In the bustling landscape of India's fintech revolution, CRED burst onto the scene as a beacon of innovation, promising a reimagined credit card experience for the country's burgeoning middle class.
Founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Kunal Shah, the company's meteoric rise to unicorn status and its ability to attract millions of users with a sleek interface and tantalizing rewards program seemed unstoppable.
However, CRED's golden era may be waning. Recent reports indicate a significant exodus of users, with many deleting the app altogether. This surprising trend stems from a complex web of issues, brought to light by industry insiders, including a former CRED marketing professional. Their revelations about the platform's internal practices and marketing strategies offer a compelling narrative of a startup grappling with the challenges of rapid growth and changing user expectations.
The Illusion of Rewards
At the heart of CRED's appeal lies its rewards system, a gamified approach to credit card payments that has captivated users across India. Yet, interviews with former employees and marketing professionals reveal a system designed more for engagement than actual value.
"It's a beautifully crafted illusion," said Rahul Sharma (name changed), a former marketing executive who worked closely with CRED. "The real winners are the brands and CRED itself, not the users."
Our investigation found that companies advertising on CRED often pay between ₹4-10 per voucher issued, regardless of redemption. This model incentivizes the creation of flashy, high-value prizes that are rarely, if ever, actually awarded.
One particularly egregious example came to light when a major electronics brand ran a campaign promising high-end televisions. Internal documents revealed that the actual quantity of televisions allocated for the promotion was zero.
"It's a classic bait-and-switch," explained Priya Desai, a consumer rights advocate. "Users are lured in by the prospect of big-ticket items but end up with minimal rewards. It's not technically illegal, but it certainly skirts ethical boundaries."
Data Dilemma
CRED's acquisition of user data has raised significant privacy concerns among experts. While the company maintains that it does not directly share users' credit scores, it allows advertisers to target specific audience segments based on these scores.
"It's a semantic game," said Anita, a data privacy expert at the IIT, Delhi. "They're not sharing the data outright, but they're monetizing it in ways users might not fully understand or consent to."
More alarmingly, our investigation uncovered instances where CRED accessed users' personal information beyond credit card statements. In one case, a user in Mumbai discovered that the app had retrieved details about his two-wheeler without explicit permission.
"I was shocked," said Vikram Mehta, the user in question. "I never gave CRED any information about my vehicle. It felt like a violation of my privacy."
CRED's privacy policy, a dense 2,000-word document, does mention the possibility of collecting information from users' emails and SMS messages. However, the extent of this data collection and its uses remain opaque to many users.
This incident underscores the importance of being vigilant about app permissions and managing third-party application access through settings like Google account permissions.
Paradox of CRED Coins
CRED's virtual currency, CRED coins, has become a source of frustration for many users. Arjun Mehta, a software engineer in Bangalore, shared his experience: "I paid a credit card bill of ₹1.2 lakh and received just three CRED coins. It felt like a joke."
This sentiment is echoed across social media platforms, where users increasingly mock the perceived worthlessness of their accumulated coins.
"The CRED coin system is a classic example of a digital token with no clear value proposition," explained Dr. Sanjay Bakshi, a behavioral finance expert. "It creates the illusion of wealth accumulation without delivering tangible benefits. It's essentially a digital loyalty program with extra steps."
A twitter user analysised CRED's reward redemption data, obtained from former employees, revealed that less than 5% of issued coins are ever redeemed for rewards of significant value.
The Advertising Conundrum
CRED's relationship with advertisers is complex and, at times, contentious. While the platform boasts impressive user engagement metrics, the actual return on investment for brands remains questionable.
The sheer volume of users interacting with CRED's rewards system is staggering:
Rewards Page Visits: 6.5 million monthly
Jackpot Reward Participants: 6.4 million monthly
Mystery Rewards Participants: 5.4 million monthly
Despite these impressive figures, the actual conversion rates for brands remain low. The insider noted that their cost per acquisition (CPA) was around Rs. 250 per customer, which is significantly higher than other platforms like Instagram. Even with a lower ticket size of Rs. 3-4k, their CPA was still around Rs. 800.
Aarti Sharma, a digital marketing manager for a leading e-commerce brand, shared her experience: "We were initially excited about CRED's affluent user base. But our campaigns consistently underperformed. The cost per acquisition was nearly triple what we see on platforms like Instagram or Google Ads."
Cred's Credibility Crisis
Perhaps most damaging to CRED's reputation are the recent attempts to manipulate public perception. In a startling turn of events, a CRED employee was caught posting fabricated reward screenshots on Reddit. When confronted, the employee attempted to bribe the user who exposed the deception.
"It was surreal," said the Reddit user, who wishes to remain anonymous. "First, they tried to pass off an obviously photoshopped image as real. When I called them out, they offered me ₹300 via UPI to keep quiet. It felt desperate and completely undermined any trust I had in the company."
The incident sparked a wave of public outrage, with Reddit users rallying behind the exposer and many choosing to delete the Cred app en masse, dealing a significant blow to the company's credibility and user base.
Regulatory Scrutiny Looms
As concerns about CRED's practices mount, regulatory bodies are beginning to take notice. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated a review of fintech companies' data handling practices, with CRED might be among the firms under scrutiny.
"The fintech sector in India has been operating in a regulatory grey area for too long," said Trishann Henriques, in Pwc report on fintech. "Companies like CRED, which handle sensitive financial data, need to be held to the highest standards of transparency and user protection." said Rajesh Singh, a RBI employee.
The Road Ahead
As CRED faces growing scrutiny, the future of the once-celebrated startup remains uncertain. Kunal Shah, CRED's founder and CEO, declined multiple requests for comment on this story.
Industry analysts speculate that without significant changes to its business model and practices, CRED may struggle to maintain its position in India's competitive fintech market.
"The next few months will be crucial," said Vikram Mehta, a fintech analyst at a leading Mumbai-based consultancy. "CRED needs to rebuild trust and demonstrate real value to its users, or it risks becoming another cautionary tale in the world of startups."
Some experts, however, believe that CRED's challenges are symptomatic of broader issues in the fintech industry. "What we're seeing with CRED is not unique," argued Dr. Leela Rao, Professor of Digital Ethics at the NLU Delhi. "Many fintech startups prioritize growth and engagement over sustainable value creation and ethical considerations. It's a wake-up call for the entire sector."
As India's digital economy continues to evolve, the story of CRED serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between innovation and ethics in the fintech space. For now, the company's once-bright future appears to have lost its luster, tarnished by the very practices that propelled its meteoric rise.
In the coming months, all eyes will be on CRED as it navigates these turbulent waters. The outcome may well shape the future of fintech regulation and user trust in digital financial services across India.
Editor's Note: To protect the privacy of individuals who provided information for this article, all personal names mentioned have been changed, with the exception of Kunal Shah, CRED's founder and CEO. The names of organizations, universities, and institutions remain unchanged. This approach allows us to maintain the integrity of the reporting while respecting the confidentiality of our sources.
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