Claim App: Disrupting Advertising by Paying You to Eat?
Imagine getting paid to try new restaurants. That’s the promise of Claim, a new app that’s been making waves, especially among younger, budget-conscious consumers. Last weekend, a New Yorker was introduced to Claim by her roommate, who swore it wasn’t a scam, backing up her claims with Venmo screenshots. Skeptical, she decided to investigate the app’s appeal and its potential pitfalls.
Claim’s premise is straightforward: users link their credit or debit cards and receive personalized rewards, such as “$8 off at sweetgreen” or “$10 off at Chipotle.” After selecting a reward and making a purchase with the linked card, the user receives reimbursement via Venmo. Every Thursday, the app offers a “Drop” of new, tailored rewards.
To test its legitimacy, the next morning, a trial was conducted at a Starbucks.A few hours after paying with the linked card, a Venmo notification confirmed the reward: “Claim paid you to shop at Starbucks.”
However, questions remained: Is this a legitimate way to save money, or is there a hidden cost? Concerns about data security and privacy are paramount. To address these concerns, Archyde News spoke with Sam Obletz, CEO and co-founder of Claim, to delve into the app’s workings and its future plans.
“We need to be large enough at scale to eventually take on the budgets that are currently being deployed at Meta and TikTok.”
Challenging the Dominance of Digital Advertising
Obletz, 33, and his college roommate Tap Stephenson, conceived Claim while at Harvard Business school, launching it in Harvard Square in early 2023. It started as a campus phenomenon before expanding to 10 U.S. cities in February 2024. The core idea? To redirect marketing budgets directly to consumers rather of conventional advertising channels.
This concept taps into a massive market. According to EMARKETER,digital advertising spending in the U.S. exceeded $300 billion in 2024. Many businesses question the effectiveness of their digital ad spending. Claim aims to bridge this gap by providing tangible results and direct consumer engagement.
Obletz believes Claim can definitely help brands struggling to measure the impact of their ad dollars. He envisions a future where Claim becomes a meaningful player in the advertising landscape, challenging the dominance of tech giants.
Beyond Loyalty Programs: Customer Acquisition Reimagined
Claim’s goal is to encourage users to explore new restaurants and businesses, hoping to turn them into loyal patrons. Obletz emphasizes that Claim is more than just a loyalty program; he describes it as a “customer acquisition and retention tool.” Instead of points or discounts, users receive direct cash back, incentivizing them to try new places and build habits.
Currently, Claim partners with nearly 50 companies, primarily in the food and beverage sector. the app operates on a revenue-sharing model, passing 80% of the money to the consumer and retaining 20%.If a user doesn’t redeem their “drop,” Claim doesn’t get paid, aligning the app’s success with user engagement.
| Feature | Claim App | Traditional Loyalty Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Incentive | Direct Cash Back | Points, Discounts |
| Focus | Customer Acquisition & Retention | Rewarding Existing Customers |
| Revenue Model | Shares Revenue with Users | Retains All Revenue |
Time Well Spent, Not Wasted
Obletz acknowledges Gen Z’s complex relationship with social media, recognizing the fatigue and ad bombardment that many users experience. “The experience of being on our phones is getting worse,” he said.
Unlike many social shopping apps that thrive on user screen time, Claim prioritizes efficiency. Obletz explains,”We want you to come onto the app once a week,go make plans with your friends,and go do something.” The app aims to be a catalyst for real-world experiences rather than a time sink.
Claim’s partnerships are strategically chosen to avoid reliance on third-party delivery systems like GrubHub. Users can make online purchases but are encouraged to pick them up in person, driving foot traffic to partner businesses. Delivery is only available if the brand partner has its own delivery service,reinforcing the focus on direct customer engagement.
Data Privacy: A Top Priority
Data security and privacy are major concerns for consumers. Claim addresses these concerns by stating that while the app has access to users’ spending habits, it does not have access to login facts or card numbers. Payments are managed through a partnership with Plaid, a well-established fintech company.
We will never sell data. It’s not the company any of us want to build,”
Obletz emphasized. He explained that Claim uses AI models to analyze consumer spending history and personalize “Drops,” ensuring relevant and appealing offers. this data also provides valuable insights for brand partners.
According to Obletz, Claim can provide brands with aggregated data about their customer base, offering a competitive edge. “We’re often able to go into a conversation with a brand and tell them more about their customer base than they no,” he stated.
Expansion Plans and the Future of Claim
Before launching Claim, Obletz spent nearly five years at Goldman Sachs, which instilled in him a focus on profitability. However, his current priority is scaling up the business. As of early April, Claim had surpassed 200,000 downloads and was experiencing a monthly growth rate of 35%, according to Obletz.
