Canara Bank’s Tactical UPI Campaign – Boosting Digital Engagement Through Smart Rewards

Objective

Canara Bank aimed to drive digital payment adoption and increase UPI usage among its newer customer bases. Additionally, encourage debit card activation for users who had opened accounts in the last 1 year but hadn't started using them.

Challenge

Despite rapid account openings, a significant portion of customers had not activated their debit cards or engaged with UPI features. The bank needed a simple and effective way to get them engaged.

Solution

Cheggout collaborated with Canara Bank to launch a 15-day tactical campaign on the Canara Ai1 app focused on UPI payment activation:

• The campaign message was prominently featured within the Ai1 app, encouraging users: “Complete 5 UPI payments and unlock a reward!”

• Targeted users included those who had opened accounts in the past 12 months but had shown low UPI and debit card activity.

• Once users completed 5 UPI transactions within the campaign period, they were eligible for a Zomato Gold membership at a special price of just ₹1.

• Cheggout procured and fulfilled the Zomato memberships on behalf of Canara Bank, ensuring a smooth and delightful redemption experience.

• No third-party app downloads or complex processes—just a native in-app experience driving habitual digital usage.

Impact

• The campaign significantly lifted UPI transaction volumes among newly onboarded users.

• Thousands of dormant debit cards saw first-time activity during and post the campaign.

• The ₹1 Zomato Gold offer delivered instant gratification and drove engagement among younger, urban users.

• The campaign proved that even simple reward mechanics—if smartly executed, can generate outsized digital adoption.

• Canara Bank is now exploring similar micro-incentive strategies across other product journeys, with Cheggout as a strategic partner.