Simpl Quests - Merchant-funded Rewards Program
Launched a merchant-funded gamified rewards program to make Simpl the top-of-wallet choice and increase transaction frequency.
Vidyadhar Sharma
Founding Member at Stealth Startup
From their time as
Associate Director of Product, Consumer Experience
Simpl • 2025 - 2025
Overview
Built Quests, a gamified milestone rewards program designed to make Simpl the top-of-wallet payment choice. The core insight was that users face decision fatigue at checkout, and a well-constructed rewards program could make Simpl the no-brainer choice.
The Story
Built Quests, a gamified milestone rewards program designed to make Simpl the top-of-wallet payment choice. The core insight was that users face decision fatigue at checkout, and a well-constructed rewards program could make Simpl the no-brainer choice.
The clever part was the business model: the program was entirely funded by merchants, not Simpl's margin. This allowed the company to offer meaningful rewards without burning cash. Designed the milestone structure and reward mechanics to encourage repeat usage.
Early experiments showed the mechanism worked. Transaction frequency increased by double digits in test cohorts. The user base was too small to prove retention impact meaningfully, but the engagement signal was strong enough to validate the approach and scale further.