He is particularly encouraged by the app’s customer retention numbers, with 56% of customers remaining active 12 weeks after downloading it. This contrasts sharply with the average 30-day retention rate for shopping apps (4.6%) and social media apps (3%), as reported by AppsFlyer based on 2024 iOS data.
This is something new and different in the same way that Facebook was new and different in the early 2000s,”
Obletz said, highlighting the app’s disruptive potential. Claim has secured $20 million in funding from venture capital firms, including Sequoia Capital, signaling strong investor confidence.
Looking ahead, Obletz aims to expand Claim to more cities within the next 12 to 18 months. His vision is to create an app that not only saves users money but also encourages them to explore their local communities and support local businesses.
Obletz concludes, “The much harder job to be done for us to get you to literally walk somewhere.”
claim App: An Interview with CEO Sam Obletz on Disrupting Advertising
Interview with sam Obletz, CEO and Co-founder of Claim
Archyde News: Sam, thanks for joining us. Claim, the app that pays users to eat, has certainly caught our attention. Can you give us a fast overview of how the app functions and what makes it different in the crowded app marketplace?
Sam Obletz: Thanks for having me.Claim is pretty straightforward. Users link their card, and every Thursday they get a “Drop” of personalized rewards – like money off at their favorite spots. They use the reward,pay with their linked card,and we reimburse them via Venmo. What’s different is we’re not just a loyalty program; we’re a customer acquisition tool, putting marketing dollars directly into consumers’ hands.
Claim’s Approach to Advertising and User Experience
archyde News: Your team is aiming to challenge the dominance of established digital advertising platforms like Meta and TikTok. What’s the core strategy behind this audacious goal, and how is Claim positioned to succeed where others have faltered?
Sam Obletz: The core is redirecting ad budgets. Brands struggle to see ROI, and we offer direct, measurable results. We’re not about endless scrolling. We want users to come on, find a deal, and go *do something* in the real world. It’s a less time-consuming,more experiential approach.
Archyde News: many younger users have some fatigue with social media and ad overload. How does Claim navigate this? What’s the key to building a positive user experience?
Sam Obletz: We are not a time-sink; we’re a catalyst. Unlike apps designed to keep you glued to your screen, we want you to use Claim to kick off a real-world adventure. We want you to discover restaurants or cafes. Efficiency is our value proposition.
Data Privacy, Revenue Model, and Growth Plans
archyde News: Data privacy is huge concern. Can you clarify how Claim handles user data and ensure users’ details is secure and protected?
Sam Obletz: Absolutely. We don’t have access to login facts and card numbers; that’s handled by Plaid, a trusted fintech partner. we use AI to personalize offers based on spending habits, but we will never sell user data. We give brands insights into their customer base, but it’s aggregated data, not individual profiles.
Archyde News: You mentioned the revenue-sharing model. Can you explain how this works and how it aligns Claim’s success with user engagement?
Sam Obletz: We share revenue, passing 80% to the user and keeping 20%.We only get paid if the user redeems an offer. That keeps our incentive focused on providing real value to the user. It gets us to build great experiences, creating a win-win situation for the consumer and our partners.
Archyde News: Claim has seen rapid growth. What are your immediate expansion plans, and what does the future hold for the app?
Sam Obletz: We’re expanding to more cities in the next 12 to 18 months. Our focus is on fostering local community exploration. We’re in it for the long haul. And we’re also expanding our app to allow for pick-up and delivery options depending on our brand partners.
The Future of Customer Acquisition
Archyde News: Beyond the financial incentives, looking into the value proposition, how is Claim actually aiding local businesses and fostering local engagement?
Sam Obletz: We intentionally work with businesses where a physical visit is encouraged. We’re driving foot traffic, and providing them with insights so they see how their customer data is, or can be, translated. In the future, you’ll hopefully use Claim to pay, order and be incentivized to visit your local spots.
archyde News: what’s the biggest challenge you anticipate in the coming years, and what innovative strategies are you considering to counter it?
Sam Obletz: I think customer acquisition is the biggest challenge, for both sides. It’ll be more difficult to get people to walk somewhere. We’re focusing on making the product sticky and valuable, and showing people it benefits them to participate.Our growth, retention rates and fundraising show that this has already been proven.
Archyde News: Sam, thank you for your time and insights.It’s a fascinating concept, and we look forward to following Claim’s progress.
Archyde News: Is Claim the future of consumer engagement and advertising? Share your opinions in the comments below!
