Strap yourself in because this is a long post… apologies in advance but there’s a lot to cover and this is groundbreaking stuff.

You’ve seen us testing our rewards system with the beta auctions and raffles services we quietly rolled out at the end of last year.

 You’ve seen that Unity points get accrued by participating in a variety of activities on the site, like earning Unity points for participating in the viral RE5 campaign.

 You’ve seen us redesign and quietly ramp up the amount and variety of merchandise we carry in the Capcom Store (an activity that will continue over time).

 The next step (but not the last… more to come) is to begin to tie the Unity site activity, Unity points, the Capcom Store and the reward system together with a unique new program we’re calling the Capcom Unity Visa Pre-paid Card.

Let’s get this issue out of the way, this is not, not, not a credit card. Virtually anyone is accepted.  There is no credit check because you’re not applying for credit. There are no finance charges.  There are no late fees or over-limit fees and you will never go into debt with this card (well, you might if you’re using a traditional credit card in addition to our card, but if you stick with us, we won’t steer you wrong). 

 In function, the program is a lot closer to a checking account but with more benefits and fewer drawbacks (click for our handy, dandy comparison matrix).

 Like a checking account, you can spend money that you “load” or “deposit” onto your card.  Additionally there are features such as online bill pay services, online balance and transaction tracking and the ability to auto-deposit your pay checks, etc. Unlike a checking account, there are no paper checks for you to write, no hand-written check register, where you might forget to record a transaction. Your check register is electronic and automatically records every transaction, so there are no “oops” fees, ever.

 If you want, you can even sign up for alerts that will tell you your balance, every day (or whatever frequency you choose), via email or SMS messaging to your phone (+1 for responsibility, -1 for the unfortunate reality check).

 All of these features and more are accessible through your own account at www.capcom-unity-card.com.

 The card is accepted everywhere Visa debit is: online or offline or ATMs,  wherever (for example, it’s great for buying Street Fighter HD Remix on PSN or XBLA). Your deposits are protected by FDIC and transactions are protected by Visa’s Zero-Liability policy.

At launch, we have six designs: two for Resident Evil 5, two for Street Fighter IV and two for Bionic Commando. We will introduce new card designs over time. Some will be like these, unlimited in distribution, others may be ultra-rare collector's cards made in very limited runs. You will be able to upgrade your card design easily in the future if there is a new design that comes out that you like more than the ones we currently have available.

 That’s the boring bits dusted… now come the fun bits.

 “Did Someone Say Rewards?”  

“Why Yes, I Did. So Glad You Asked.”

 Unlike a checking account, there’s a suite of robust rewards programs (and this is the real unique bit, so listen up).

 First there’s the most obvious one for Capcom fans: 15% off everything you purchase in the Capcom Store. Games, merchandise, you name it. When you pay with this card, we’ll detect that fact and upon final checkout a 15% deduction from your total (before tax and shipping) will be applied.

 Buy two $60 front line games and Boom! The card just about paid for itself. So if you’re already planning to buy a couple of Capcom titles (RE5 or SFIV perhaps? Pre-order Dark Void?) or if you’ve had your eye on the MM9 or HD Remix Media Kits, here’s a good way to get em for less.

 Continuing the Unity theme, and how the points/rewards program ties into this, you will earn 5,000 Unity points just for buying the card. Every dollar you spend with the card will earn you another 5 Unity points. And you’ll receive a bonus 500 Unity points every time your card is reloaded using a payroll direct deposit.

 So, let’s just say hypothetically, you take your $1,000 paycheck and enroll in direct deposit on the card. You’ll earn 5,000 points for buying the card, 500 bonus points for it being a result of direct deposit and as you spend that $1,000, you can earn up to 5,000 points back. Combine those points with the points you earn by being active on Capcom-Unity.com, and that’s a lot of buying power for upcoming reward auctions/raffles and eventually, our points “store” (more details on the points store to come at a later date).

For those of you unfamiliar with our reward auctions, we’ve used it to reward Unity-Members with rare games and special swag. Using Unity points, we’ve auctioned off Mega Man 9 soundtracks imported from Japan, limited edition Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix Media Kits, limited edition art books and more. But those were warm ups for what we’re planning moving forward.

 We’re talking about opportunities to meet our developers or the chance to hang around our offices for a day and meet our team. We’ll auction and raffle off props used in our commercials or movies, autographed editions of games, other rare imported swag and a lot more. In short, the Capcom Unity rewards pilot program is about to take off and no publisher has ever tried anything quite like it. We intend to make future rewards very desirable.

Cardholders will get special treatment at upcoming product launch events and shows. For example, do want to get to the front of the line at our presence at Comic-con? Flash your card and jump the line.

Card members will be the first group of people we select from when soliciting members for selected upcoming beta programs in the US.

We’re even planning some special sweepstakes for cardholders that are even more unique, but again, more on that at a later date.

Back to some basics. Every time you make a “signature” purchase (which is pretty much any transaction short of an ATM withdrawal or other PIN-based transaction), you’ll earn 0.5% cash back, with no limits or caps on how much you can earn back. This cash can be loaded back onto the card or redeemed on store branded gift cards from more than 100 different national stores and restaurants.

Beyond that regular cash back reward, hundreds of online merchants (iTunes, Best Buy.com, Sony.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Dell, Regal Cinema, AMC Theater and Blockbuster to name a few of the 750 participating e-merchants with BSP Rewards ) offer accelerated rewards, with as much at 20% cash-value back. You have to make the purchase through the Capcom Rewards Mall in order to receive that benefit, but if you’re already buying this stuff, why not earn that much more back in rewards?

Overall, when used the right way, the card should avoid tons of fees/interest charges and provide loads of valuable savings and the potential of significant rewards. Oh, and you get to flash some very cool, collectible Capcom Visa card designs (of your own choosing) at the cashier and your friends. Don’t undervalue that. :)

Inevitably, you’ll have a lot more questions, so we’ve compiled a handy-dandy FAQ that should address pretty much anything else you’ve got on your mind.

If you’ve already decided you want in, head to www.capcom-unity-card.com to pick your design and make your purchase.

Now, I wonder what we’re going to do next with Unity… any predictions?