istash

istash LLC

istash

istash: Where every tap supports small businesses and every purchase puts money back in your pocket

Chicago, IL, USA

United States

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Credit card transaction fees cost small businesses billions of dollars annually - often up to 3.5% per sale, if not more. Visa and Mastercard monopolize the market leaving merchants no choice but to do business with these credit card giants. For community-based merchants, it reduces already thin profit margins exponentially, pushing many out of business. At the same time, customers sign up for credit cards seeking rewards only to find they are elusive, difficult to redeem and have a lot of restrictions. Moreover, they benefit big banks and large financial institutions - not local economies. This financial model is extractive and inequitable. It disempowers small business owners and offers little to no value to everyday consumers. In effect, the payment system is broken. istash seeks to remedy this: We eliminate swipe fees for merchants and offer instant cash rewards for customers. istash removes barriers for small businesses and their customers allowing local economies to thrive on their own terms.

istash is a contactless digital wallet designed to serve small local businesses and their customers. Customers simply have to download the istash app, securely transfer funds from their bank account into their istash wallet and in order to pay for a good or service, scan the istash merchant partner’s unique QR code to make a payment. On the merchant side, business owners have to set up their account on a web page, register and generate a unique QR code to receive payments from istash users at their business. Here’s what makes istash different: When istash users pay with their digital wallet, small businesses bypass Visa and Mastercard swipe fees and instead repurpose that spend to their customers in the form of instant cash, building loyalty, bigger basket size and foot traffic…in essence, investing that money into their own business. Currently, we’ve onboarded 20+ merchants and 1,000+ early users in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. With a working product and grassroots traction, we’re preparing to launch publicly and scale across the region, country and the world. At its core, istash is a tool for financial agency - offering fair, transparent, and community-first alternatives to traditional payment systems.

The target population is: 1. Small and mid-sized businesses that are disproportionately burdened by transaction fees and lack affordable digital payment solutions and who want to get new customers and retain existing customers. 2. Everyday consumers who love their neighborhood - Those disillusioned with credit cards - who want simply to earn rewards and support local businesses. For merchants, istash removes a massive pain point: Swipe fees. By eliminating credit card transaction costs, it allows them to reinvest in their customers and grow their business without sacrificing profit. This boosts customer retention and brings more foot traffic to their stores. For consumers, istash offers immediate, tangible financial benefits. Instead of vague “points” or delayed rewards, they get cash back instantly on purchases. It also fosters local loyalty: Users are encouraged to shop small because they get rewarded for doing so. The cashback istash offers is 4 times better than the value delivered by traditional cards and 50% better than the value offered by the best credit card, Costco. By offering a low-barrier, community-centric fintech tool, istash increases economic participation, promotes financial transparency, and builds value for both sides of the transaction.