Long before Citi launched Citi Custom with smart rewards that adjust based on your spending patterns, there was the HMBradley Visa card. The HMBradley team figured out earlier than most that a large portion of younger consumers want better and simpler tools for saving money and building wealth. They started by designing a smart high yield savings account that allowed consumers to earn up to 3.00% APY with a simple principle in mind – the more you save, the more you earn. They then launched a first of its kind smart rewards credit card that aligned your cash back rewards based on where you spend most of your money AND offered APY savings boosters for active cardholders. 

Was this a successful strategy for HMBradley? Yes, it was.

In their first year, HMBradley accepted more than $400M in deposits mostly from younger consumers with an average credit score of 740.

In fact, HMBradley grew so fast that they outgrew the capacity of their partner bank. (As partner banks take on more deposits, they need to raise additional capital to satisfy regulatory requirements.)

As HMBradley works to transition their accounts to the New York Community Bank, they are also streamlining their offering. While the exact details on their new credit card offer are still under wraps, we are confident that the spirit of their mission will remain the same, and that they will continue to innovate and inspire the rest of the market with their progress.

We connected with Zach Bruhnke, HMBradley's CEO to ask him about the impact that the HMBradley Visa has had, and will continue to have, on driving deposits and greater savings for his customer base and here is what he had to say:

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Here is a look at the core differentiators of the original HMBradley Visa: