Innovation in your wallet: How Adapta changes the rewards game

In May, we launched the CIBC Adapta™ Mastercard, a new kind of rewards credit card designed to meet clients where they are and evolve with how they spend. With Adapta, clients benefit from a personalized rewards structure that automatically aligns with their top spending habits each month, offering elevated points on their highest spend categories and consistent value on everything else. Behind the product is something bigger: a shift in how we approach innovation, design and collaboration.

We sat down with Megan Jones, Vice-President, Product Development and Client Engagement, to take you behind the scenes into the thinking, the teamwork and the future-focused mindset that brought Adapta to life.

It really began by listening to our clients. We heard the same theme echoed in different ways: that clients were seeking a card that could simplify their lives and maximize benefits, all without any added hassle.

One client’s insight that stood out came during early research: “The fact that my points are only earned on certain categories is frustrating.”  

That line captured something deeper People don’t want to think about categories or optimize every transaction. They want a card that just knows. We saw a clear opportunity. What if a credit card could remove that friction entirely and simply adapt?

Personalization is critical, and we knew we had the tools to build a smarter, more responsive rewards experience, one that adapts to clients’ spending patterns automatically and removes the need for manual tracking or category selection. As we scoped it out, it became clear that there was no off-the-shelf solution that could support the level of automation, responsiveness and scale we envisioned. So, we made the decision to build it ourselves — not just as a product, but as a capability.

With Adapta, we moved beyond traditional rewards categories like gas and groceries to include home improvement, pet stores, electronics and more. Clients automatically earn 1.5 points per dollar in their top three spend categories each month, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. It’s designed to work in the background, offering 50% more value where people actually spend without requiring them to juggle different cards in their wallet or track their spending.

We also made intentional design choices. Adapta is CIBC’s first vertical card, shaped for how people tap and hold their cards today. It includes the Touch Card by Mastercard™ feature, with a notched corner to support accessibility. The card is made using recycled materials and we’ve embraced a digital experience by introducing a QR code that leads clients online instead of mailing out bulky paper booklets in the welcome package

Delivering a modern client experience meant building something entirely new behind the scenes.

We created a dynamic rewards engine that tracks spend in real time, identifies each client’s top spend categories every month and applies rewards logic automatically. That kind of functionality didn’t exist, so we built it in-house, on our shared EDGE platform, with scalability and reuse in mind.

As Chein La, Vice President, Distribution Technology, put it, “There wasn’t a vendor solution on the market that met the full scope of what we envisioned. We weren’t just configuring existing tech, we were engineering a custom solution from the ground up. That gave us complete control over how it performs, how it scales and how it evolves.”

We also developed an intuitive digital interface that gives clients transparency into their rewards without adding complexity. When we saw the system run end-to-end in testing, faster and better than expected, we knew we’d built something special.

From day one, we approached Adapta as more than a product. It was a platform build. That mindset is something we’re embedding more broadly across the organization. When we create solutions that can scale and evolve, we set ourselves up for long-term success.

It also reflects how we’re evolving as a team. Product, Technology, Design and Platform were aligned from the start. We co-owned decisions, challenged assumptions and kept momentum moving together. That level of integration allowed us to deliver quickly without compromising quality.

Because Adapta was built in-house, we also own the intellectual property behind it. That gives us a long-term advantage. Not just in how we manage and protect what we’ve created, but in how we can evolve it. We’re actively exploring design patents to protect the experience we’ve built.

It was the culture that really made the difference. Everyone showed up with a shared purpose and a willingness to problem-solve together. That’s what kept us moving forward, even when things got tough.

There was a high level of trust across teams. People felt empowered to speak up, challenge ideas and drive the work forward. That kind of environment doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention, and it showed up every day on this project.

The response has been incredible. Our frontline teams were among the first to flag the need for a product like this and we’ve seen that demand come to life.

We launched nationally in June with a fully integrated campaign, including TV, digital, billboards, and a takeover at Union Station [in Toronto]. Thousands of clients signed up in the first few weeks alone, and momentum continues to grow.

One of my favorite moments was at our internal launch event. The commercial aired spontaneously, and the entire room erupted in cheers. You could feel how proud people were. Everyone knew they’d been part of building something meaningful.

This card isn’t just about earning points, it’s about helping clients get closer to their goals.

Adapta rewards can be used toward things that matter, like paying down a mortgage, contributing to a TFSA or RRSP. That kind of flexibility makes the experience feel personal, not just transactional.

We also added thoughtful benefits like roadside assistance to support clients beyond the checkout moment. These big and small touches help us build trust and long-term value in the client relationship.

Adapta is a signal of how CIBC is building for what’s next. It reflects a shift toward platform-first thinking, deeper integration across teams and a clear commitment to client-led innovation.