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Part of The Civic Trust Network

My Card

My Card promotes independent businesses within your local area, working with the consumer to focus on their own town or city.  The card delivers discounts to the cardholder and makes a charitable donation to a charity of the cardholder’s choice automatically by swiping the card in the businesses’ normal swipe facility.  This innovative and ethical concept will deliver real and proven results to the cardholder, local business, local charities and to the wider community.  It will also be a window for your area to the Civic Trust, enabling access to all of the Trust’s projects and policies.

How does it work?

The cards will be issued via businesses that have paid to be involved, on My Card’s website, at local events and also through local partners. The cards will cost the applicant £5 though he/she will soon be in profit and earn much more by purely supporting the member businesses.  The cardholder will then activate the card online, supplying bank details for any refunds and to nominate a charity.  Whenever the cardholders makes a purchase from a My Card business, the card will be swiped in a cashless transaction which will notify the Civic Trust how much money to refund the cardholder and how much to donate to their charity.  The Civic Trust will make a payment back to the cardholder once a month.

The Civic Trust will be able to provide monthly reports on how the card scheme is working in each business and area, offering a significant service to the businesses who do not traditionally have the time or resources to report on their own business.  This allows the business to become ‘smart’ about their customers and tailor their processes to suit.

What are the benefits to my area?

To find out how to bring My Card to your community, contact Mark Barnes, My Card Project Manager, at mbarnes@civictrust.org.uk or call him on 01686 629 505 or 07590 005 692.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of My Card?

The purpose of the programme is to provide consumers, local businesses, charities and non profit organisations access to information and technology enabling them to shop locally and share locally. The programme promotes shopping at participating businesses while rewarding customers and donating to their favourite causes. The programme directs money to local businesses, charities and non profits creating a way for consumers to make choices about their spending while affecting where money circulates within the community.

What are the objectives of My Card?

The objective is to empower consumers by building an understanding of the impact of their purchasing decisions. The programme brings together the civic, nonprofit and business sectors and enables them to leverage the power of the consumer pound to reverse negative social and environmental trends.

What are the community benefits?

The programmes provide new income streams flowing back to schools, charities and nonprofits. Consumers begin to adjust their purchasing decisions through increased purchases from locally-focused businesses thus contributing to a more sustainable economy and a revitalised community.

What kinds of businesses are in the My Card programmes?

All independent businesses are invited to be involved.  There are ways for all types of business to benefit if not from swiping the card but from collaborative marketing deals, from working with and meeting other local businesses and from increased footfall of customers walking through the door and presenting the card.  Our experience demonstrates great benefits for service providers and business-to-business businesses.  The programs focus on locally-focused, environmentally and sustainably-minded businesses. Sustainably-minded businesses are value-driven as well as profit-driven, committed to social and environmental responsibility and operate in ways that help solve environmental, social and economic problems. These businesses adopt principles and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees and their community.

I am interested in finding out more and whether there are any pre-qualifying criteria such as size of location, minimum numbers of anticipated numbers of businesses participating etc.

There are many and varied ways in which this scheme can work in different size areas and the card can be moulded to offer benefits to all communities

What experience does the Civic Trust have in launching such a programme?

The experience comes from nearly two years of this software running successfully in the States and also from Project Manager, Mark Barnes’ experience creating and running The Pool Card in mid Wales and North Shropshire.

What will My Card be called in my area?

The brand will be My Card with the name in each area probably adopting that of the town or city, My ?????? Card for example, My Town Card, My District Card, My City Card.  Options will be offered to each area

Can visitors to my area benefit?

Tourist Information Centres, hotels, local attractions will be encouraged to become involved and this will help collect patterns on how visitors spend money locally and where they are from.  In the future, areas will be able to cross market bringing benefits from visitors who have a My Town Card to their own My Card scheme.  Each area’s card will be able to be used when visiting another area.

Can any area join?

Yes but we will be looking to ensure that a neighbouring card scheme does not neutralise the benefits to each area.  The aim is to ensure that the cardholder stays where possible within their local area to do business.

What is a ‘My Card’ and how does it work?

The magnetic strip and bar-coded card functions as a community loyalty card and is not used for payment. The customer pays with cash, cheque, credit or debit card. Businesses swipe or scan My Card first and then proceed as usual with the transaction. The data is sent using the existing credit card terminal and the businesses are invoiced monthly for the value of the rebate. The money is then paid directly to the cardholders and the beneficiary’s bank account.  The card also works as visible proof of the customer’s support which will entitle them to additional discounts or offers from participating businesses

Is My Card free to the cardholder?

It is after they have carried out 25 swipes in the first 3 months.  Initially the card will cost the consumer £5 but once these transactions have taken place the money will be refunded.  There is scope for cardholders to save a lot of money by supporting their local, independent businesses

How does a consumer get a card?

Cards will be available from all member businesses and local supporting organisations

How do the cardholders and the non profit beneficiaries get paid the rebate?

Once the cardholder has purchased the card they need to go online or send details to the Civic Trust to register their bank details and the nominated beneficiary.  The cardholder will then have the total rebates carried out each month paid direct to their bank account; this will happen the same for non profits, but every three months.

What are the benefits for participating in My Card?

Businesses will attract new customers as a result of programme related marketing and promotions including: media and publicity, inclusion in our online directory, community events and member communications. In addition, businesses can expect an increased frequency of sales on above average transactions. Cardholders are rewarded for buying from the local businesses and given the opportunity to give back to schools, charities and local non-profits.  Each business will have access to online reports detailing how often cardholders use their business, how much they spend, how much discount they are actually giving away and what the average transaction has become.  This allows the business the opportunity to change their offers instantly to react to their results.  It also allows the business to demonstrate that they are enjoying increased footfall and a higher average transaction

Does it cost a business anything to join?

