We've worked hard to completely rethink the way credit card rewards should work. That's not just the type of partners we work with, but the whole experience of redeeming rewards from start to finish. We spoke to over 200 people last year while we were designing our rewards program, and we heard over and over again that existing rewards programs just weren't doing it for them.

So we launched Yonder's Local Experiences to be unlike anything you've seen before. No more coupons or codes to scan, no 'special' menus or set hours, no small discounts that cost you an arm and a leg, and no partners that we wouldn't go to anyway.

Here's how to use a Local Experience.

Step 1: Check out the latest experiences in the app

Find new favourites in the Yonder app

Head to the Yonder app, and tap the Experiences tab. You'll be able to see your points balance in the top right corner, and swipe along to see what experiences are available that month. Some experiences have time limits, like sporting events or gigs, so keep an eye in the top left corner for when that experience expires.

Click into an experience to learn more about it. Inside you'll find all sorts of information, like what you can expect when you arrive, what occasion an experience is perfect for, what's on the menu and more.

What's included?

Experiences at restaurants, bars and other dining options are all inclusive, up to a fair use limit – meaning we'll cover the full cost of your experience up to that limit. So for example, 3500 points gets you a meal at Breddos Tacos up to £100. Your 3500 points get you all you can eat and drink up to £100. Anything above that amount will just be charged to your card normally.

Some experiences, like ticketed events, won't have a fair use limit because the cost is capped at two tickets with a set price. So for example, 3000 points gets you two category one tickets to the Harlequins game. There's no fair use limit because the points cover two tickets, which is the full experience.

Step 2: Enjoy your meal, drinks or event

For dining and drinking experiences, just make a booking and show up like you would normally. When you've finished your meal, just pay with your Yonder card. There are no set menus, limited days or times, and absolutely no coupon codes to show at the door.

For ticketed events, like sporting events or festivals, you'll either be able to book your tickets through the Yonder app or through the event's website.

Step 3: Choose to redeem points or pay normally to earn bonus points

When you pay for your meal, drinks or tickets you'll get a notification from us asking you to open the app and choose Earn or Redeem.

Choosing to Redeem points

If you choose to Redeem, we'll use your points to pay for the experience up to the fair use limit. If you don't have enough points, we'll just charge your card normally.

Choosing to Earn extra points

If you choose Earn, you'll be charged normally and we'll give you your bonus points right away.

Optional Step 4: Extend an experience until you're ready

Most experiences expire at the end of the month, so if your favourite spot is about to leave the app, you can now extend an experience for up to three months so you can take your time earning the points you need to go.

You can extend one experience at a time by tapping into the one you like and then sliding the button across to confirm you'd like to extend it. If you change your mind, you can un-extend an experience and then choose another one.

You can't, for obviously reasons, extend an experiences with a set deadline – like a sporting event or music festival. Once they're gone, they're gone.