Yesterday we reported that MySpace have launched their own brand of credit cards, making us wonder if this is really the best sort of financial incentive to be giving MySpace users.
But who are we to argue? The branding power alone might be enough to attract millions of users who think a MySpace card is the ultimate in credit card chic. Where there's tiny fine print and Internet users, there's money to made.
While we're excited for MySpace users, perhaps you're feeling a little left out if you're more a fan of Digg, or Facebook. Which has us wondering - what would a Digg card look like? Or a Facebook card? Here's some ideas, to be taken with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
1) Twitter
How it would work: Twitter card holders would be given discounts at various retailers, who would then 'Tweet' their sales to bargain shoppers. Twitter card owners would also need to sign their name with an @ symbol for added identification.
More importantly, all purchase invoices would need to be less than 140 characters long.
2) Digg
How it would work: Card users would be encouraged to rate their purchases and bury those last-minute impulse buys. The Digg credit card would also encourage users to comment about the types of purchases they've made, attack other users over each purchase in question and bitch and moan about the reasons behind the individual purchase. Products with top rated Diggs would automatically offer large discounts to active Digg card holders for the front page exposure.
In much the same way pyramid selling works, the Digg credit card would allow big spenders to have all their purchases offset (discounted) by their large Digg friend networks in return for referals. 'Power Digg spenders', as they would be known, would also be offered money on the side from various retailers to Digg their purchases and ensure they made the front page of a daily Digg bargains page.
3) Facebook
How it would work: Instead of just paying for your purchases, small talk at the counter will turn random strangers into valuable friend requests. Just pay for goods and services with your Facebook card and the checkout assistant's name will automatically appear on your list of people to add.
Your Facebook credit card would also let you know which of your friends were shopping in the same place at the same time, by using RFID tags in each card to geolocate your old mate from high school.
Old acquaintances at the store would no longer feel awkward to 'face' you when they see you holding the Facebook credit card - you're one of them now.
4) Livejournal
How it would work: LiveJournal Bloggers would be encouraged to use their LiveJournal credit cards as ambassadors for the products they purchase. For instance, a LiveJournal user would be given additional discounts and 'credit points' for any products they discuss and review with each purchase made on the credit card.
Some bloggers would be encouraged to write about how wonderful their credit cards are and the freedom that untapped spending can bring. Blogs that speak out against the use of credit card debt would have their cards are cancelled without warning.
5) Flickr
How it would work: The card for photography lovers, Flickr card owners would be given healthy discounts to a large number of photographic retailers.
More interestingly, the Flickr credit card would also have a micro sized camera designed in it, giving users the chance to take photos of their mundane purchases and rate other users pics after check-out.
Later, these pint sized photos would be zapped into a number of Flickr groups, categorised, given phony awards with cute icons and invited to be a distinguished member of various Flickr sub-groups including, "Best Supermarket buys" and "Top shop pics". It's a win-win for all.