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A-Pay

Updated

At Awardco, we are constantly innovating to enhance the rewards experience for our valued clients and their hardworking employees. We understand that within our client base, there are millions of unspent reward points just waiting to be used. We also recognize that some users want the flexibility to enjoy the fruits of their labor in ways that go beyond our current in-platform offerings. That's why we're excited to introduce A-Pay!

Note - Currently, A-Pay is only available in the United States. Also, A-Pay only works for active users. As soon as a user is archived within Awardco, their A-Pay card will no longer work.
 

  1. What is A-Pay?
  2. Where Can You Use A-Pay?
  3. How to Enable
  4. A-Pay User Experience
  5. Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is A-Pay?

A-Pay is a virtual or physical card that connects directly to your Awardco point balance. It seamlessly complements our Lifestyle Spending Account feature, enhancing your ability, as an admin, to manage subscriptions and memberships. User card information is securely stored on the Awardco platform, ensuring privacy.

 

Where Can You Use A-Pay?

A-Pay offers versatility, allowing users to use awarded points across various spending categories, including:

  • Automotive
  • Business & Office
  • Clothing & Fashion
  • Dining
  • Education
  • Entertainment & Recreation
  • Gas & Charging
  • Groceries
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Shopping
  • Subscriptions
  • Travel & Accommodations
  • Utilities

 

This list isn’t exhaustive—you can customize it based on your needs! A-Pay is not a consumer card which will allow you to set boundaries on what A-Pay can and cannot be used for.

 

How to Enable

Because A-Pay is a paid feature, please ensure payment has been settled with an Awardco point-of-contact before proceeding. To enable A-Pay for your users:

  1. Log into Awardco.
  2. Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  3. From the left navigation menu, select “Marketplace,” then “Award Networks.”
  4. Select the 'Award Options' tab and click 'Add Option'.
  5. Click 'Setup New' next to the A-Pay option.
  6. Select ‘Begin Setup’ and then ‘Continue to Stripe’.
  7. Fill out the connection forms in Stripe with professional, personal, and business details to establish configuration.

The Stripe onboarding form is hosted and managed by Stripe, not Awardco. As part of federal Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, Stripe will collect sensitive business and personal information (such as your EIN, company details, and a representative's contact or identity information); Awardco does not control what information is gathered, and all data is stored securely by Stripe. For further questions about Stripe onboarding, reach out to Stripe Support.

 

Program Guidelines

To access A-Pay Program Guidelines:

  1. Log into Awardco.
  2. Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  3. From the left navigation menu, select “Marketplace,” then “Award Networks.”
  4. Select the 'Award Options' tab and click 'A-Pay'.
  5. Click the 'Program Guidelines' tab. 


Edit spending settings to manage how users spend points awarded through A-Pay:

  • Spending Limits: Set a max spend amount per user and transaction.
  • Manage Spending Categories: Select spending categories available for A-Pay usage.
  • Excluded Spending Categories: Specify restricted categories.

 

Press “Save” once satisfied.
 

 

Country Availability

To access A-Pay Country Availability settings:

  1. Log into Awardco.
  2. Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  3. From the left navigation menu, select “Marketplace,” then “Award Networks.”
  4. Select the 'Award Options' tab and click 'A-Pay'.
  5. Click the 'Country Availability' tab. 

 

Select all the countries in which A-Pay will be available. Currently, A-Pay is only available in the United States.
 

Adding A-Pay to an Award Network

To add A-Pay as a redemption option to an Award Network:

  1. Log into Awardco.
  2. Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  3. From the left navigation menu, select “Marketplace,” then “Award Networks.”
  4. Click ‘Add New Award Network’ or select an existing one.
  5. Scroll down to ‘Award Options’ in the Basic Settings & Options tab and toggle A-Pay ‘On’.
  6. Select the countries where A-Pay will be available.
  7. Click ‘Save Changes’.

 

 

Stripe Onboarding

Before A-Pay cards can be issued, an admin or a representative from your organization must complete onboarding steps with our partner, Stripe.  These requirements are part of a Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement that Stripe and their partner banks require in order to support issuing of cards.  This will include information about your organization/company such as it's name, type of company, EIN number and more. Additionally there is a requirement to provide information that may include an email, phone number, or social security information. This is not optional as part of the A-Pay setup, and Awardco has no direct say in what information is gathered.  This information is stored only by Stripe and in a secure manner.  More information can be found here. If you have questions about this step, reach out to Stripe support.
 

Connecting A-Pay to a Lifestyle Spending Account

To ensure points awarded through a Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) are eligible for A-Pay usage:

  1. Add A-Pay to an Award Network or create a new one with A-Pay as the only redemption option (see the “Adding A-Pay to an Awardco Network” section of this article).
  2. Access Lifestyle Spending Settings (Admin>Recognition>Recognition>Lifestyle Spending).
  3. Add or edit an LSA and select the Award Network with A-Pay as a redemption option.
  4. Press “Save”.

 

A-Pay Homepage Widget

While the A-Pay card is accessible to users through clicking on their user profile icon then on "Manage Card", it is highly recommended that you add an A-Pay widget through the Homepage Editor. Implementing this widget provides users with more prominent and convenient access to create their cardholder account and manage their A-Pay card, significantly enhancing their overall experience.
 

 

A-Pay User Experience

Refer to the Redeeming Points with A-Pay support article for end-user experience details.The help document outlines:

  • Setting up an A-Pay cardholder account
  • Accessing A-Pay
  • Manage Card Page
  • Placing the Card in a Digital Wallet
  • Ordering a Physical Card
  • What Can I Spend My Points on?
  • Refunds/Returns
  • Reporting Fraudulent Charges
  • Frequently Asked Questions

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I use it with GPay or ApplePay?
    • Yes! Simply load your digital or physical card information to your digital wallet and use it just like any other card.
  • Are the cards secure?
    • Yes! We’ve integrated with Stripe to ensure that employee information is always safe and secure, no matter where or when they spend their points. 
  • What’s the administrative burden?
    • Cards connect directly to employee point balances, so admins never have to worry about reloading balances or wait times. Plus, overdrafts aren’t a worry because employees can only spend points they have.
  • What's a use case for A-Pay?
    • Take advantage of two of Awardco’s features by pairing A-Pay debit cards with LSAs. For example, say that you set up LSAs for employee wellness. Each month you provide employees with 20 points to use on wellness-centric expenses, such as gym memberships, fitness app subscriptions, new shoes, etc. They can use it to sign up at their local gym, buy protein powder in the store, or purchase new exercise equipment. 
  • Can I customize the cards?
    • Awardco does not support custom card designs; our branded design is the only option.
  • Why are there no cents involved in A-Pay transactions?
    • Awardco exclusively operates with whole point values, meaning transactions are always rounded up to the next highest point when using A-Pay.
  • Why hasn’t my A-Pay refund appeared in my wallet yet?
    • Unlike standard credit card returns, A-Pay refunds involve around a 15 day reconciliation period to ensure the merchant has fully finalized the transaction. Refunds are generally processed for orders that are at least 30 days old. Once this period has passed and the reconciliation is confirmed, your points will be automatically updated in your wallet.

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.

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