhood Fresh, which operates four stores in Indiana. “This program gives our shoppers another way to earn meaningful rewards while keeping those rewards connected to Neighborhood Fresh.”
AppCard framed the launch as part of a broader shift as independent grocers compete with national chains, mass merchants and digital platforms. A branded card puts the grocer’s name in the shopper’s wallet and creates a direct mechanism for turning card rewards into future store visits.
The AppCard Credit Card and AppCard Smart Card are issued by TAB Bank, member FDIC, under a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. AppCard is a financial technology company and not a bank.
AppCard provides personalized marketing, shopper analytics, digital coupons and payment-linked loyalty solutions to independent grocers.