Credit card firm backed by Rio Ferdinand moves into Manchester with a hospitality focus

A credit card startup backed by Rio Ferdinand has officially launched in Manchester - and says it wants to support the city’s food and drink scene.

Yonder secured £60m in funding a year ago to help it expand, and the business now has more than ten thousand customers in London for its awards credit card.

The business was launched in 2022 by Tim Chong, Harry Jell and Theso Jivajiraja. Its cards allow members to earn points to redeem at “curated local dining and drinking locations”.

Manchester partners include wine bar Erst and bistro Higher Ground, with national partners including car rental marketplace Turo, and meal kits firm Dishpatch.

Yonder’s angel investors include Frank Strauss (Deutsche Postbank), Matt Robinson (GoCardless) and former Manchester United and England star Ferdinand. Last year’s investment round was co-led by Northzone and RTP Global alongside Crust Bros founder Joseph Moore and Kunal Shah, the founder of Cred.

Lou Cordwell, chair of the Greater Manchester Business Board said: “With our world-renowned restaurants, bars and nightlife, and an emerging strength in fintech, Manchester is the perfect fit for Yonder. The concept is really interesting, with Yonder carefully curating its rewards with a particular focus on independents and unique experiences. Its launch in Manchester can support local hospitality and leisure businesses during a difficult period, while helping people discover the best the city has to offer.”

Tim Chong, CEO and co-founder of Yonder said: “We’re delighted to be bringing our unique rewards to Manchester - a city that’s so famous for its culture, sport, food and drink scene and buzzing nightlife.

“Consumers and businesses in Manchester alike have been deeply impacted by soaring costs over the last few years. But while we can’t solve the overheads crisis, our mission is to help people to discover great things to eat, drink and do in their city.”

He added: “We hope our launch will help residents to connect with more of what this great city has to offer, by giving them a way to unlock more value from their money through rewards that support local business.”

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