Ambitious Danish fintech Blocser and top UK card manufacturer allpay are ready to let ‘Butterfly’ take flight – a product pitched at the gig that combines an account, payment card, billing tool and digital business card.

As UK law grapples with redefining the gig economy, a new card launch tells gig workers “you’re worth it”.

Ambitious Danish fintech Blocser and top UK card manufacturer allpay are ready to let ‘Butterfly’ take flight – a product pitched at the gig that combines an account, payment card, billing tool and digital business card.

The Butterfly was close to launch when the UK Supreme Court ruled Uber drivers were entitled to workers' rights including the minimum wage and paid holidays.

This was billed as a big win for the UK’s estimated 5m gig economy workers, that Blocser founder and CEO Henrik Danbjørg believes are marginalised by banks because they don’t get a monthly paycheck.

Danbjørg says Blocser’s partnership with allpay offers the UK gig market transition support allowing digital payments direct to the Butterfly card.

Michelle Pacey, director of allpay.cards, said getting ahead of the gig economy is one of the biggest challenges facing UK fintech.

“Our work with Blocser demonstrates what can be done with cards as the sector rises to this challenge – a challenge we’re ready to lead on at allpay,” she said.

Drawing a direct comparison with the gig economy - and hinting at the Uber ruling - Danbjørg says:

“Think of us as a ridesharing service, but instead of rides you sell you work - build your work life one deal at the time.

“We will help you find customers and use all the great free online channels that exist today if you are looking for extra income selling your skills and time directly to others.”

Gig is one of the fastest growing segments of the UK economy, with FinTech seen as the cornerstone of new services offered to those working from gig to gig.

For Blocser, the Butterfly Card is one of its biggest market moves yet – a UK offer to the near 5m now estimated as working in the nation’s gig economy.

They are, says Danbjørg, the Butterflies - those who “dare to work on their own and only collect what they need”.

allpay took that on board – and the Butterfly took flight.

“At allpay.cards, we understand the importance of card design and the impact it can have in the market.

“Our designers created a wide range of stunning design options, all of which enhanced the card with multiple printing techniques, bringing the butterfly to life,” said Emily Lovelock, Head of Sales, allpay.cards.

“We are excited to be working with Blocser and look forward to supporting them through their launch,” she said.

For a fintech offering a full range of contemporary solutions, Blocser believes cards still have a hold.

“You will find many advocating the death of cards. In China they pay with face recognition, APPLE pay and GOOGLE PAY converts smartphones into payment vehicles and wearables are on the rise as well - but the fact is that card payments hold a huge proportion of payments,” says Danbjørg. “It is universally accepted and with the rise of Fintech it has become a cornerstone of a lot of the new valuable services offered to freelancers, cross border workers, ex-pats and everyone else who is marginalised by traditional banks. “Cash is declining and the first ones to get hit by that are people who would normally get paid in cash. “These people live from gig to gig, the absence of a monthly paycheck makes them irrelevant to banks and tax authorities struggle to collaborate with them - they get marginalised… stigmatised… underserved…”

Digital payments direct to the Butterfly card are described as instant and fee free.

“And it will feel like cash, because the card can be used in more than 30 million stores and three million ATMs” says Danbjørg.