Reflections on STACK Fintech Inc.
Looking Back on a Digital Banking Revolution
As I reflect on my time at STACK Fintech Inc., I recognize how our vision to redefine digital banking aligned with a broader shift in financial technology. In 2016, when I joined as a founding Product Designer, the industry was at a crossroads. Traditional banks struggled to meet the expectations of Millennials, who sought transparency, digital convenience, and engagement beyond simple transactions.
Our mission was ambitious: to build a digital banking experience that was transparent, rewarding, and socially engaging.
Over six years, we designed, developed, and launched a digital financial platform centered around a Prepaid Mastercard that offered real-time cashback rewards, a social transaction feed, automated savings, and personalized financial insights. Now, in 2025, I look back at STACK’s journey as a pivotal experience that shaped my approach to digital product design and financial technology.
The Problem with Traditional Banks
Looking back, it’s clear that traditional banks were not built for the digital-native generation. By 2016, research indicated:
71% of Millennials preferred going to the dentist over interacting with a bank.
Canadian banks collected $9 billion in fees in 2016 alone.
73% of Millennials felt that traditional financial services did not meet their needs.
Meanwhile, social media was an integral part of daily life, with 84% of Millennials actively using digital platforms. However, financial institutions had not yet embraced the concept of social-driven financial engagement, leaving an opportunity for disruption.
The Opportunity
STACK set out to challenge legacy banking models by offering a digital-first, fee-free, and socially integrated financial ecosystem. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see how our approach successfully bridged the gap between banking and social engagement, even as the industry evolved.
Designing a Digital-First Financial Experience
Our biggest challenge was ensuring that STACK didn’t just function as a financial tool but rather as an interactive experience that encouraged positive financial habits. We focused on:
- Mobile-first banking to ensure seamless user adoption.
- Social finance features to create a sense of community around money.
- Gamification and rewards to promote smart financial behaviors.
- Personalized financial insights to empower users with meaningful data.
- Strong security frameworks to build trust while maintaining usability.
Today, these design principles continue to inform how I approach financial product development, particularly as embedded finance and AI-driven financial tools grow in importance.
Core Features & User Experience Innovations
STACK’s Prepaid Mastercard wasn’t just a means of payment—it actively incentivized smart spending.
Key Features:
- AI-driven cashback recommendations based on spending patterns.
- Instant notifications to reinforce real-time engagement with finances.
- Dynamic offer personalization, ensuring users received tailored rewards.
Source: Instagram @getstackca
A core innovation of STACK was its social transaction feed, allowing users to share spending moments and financial insights with friends. This was a bold move at the time, and while social banking has evolved since, the early iteration of STACK Stories was a first-of-its-kind approach.
Key Innovations:
- Privacy controls allowed users to curate their shared financial data.
- Community engagement features such as comments, reactions, and shared insights fostered social learning.
- Financial literacy benefits emerged as users learned from peers’ financial behaviors.
Source: Instagram @getstackca
STACK’s round-up savings feature was a deceptively simple but powerful tool. It encouraged savings without requiring manual effort, a principle that many fintech products continue to embrace today.
Impact:
- Automated micro-saving with each transaction, building financial resilience.
- Goal-based savings tracking to keep users motivated.
- Gamified savings challenges, which proved to be an effective engagement driver.
Source: Instagram @getstackca
STACK went beyond transactions by integrating community-driven financial education directly into the user experience.
Notable Aspects:
- Gamified learning incentives encouraged user engagement with financial tips.
- Behavioral trend analysis helped users identify spending patterns.
- Collaborative financial learning tools allowed for shared decision-making.
Source: Instagram @getstackca
STACK made sending and receiving money effortless with P2P payments and smooth integration with external financial accounts.
Design Considerations:
- Secure authentication protocols to maintain trust in digital transactions.
- Minimalist transaction flow to ensure an intuitive user experience.
- Smart notifications that provided clear transaction updates.
Source: Instagram @getstackca
One of STACK’s most practical features was its AI-powered customer support chatbot, which was accessible via a chat icon in the corner of the screen. Users could quickly engage with automated responses or escalate issues to human support.
Key Features:
- AI-driven chat support for faster issue resolution.
- Video call integration for real-time assistance.
- Automated verification processes to streamline security.
With hindsight, I see how important it was to provide instant, intuitive support, as digital banking platforms today continue to prioritize seamless self-service options.
STACK’s Growth & Key Milestones
- Various iterations preceded the eventual launch of STACK. The first concept started here with aspirations to be backed by Richard Bransons', Virgin Money brand in the UK.
- STACK underwent rigorous user testing before officially launching, allowing us to refine the digital banking model.
2018: Official Launch & Market Disruption
- STACK became Canada’s first issuer of a vertical debit card, drawing attention to its modern, digital-first approach to banking.
2019: Expansion into Credit Unions
- STACK expanded via a white-label partnership with Celero, launching Aura, a digital banking solution for Credit Unions across Canada.
2020: Acquisition by Credit Sesame
- STACK was acquired by Credit Sesame, which integrated its technology into a broader financial wellness ecosystem. https://www.creditsesame.com/sesame-cash/
- STACK technology contributed to Credit Sesame’s inclusion in CB Insights’ Fintech 250 list.
- Sesame Cash launched with up to 15% instant cashback, leveraging STACK’s rewards system.
- $51 million investment supported the expansion of financial wellness services.
- STACK-powered features enabled a groundbreaking credit-building service.
- Credit Sesame introduced free credit-building banking, increasing financial accessibility.
Conclusion: Reflecting on STACK’s Legacy in Fintech
Looking back, STACK’s innovative approach to digital banking anticipated many trends that are now standard in fintech. Our focus on social engagement, financial rewards, and transparency positioned STACK as a key player in reshaping how users interact with their finances.
For professionals in financial UX, fintech innovation, and embedded banking, STACK’s story serves as a case study in how challenger banks can redefine financial services. The lessons learned from this experience continue to shape how I think about user engagement, financial inclusion, and behavioral design in fintech.
If you're working in digital finance or product design, I’d love to connect and discuss how these principles can influence the next generation of financial products.
ΛCΞ ♠️