ANN ARBOR — The Ann Arbor-based payment technology startup Stratos Inc. Thursday announced the first shipments of its Stratos Bluetooth Connected Card, which combines credit, debit, membership, gift and other magnetic stripe cards in one digital Bluetooth card.
“From consumers to leading banks, merchants and card networks, we’re thrilled to see so much positive feedback since launching Stratos Card just last month, and we’re proud to bring this groundbreaking solution to market,” said Thiago Olson, co-founder and CEO of Stratos. “More than 63 percent of U.S. consumers plan to use some form of next generation payment technology, and our Stratos Card platform will accelerate mobile adoption by helping people make smarter and more secure payments with a preferred, familiar card form.”
For a video on how the Stratos card works, visit this link.
Users can also download the Stratos App and add an unlimited number of credit, debit, loyalty, membership and gift cards using the included Stratos Reader. A user’s three cards are always available on Stratos, with or without your mobile device. All other cards can be accessed through the app.
Users also receive real-time card suggestions on the app.
To pay, users tap to activate Stratos, select their preferred card, and swipe as they would any other card.
Company officials say the Stratos card offesr patented security features and industry-leading acceptance at all point-of-sale systems.
Coming soon, Stratos says it will add geo-location and history-based card suggestions and insights to help members make better payment decisions.
Stratos said the card’s rollout has exceeded its launch goals, with a majority of consumers signing up for a two-year membership. Additionally, membership sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive, with the young company reporting a consistent 95 percent customer support satisfaction score.
Stratos Card memberships can be purchased at www.stratoscard.com.
Stratos was founded by Olson, an electrical engineer and inventor; Chris Bartenstein, an entrepreneur and the company’s COO; and Henry Balanon, a Detroit-area software developer and entrepreneur. It is funded by Toba Capital Partners of San Francisco, Calif., Western Technology Investment of Portola Valley, Calif., Resonant Venture Partners of Ann Arbor and Hyde Park Venture Partners of Chicago.