Shoppers in downtown Denison will be able to earn cash back on purchases at about 95 shops, restaurants and entertainment businesses starting Nov. 1, under a pilot rewards program funded by the Denison Development Foundation.
The foundation has put $50,000 into the rewards pool for the program, called Open Rewards, according to minutes of the Sept. 24 Main Street Advisory Board meeting, which the city posted Friday with the board's Oct. 22 agenda. The minutes stress that the money is private and that the city is not paying for it.
How it works
Customers sign up through the Open Rewards app, either uploading receipts or linking a payment card so the app can track eligible purchases. Rewards can be cashed out through Venmo or Cash App, or by a check sent in the mail. Participating businesses will not have to run anything themselves, the minutes say.
- The rate: 5% back on up to $1,000 spent in a single purchase, which caps the reward at $50 per purchase.
- No personal cap: The minutes say there is no stated limit on how many purchases one person can earn rewards on while money remains.
- Bonus weekends: Two weekends would pay 10% back. One is Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. The other is planned to line up with North Texas Coffee Fest, set for Jan. 30.
- The timeline: The pilot lasts six months, ending April 1, and rewards can be redeemed until May 1, or until the $50,000 runs out, whichever comes first. Users will get notices when the fund is running low.
- Where: Only businesses in the historic downtown district qualify. The list of about 95 came from the Main Street office's 2026 Downtown Directory. Pop-up sales, off-site events and online sales by eligible downtown businesses also count.
Board members asked about receipt checks, returns and how fast rewards would post. The presenter, speaking for the foundation, told them the app relies on artificial intelligence to review receipts and can flag edited receipts or payment information that does not match. She said she would follow up with business owners on how long rewards take to appear.
The board voted to endorse the program. When the pilot ends, the foundation plans to look at participation and return on investment to decide whether to continue, expand or drop it.
