The app, which runs on the Apple Inc. iPhone and handsets that use Google Inc.'s Android operating system, allows users to direct funds from Citigroup's marketing budget to charitable causes of their choice by earning and redeeming "Karma Points." These points are awarded for visiting certain retailers; users are not required to make any purchases to earn points.
Citi plans to announce today that it is offering an additional $350,000 for CauseWorld users to direct.
CauseWorld, created by shopkick Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., went live at the end of December. It has enabled more than $250,000 in donations from the marketing budgets of Citi and Kraft Foods Inc.
Citi has said that some of the technology behind the CauseWorld app can have mobile banking uses. One possibility could be to let customers use their credit card rewards to fund charitable donations.