It costs a business with swipe facilities £50 + vat per annum and for those without £100 + vat per annum.  You are charged a rebate only when someone makes a purchase and you are billed accordingly on a monthly basis.  The cards are supplied to the business at £3.00 inc vat and are retailed at £5.00 allowing the business an opportunity to create a new income stream. 
Cardholders paying £5.00 for their card are rewarded by have this money refunded after making 25 transactions within the first 3 month period making the card free of charge.  By encouraging the cardholder to become a habitual user of the card will mean that they save money, time, fuel and even get their initial outlay returned to them. Winning all the way!

Do I have to change any hardware or software to participate?

No. The programme will work on your existing MasterCard or Visa credit card terminal.

What if I don’t have a MasterCard or Visa terminal?

Businesses can manually enter transactions into their on-line account.

Is it chip & pin compatible?

The card is used in terminals/tills using the swipe facility.

As most stores have card machines on the customer side of the till point can the customer swipe themselves?

It is recommended that the business swipes the card on the customer’s behalf

Is there a time commitment when I sign up for the programme?

Yes. Businesses commit to participate in the programme for one year. The agreement renews automatically on a year-to-year basis after the first year term until a notice of termination by the merchant is received.

What is a typical My Card offer?

The discounts can be an easy percentage off everything or the businesses set a rebate and a minimum purchase amount.  The rebate can be a %, e.g. 5% rebate for purchases over £10.00 or a fixed amount, e.g. £1.00 on minimum purchase of £10.00 with a maximum of £25.00.  We will work with the businesses to ensure that they create offers that work for the benefit of all.

Can I change my offer?

Yes. Businesses can change their offer at any time and as often as they would like.  Any changes made online to their offer will appear instantly at the terminal ensuring excellent flexibility and the option to react to that day’s/hour’s trading.

Can I offer “specials” that override the rebate plan?

Yes. A business can create and manage multiple specials. A special is an alternative rebate plan that can be activated on one or more days of the week and last for a range of dates. For example, on the first Tuesday of every month businesses can increase the rebate to a certain %. This can also be used for cross-marketing amongst neighborhood businesses, e.g. offer a special during a local event.  Discounts can also be applied to quiet periods in the day

How will the rebate be collected and dispensed?

On a monthly basis the businesses will be invoiced and their accounts debited for the total accumulated rebates generated through participating shoppers. These rebates will then be distributed to the customers and chosen beneficiaries as cash back rewards and donations respectively.  Businesses can log in to their online account and view transactions at any time.

Is there a cost for swiping any card in a terminal?

In the USA, there is a £0.13 transaction processing fee for using the credit card terminal. The fee is deducted from the rebate amount.  To cover the cost of this processing fee, businesses are encouraged to set a rebate amount that takes into account this fee.  It is not yet confirmed but we expect a similar fee in the UK

How is the rebate broken down in each qualifying transaction?

The rebate breakdown may vary for each My Card program and may change at any time to ensure success in each area.  An example of how the transaction is shown below.
If the total purchase amount is £10.00 and the rebate is 10% then the total rebate amount is £1.00.  The £1.00 is broken down as follows:

In addition to providing a rebate, in what other ways can I participate?

Other ways to participate are by uniting with local businesses and working together and my selling the cards to consumers.  Great opportunities will be created by business people creating a local board to support the scheme; these benefits will be direct and indirect to the individual business.  Businesses can inform other businesses, tell customers about the program or donate other resources to introduce and promote the program to the community.

How will businesses promote the programme?

Businesses will be provided with window stickers or posters, point of sale and in-store materials and displays to draw attention to the program. Cardholders will receive monthly e-newsletters highlighting local businesses, events and nonprofits. Stores can also individually promote benefits that they decide to offer through the programme. Window posters will promote other businesses participating in the program.  Additional inter business emails will create business to business benefits.

What does an employee need to know to process a Community Card?

My Card is handled in the same way as a failed transaction -
1) The customer presents the Community Card to the cashier at purchase
2) The cashier enters the total purchase amount into the credit card terminal
3) The Community Card is swiped through the terminal
4) The terminal returns a “Decline for Payment”� or “Invalid Card” message. This is due to the fact that My Card is a non-payment card.
5) The customer then proceeds to pay in any form desired (cash, cheque, credit or debit card) as usual and the transaction is complete.

What is the My Card transaction/rebate process?

1) Customer presents the Community Card at point-of-sale
2) Salesperson swipes the Community Card through the payment terminal
3) Customer proceeds to pay in any acceptable form (cash, cheque, credit or debit card)
4) For each purchase the merchant funds a Community Rebate that includes a cash reward to the card holder and a donation to their chosen beneficiary

Who are the Civic Trust?

The Civic Trust is the independent nationwide charity dedicated to helping communities make better places in which to live, work and play.
The Civic Trust has campaigned for better places for people since 1957, and continues to be a powerful, definitive and distinctive voice which helps communities to imagine, shape and deliver inspiring places and an enduring future.

The Civic Trust is the umbrella organisation for 700 Civic Societies across the country, representing a quarter of a million people, who care passionately about their environment. Each year it organises Heritage Open Days where over a million people celebrate and explore their cultural and architectural heritage during a long weekend in September.

Through its activities, the Civic Trust raises the standard of our parks, towns and cities. The Civic Trust’s Award schemes reward the best in our environment, and develop and define best practice. Education, consultancy and coaching programmes help others to understand and achieve excellence in designing, creating and campaigning for better places.

Who is receiving the income to administer the programme?

The Civic Trust’s partners with this scheme are a non profit organisation in America whose values and motives are endorsed by the Trust.