Want to Earn Interest on All of Those Holiday Gift Cards? Leverage Gift Card Value on LeverageCard.com

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - December 3, 2007) - Leverage Inc. (http://www.leveragecard.com) today unveiled a personal web application that offers savvy consumers a virtual toolbox of ways to maximize the value of gift cards, reward and loyalty resources online. This breakthrough in the gift card market will help busy users make this year's shopping season more efficient and enjoyable.

Gift cards registered from participating retailers on Leverage will actually earn value rather than depreciating or expiring over time. This provides a huge service for the consumer market, where $8 billion worth of gift cards were lost, destroyed or devalued last year alone.

Leverage also allows users to fully utilize the benefits of loyalty and reward program memberships -- so they won't miss out on complimentary goods and services, status upgrades and money saving perks. Additionally, users will be able to buy and trade gift cards through social and e-commerce capabilities built into the site.

All gift card information on Leverage is securely collected, aggregated and presented to consumers in a friendly and intuitive interface where users can see each time their accounts are updated.

Leverage users can create a simple account profile in less than a minute, and for the first time perform all of the following tasks with a single online application:

-- Buy gift cards from top retailers, restaurants and travel providers

-- Conveniently track and exchange gift cards online

-- Earn interest on gift card balances

-- Manage loyalty and reward programs

-- Receive targeted offers and savings from retailers based on gift card holdings, as well as self-reported demographic, psychographic, gift occasions and travel plans

-- Maintain complete privacy of all personally identifiable information

At the time of launch, more than 100 retailers across all major categories have signed on to participate including category leaders: American Airlines, Art.com, Blockbuster, Borders, Cabela's, Gorton's, Nike, Panera, Payless, Pier 1, Regal Cinemas, Sharper Image, Staples and Red Envelope.

Introducing Transparent Targeting

In addition to managing gift card, loyalty and reward programs, Leverage users will also be eligible for special offers and discounts from participating retailers based on self-reported, non-personally identifiable information including age, gender, location, gift card ownership, loyalty program memberships and upcoming travel or gift occasions. When users view these promotions, they will see exactly why they were chosen to receive them, and can adjust their profile to either attract or avoid similar messages in the future. This system, called 'Transparent Targeting,' creates a feedback mechanism that allows the consumer voice to be heard clearly and gives merchants the ability to optimize their campaigns based on user feedback. Extensive privacy and security standards are in place to protect each customer's account information and personal data.

"Transparent Targeting allows Leverage to offer what I see as the Holy Grail of online marketing. It is the first site to really connect retailers and consumers in a completely mutually beneficial way -- with retailers reaching consumers directly, and users having far more control over the timing, volume and relevance of the promotions and advertisements they receive," said Leverage CEO, Mark Edward Roberts. "Ultimately, Leverage was born out of our desire to decrease the hassle involved with managing gift cards, loyalty and reward programs, and offers and savings. We believe we are the first company to fully fill this gap in the consumer marketplace, and are thrilled to be bringing more efficiency and enjoyment to the shopping experience."

LeverageCard.com goes live at 12 AM E.S.T. on December 3, 2007.

The Gift Card Market

It's been estimated that two-thirds of consumers receive gift cards, driving a market that exceeded $80 billion last year in the United States alone and is expected to exceed $100 billion dollars in 2007. Meanwhile, according to Jupiter Research, more than 75 percent of consumers now have at least one loyalty card, and one-third of the shopping population is estimated to have two or more cards.

About Leverage Inc.

Leverage Inc. provides a free personal web application for users to manage their gift cards, loyalty/rewards program and retailer offers online. Leverage customers have access to a single application that allows them to purchase, track and exchange gift cards, earn interest on gift card balances, enroll in and manage loyalty and reward programs and receive highly targeted offers and savings from retailers. Furthermore, Leverage allows businesses to deliver offers and marketing messages in a non-interruptive and completely transparent way at the very moment customers are preparing to shop. Privately held and based in Irvine, California, Leverage Inc. can be found at LeverageCard.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: LaunchSquad 415-625-8555 leverage(at)launchsquad(dot)com