BHN and Mastercard Debut Category-Focused Rewards Cards
Blackhawk Network (BHN), in partnership with Mastercard, has unveiled two new category-specific prepaid rewards cards: the Drive Prepaid Card and the Grocery Prepaid Card, which are aimed at helping businesses deliver more purposeful and relevant rewards. These filtered prepaid cards are designed for corporate-funded reward programs such as employee recognition, customer loyalty initiatives, promotional incentives, and goodwill efforts.
The Drive Prepaid Card is tailored for mobility-related expenses, including fuel and EV charging, and is accepted wherever Mastercard is taken. This makes it a versatile option for initiatives such as test-drive promotions, electric vehicle adoption incentives, utility incentive programs, or customer appeasements. Meanwhile, the Grocery Prepaid Card is focused on everyday essentials, making it suitable for programs that support employee wellness, grocery-focused campaigns, seasonal recognition, or inflation relief efforts. Both cards come in physical and digital formats, with built-in category filters to help ensure that rewards are spent as intended.
The cards can be issued anonymously or personalized, with custom branding and messaging options. Virtual cards work with mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet, while physical cards help address point-of-sale systems that require plastic.
Learn more here.
Benchmark Resorts Teams with Kit Lender to Remove Winter Travel Hassles
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels has announced a collaboration with outdoor gear rental service Kit Lender to simplify winter travel for its guests. The partnership is designed to address the hassle of traveling with bulky cold-weather clothing and equipment by offering visitors access to premium winter apparel delivered directly to their resort. In addition to gear rentals, the program pairs curated local winter itineraries with an adventure concierge to help guests make the most of their outdoor experiences.
This initiative is available at five top winter destinations in the United States, including locations like Bend, Oregon and Vail, Colorado, where guests can enjoy activities such as snowshoe treks, skiing, and other seasonal adventures without worrying about packing or transporting heavy winter gear. By integrating Kit Lender’s service with its resort stays, Benchmark hopes to remove travel friction and allow guests to dive straight into their planned activities upon arrival.
Travelers who book exclusive winter packages or à la carte gear rentals will benefit from reduced logistical burdens, personalized local recommendations, and gear waiting in their rooms upon check-in, with an easy return process at the end of the stay.
Learn more here.
SpotOn Brings Restaurant Tech to Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate
SpotOn, a restaurant technology company focused on independent restaurants, has been named the Title Sponsor and restaurant tech partner of Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate presented by SpotOn, a food-forward fan festival during Super Bowl weekend that features 20+ Bay Area restaurants and does not require a Super Bowl ticket. The partnership highlights SpotOn’s mission to help operators manage game-day volume with its point-of-sale (POS) system that supports faster ordering, reliable payments, smoother service and clearer reporting.
Super Bowl Sunday is a major dining moment. Last year, 67% of Americans were estimated to watch the game from home in the prior year, and 59% of those watchers ordered takeout, according to the National Restaurant Association. SpotOn stresses that converting these high-intent dining occasions into long-term business growth requires early planning, operational efficiency and effective marketing to capture both immediate sales and repeat customers.
To help restaurants prepare, SpotOn outlined a five-step “Game-Day Ready” playbook that includes strategies like adopting a profit-focused menu, marketing the moment, staffing with data from previous POS reports, enabling automation tools like QR order & pay and tap-to-pay, and capturing first-party guest data through digital loyalty programs. The company also points to broader cultural moments in 2026, such as March Madness, where these same practices can help independent restaurants handle peak demand and build lasting customer relationships.
Learn more here.