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Afligo	Fulfillment	Rebates	Cards Vs. Checks
	Technology & Processing	Prepaid Cards	Usage & Perceptions
	Customer Care	Premiums
	Global Payments	Spiffs

Cards Vs. Checks

When it comes to corporate check-based incentive programs, according to the Federal Reserve, the average cost of a check - to banks, payees and processors, combined - ranges from $2.78 to $3.09, according to the Federal Reserve. This compares to a cost of between $1.15 and $1.47 for an electronic payment, like that on a prepaid card.On top of the general increased costs around checks there are also major costs and issues around check fraud. Commercial banks alone lose upwards of $700 billion annually to check fraud according to the American Bankers Association. The National Retail Federation estimates that retailers amass nearly $6 billion a year in bad check losses. The flexible approach of a prepaid card program allows for participants to choose their own reward on their own timeframe, enhancing the overall desirability of the incentive and the efficacy of the program. Among the most appealing benefits of prepaid card program over a merchandise/points program are the branding, versatility, retention and cost aspects the prepaid programs offer. Here is a comparison of how prepaid programs stack up against merchandise programs in a variety of areas:

	Prepaid Cards	Checks
Impact	Immediate: Prepaid card rewards are paid quickly and can be redeemed instantaneously at millions of locations.	Delayed: Recipients must find time to go to a bank to deposit the check and wait for it to clear before the funds can be used.
Cost	Low: The relative cost of a prepaid program is low from a budget and administrative standpoints and allows for an on-demand approach to production.	High: The printing, management and distribution costs are comparatively high. Adding lost, stolen and fraudulent checks increases the costs significantly.
Branding	Extensive: Prepaid card programs are designed to be easily and cost-effectively branded on the plastic, collateral and communications.	Limited: Typically branding a check is limited to printing the company logo onto the body of the check.
Recollection	Long: Recipients recall accomplishments every time they use the card to select their reward, reward and brand are continually reinforced.	Short: Once the check is deposited all reminders of the incentive’s origin are lost, as the reward becomes part of the user’s general account funds.
Convenience	High: Recipients receive their incentive payments quickly and conveniently, directly onto their prepaid card.	Low: After receiving the check recipients must go to a bank or check cashing location to get their funds.
Retention	High: Prepaid cards can be easily reloaded with subsequent incentives to retain users and shape behavior.	Low: Checks must be reissued with every reward at significant cost, so the retention value tends to be low.