Decoupled Debit Card - History

History

In May 2007, Capital One began a one year decoupled debit card experiment. This card was novel in that prior to this launch, a debit card was always tied to a traditional financial institution. Capital One's Mastercard-branded decoupled card did not require an account be opened with a retail financial institution, and was made in partnership with the Ukrops grocery chain, based in Capital One's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The card was also tied to a reward program offered by Ukrops. The one-year experiment ended in May 2008, and was followed by a national rollout of its own version of a decoupled debit card tied to its own reward program.