Case studies · Banking, fintech

Cards that
reach their first purchase.

A bank was launching a cashback credit card. CPA on an activated card reached $85, and half of approved applications never made a first purchase. We retrained the algorithm on "card → transaction," not merely "card issued."

Banking · Fintech · 9 weeks

Mobile in-app + MMP + life-cycle retargeting.

The bank was stuck in a classic "application → approval" funnel, but half of issued cards never saw a first transaction. We wired the CRM into AppsFlyer, built look-alikes on active cardholders, shifted 60% of the budget into mobile in-app with rewarded video, and ran a sequence: brand awareness → plan → mechanics. The algorithm optimized for an activated card, not for an application.

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CPA, activated card
−48%
was $85
Activation
+63%
app → transaction
Cards issued
8.4K
in 9 weeks
What we did

From application to an active card.

01

CRM + MMP

We joined the bank CRM to AppsFlyer. The algorithm now sees not just an "application" but the full chain: application → activation → first transaction → repeat.

02

Setup

Built look-alikes on active cardholders from earlier cohorts and excluded existing customers. Moved the budget into mobile in-app — where the core audience of cashback products lives.

03

Sequencing

Three creatives per user: bank introduction → specific plan → cashback mechanics. The next step only shows after contact with the previous one.

04

Optimization

The algorithm trained on "first transaction," not on an application. By week 9 the CPA for an activated card fell below $45 and the activation rate reached 78%.

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