Robinhood is Gamifying Credit Card Points — Should You Play Along?

When Robinhood launched its 3% cashback credit card for paying Gold subscribers last year, it represented a pivotal shift for the company — one away from just being a brokerage and toward being a personal finance goliath. The disruptive brokerage platform stirred the entire credit card industry, which speculated on how the business would afford the hefty expense. And now, the tech-driven startup is betting that it can convince cardholders to play a game of chance — just like they do with their portfolios.
What are the rewards? Terms show that there are 15 possible rewards to unbox, with users most likely to get cashback boosts on restaurant orders (12% odds), DoorDash/Uber Eats orders (11%), or a 1% cashback multiplier for 24 hours (10.75%). Cashback rewards at select retailers or categories are also part of the get-up, while the lowest chances include outright rewards of points.
There’s just one problem… Nine months after being announced, many users still can’t decide whether to pay along — because they’re still waiting for their Gold Card. Dozens of Reddit posts foray thousands of people awaiting their invite, a courtesy benefit of the $50/yr Robinhood Gold subscription. They company ascribes its slow rollout to testing and proving the card. But at the rate things are going, some users may wait over a year before they get their card in hand — and by then, who knows what might change?