YouPay & Runa: Powering the creator economy with Pay to Card and global gifting

About YouPay: Empowering the creator economy

YouPay is a fast-growing platform that empowers creators across the globe to receive gifts and financial rewards from their fans without compromising privacy. Much like a personal gift registry, YouPay lets fans purchase digital gift cards or experiences directly from a creator’s wishlist.

With over 250,000 creators and 400–500 new users joining every day, YouPay has become a vital engine in the creator economy.

But at the heart of its growth lies a deeper mission: make support effortless, flexible, and secure.

The opportunity: A need for global reach and flexible payouts

As YouPay’s creator community rapidly expanded, so did the demand for more ways to connect fans and creators - safely, securely, and globally. The team knew that offering more choice and flexibility would be key to staying ahead in the evolving creator economy.

They were looking for a partner who could help them:

•  Expand their global gift card offering with access to high-quality, regionally relevant merchants. 
• Streamline fulfilment through a tech-forward, developer-friendly API. 
• Evolve their platform to support creators with more immediate and flexible financial options including direct to bank transfers.

Originally seeking a trusted gift card provider, YouPay found in Runa a partner with the vision and agility to go further. Together, they introduced Pay to Card, unlocking a new era of creator payment flexibility and fan engagement.

The solution: A powerful partnership built on options

YouPay partnered with Runa to tap into its global digital payout infrastructure. What started as a gift card integration quickly evolved into a multi-layered, strategic partnership.

Global gift cards at scale

Gift cards are a core part of YouPay’s offering. Runa’s vast merchant network enabled YouPay to significantly expand its gifting options, giving creators access to globally recognized merchants and regional favorites. This breadth of choice boosted fan engagement and made gifting more personal.

Unlocking direct payments with Runa Pay to Card

As YouPay grew, so did demand from creators for more direct financial support. Enter Runa Pay to Card - a seamless, secure payout options enabling creators to receive funds directly to their debit cards, instantly and without revealing sensitive information.

For YouPay, Pay to Card was a natural next step - adding flexibility and giving creators greater control over how they receive funds.

Built for developers

Runa’s tech-first approach truly stands out. YouPay’s technical lead praised Runa’s API as “clean and easy to integrate.” As Matt Holme emphasized, “Runa's technology-focused approach, unlike providers where the API is an afterthought, stood out significantly.”

This ensured seamless integration, automated fulfillment, strong fraud protection, and unmatched reliability.

A real innovation partner

Beyond product, Runa is a trusted collaborator. From roadmap alignment to shared ideation, the partnership is rooted in mutual growth and a shared mission to support creators at scale.

The results: A platform that gives creators more 

High adoption

Pay to Card has been embraced enthusiastically by creators, quickly becoming a preferred method of support.

As Matt Holme stated, “Pay to Card facilitates microtransactions, contributes to sustainable income for creators, and offers a more elegant user experience than existing peer-to-peer cash gifting solutions.” This feature has opened a vital new channel for direct fan support.

Secure, scalable fulfilment

Runa’s automated transaction verification helps YouPay uphold the highest standards of security and compliance - critical for maintaining trust across its global community.

Infrastructure that scales

With APIs at the heart of its platform, YouPay relies on Runa to power seamless experiences - from instant gift card delivery to real-time Pay to Card transactions.

Look ahead: Innovation in every direction 

“Runa is more than a provider - they’re a partner. Their innovation around Pay to Card and shared vision for creator empowerment make them a key part of our long-term strategy.”

Matt Holme, Founder & CEO, YouPay

For platforms like YouPay, the Runa Network and Runa Pay to Card are not just features - they form a competitive edge. YouPay is powering the next wave of creator monetization, enabling platforms to deliver fast, secure, and flexible support in a way that meets creators where they are.

Leveraging the Runa Platform - engineered for unparalleled choice, unwavering trust, and sustainable growth - YouPay isn’t just keeping up with the creator economy. It’s leading it.