Every year, millions of Americans file their taxes. And a handful of household-name brands compete fiercely for their business.
Our customer is one of them: a category-defining tax software company built specifically for ease of use, whether you’re a new filer who needs step-by-step instructions or a returning user who wants to get their taxes done quickly.
But in a seasonal, saturated, highly competitive category, even the most recognizable brands have to keep finding new ways to reach the right user at the right time. Kard’s commerce media network piqued their interest back in 2023. Two years later, they’ve doubled their customer engagement and doubled their investment in rewards — twice.
Goals
The company partnered with Kard to reach millions of customers through cash back offers. Rewards were an ideal way to scale the brand because:
- They could be seasonal, launching several months prior to tax season and closing just after tax day.
- They could target specific audiences, such as customers who never had an account before.
- They could capture users’ attention while they were using their mobile banking app and thinking about their financial goals.
The first year working with Kard (2023 - 2024), the company wanted to focus on brand awareness, reeling in as many new customers as they could.
If that experiment was successful, they would use Kard to target not only net-new customers, but existing and lapsed customers in 2025, offering cash back for upgrading or reinstating their accounts.
Solution
Our customer activated a card-linked offer through our network of modern fintech partners, targeting a valuable base of Gen Z and Millennial consumers who had never used this software before — directly in their banking and rewards apps.
The offer reached consumers at exactly the right time: when tax filing was top of mind and financial goals were front and center. Kard rewards launched around mid-December, for those ready and early to file their taxes, and mid-April, right after tax day.
That first campaign yielded more redemptions and transactions than our customer forecasted, building excitement for extending the campaign to include targeting existing customers in 2025. To support this expanded strategy, they’ve doubled their investment in Kard, looking to deepen loyalty and maximize conversions across both new and returning filers.
Results
The results speak for themselves. The company saw an 89% increase in redemptions year over year by broadening its target audience. In turn, the brand saw a 94% growth in transaction volume.
“This customer is a perfect example of what happens when brands treat card-linked offers as a strategic lever. Their success across both new and returning users shows the power of reaching consumers where they already are: in their everyday financial apps.” - Taylor Ford, Merchant Sales Director at Kard.
At the same time, ROAS remained strong and consistent, despite broader targeting and higher volume. With nearly twice the engagement and stable performance at scale, our customer validated card-linked offers as a long-term performance channel — not just a one-time test.
As a result, the team has committed to doubling their partnership in the 2026 tax season, enabling them to take advantage of new Kard features like customizable notifications and gamified offers that will continue to elevate their marketing strategy above the noise.
.png)