STACK set out to make money feel less institutional and more intuitive. A smarter, fee-free alternative to traditional banking, the product lived primarily in-app. But if we were rethinking banking for a new generation, the physical card could not be an afterthought.

The first vertical card in Canada

We introduced the first vertical payment card in Canada, built around behaviour rather than convention. With chip readers and tap-to-pay dominating usage among Millennials, consumers were already holding their cards vertically. We designed for how they actually banked.

The orientation wasn’t aesthetic theatre. It was functional, intuitive, and culturally aware. All sensitive information was moved to the back, transforming the front into a clean, graphic surface that was safe to photograph and share. The card became both financial tool and social artifact.

The card mailer

Receiving a credit card typically feels procedural. We reframed it as a brand moment.

The mailer was stripped of legal clutter and excess copy. Since members had already onboarded through the app, the physical package functioned less like documentation and more like an invitation. The vertical card was centred, elevated, and given presence. Opening it felt like unboxing a product, not activating a financial instrument.

STACK Presents: HXOUSE Live

To launch the vertical card, we extended the idea beyond design into culture.

STACK partnered with La Mar Taylor and Ahmed Ismail of HXOUSE to present HXOUSE LIVE, a high-profile concert experience that aligned with our audience’s creative ambitions. Headliners included The Weeknd, NAV, Bryson Tiller, and The Neighbourhood.

Access became a member benefit. New and existing users were given the opportunity to attend the sold-out event, driving app downloads, registrations, and deeper brand affinity.

Wild postings across Toronto and a coordinated social campaign amplified anticipation leading up to launch, reframing STACK not just as a fintech product but as a cultural platform.

What This Really Did

We did not just redesign a card.
We redefined what a banking brand could look and feel like for a generation raised on mobile, culture, and shareability.