Very Important Relationships

What Very Important Relationships does

Very Important Relationships, Inc. (VIR) is a privately held, Reno, Nevada-headquartered online marketing solutions company founded in 2006 by CEO Jody Tallal. The company develops and operates merchant-funded CashBack Rewards Shopping Malls — web-based platforms aggregating 2,500-3,000+ brand-name retailers (Target, Best Buy, Staples, Wal-Mart, CVS, etc.) and 100+ million products with affiliate-commission-funded CashBack rewards. Its product portfolio includes consumer-facing turnkey malls (CashBackHeaven.com, ShopSaveEarnMoney.com, CashBackSaver.com, MyVIPSavings.com), custom-branded white-label malls for B2B2C clients, a browser extension called the CashBack Button, a mobile shopping app, and the proprietary MIST (Multiple Integrated Systems Technology) platform that aggregates multiple web-based systems under a single sign-on URL with configurable revenue splits. A separate Healthcare Cost Containment Plan module adds non-insurance benefits (telemedicine, pharmacy, dental, vision, lab/imaging, hearing aid discounts) priced under $10 per employee per month.

VIR's go-to-market is a B2B2C model in which it licenses white-labeled CashBack malls and related services to enterprise clients — businesses, employee benefits programs, nonprofits, associations, MLM companies, real estate agencies, healthcare providers, and (as of January 2021) content creators and influencers — who then offer the mall to their own customers, members, employees, or audiences. Revenue derives primarily from affiliate commissions on transactions routed through the malls, supplemented by custom platform development and licensing fees and transaction-fee processing through MIST. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise and influencer clients and subscription-based for the healthcare cost-containment module; consumer-facing malls are free to join.

The company operates with 11-50 employees, has no disclosed venture or private equity funding, has not undergone acquisitions or leadership changes, and has continued to iterate its platform through multiple generations, including the Version 4 release in 2018 and a redesigned responsive user interface in February 2021. Strategic partnerships include ProvisionRx (healthcare/pharmacy discount integration, 2016) and the Find Green Garage program (sustainability certification, 2016), alongside an underlying affiliate network spanning 3,000+ retailers and API integrations with Groupon, Coupons.com, SmartSource, RedPlum, and CouponNetwork.

Name

Very Important Relationships

Legal name

Very Important Relationships, Inc.

Website

https://myvir.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Very Important Relationships (VIR) is a Reno, Nevada-based B2B2B platform company that builds merchant-funded CashBack Rewards shopping malls and the proprietary MIST integration technology, white-labeled for enterprises, nonprofits, MLM firms, healthcare plans, and influencers serving their own customers and members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cashback Rewards Platform

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Commerce & Affiliate Monetization Platforms (MPACAFAF)

Keywords

• Cashback rewards platform
• Affiliate marketing platform
• Loyalty rewards program
• Shopping mall platform
• Enterprise rewards solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Reno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Commission Revenue: VIR earns affiliate commissions on every purchase made through merchants in its CashBack malls. VIR shares a portion of this revenue with shopping members as CashBack rewards, retaining the remainder as revenue. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Custom Platform Development: VIR develops custom-branded CashBack mall platforms and MIST integrations for corporate clients, charging for platform development and customization services.
3. B2B2C Licensing: VIR licenses its CashBack mall technology to bloggers, influencers, podcast hosts, and content creators who want to offer branded shopping malls to their audiences, creating recurring B2B relationships.
4. Transaction Fee Processing: VIR's proprietary CashBack technology processes revenue from affiliate transactions and distributes shares to various parties (shoppers, referrers, corporate clients) in any desired ratio configuration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VIR develops and operates CashBack Rewards Shopping Malls, a digital platform enabling enterprise clients to offer branded cashback shopping experiences to their customers. The platform aggregates affiliate relationships with 3,000+ major retailers offering 100+ million products. VIR also operates direct consumer-facing malls including CashBackHeaven.com and ShopSaveEarnMoney.com, and licenses the platform to influencers under its own brand.

Product overview

VIR operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its proprietary CashBack Rewards Shopping Mall technology. The core VIR Mega Mall platform contains over 2,500 merchants offering CashBack on purchases. Turnkey solutions include CashBackHeaven.com, MyVIPSavings.com, and CashBackSaver.com. The MIST (Multiple Integrated Systems Technology) platform enables integration of multiple web-based systems under one URL. Healthcare Cost Containment Plan (HCCP) add-on provides non-insurance healthcare benefits. The company also offers Custom Platforms for clients requiring tailored solutions, and turnkey Customer Loyalty Platforms for organizations wanting branded CashBack malls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CashBackHeaven.com: Flagship CashBack Shopping Mall featuring 3,000+ merchants with CashBack on all purchases
• VIR Mega Mall
• MIST (Multiple Integrated Systems Technology)
• V4 CashBack Mall Platform
• Healthcare Cost Containment Plan (HCCP)

Products and services

• Custom-Branded CashBack Rewards Shopping Malls Enterprise-facing CashBack shopping mall platform, delivered under the client's own brand, that aggregates affiliate access to 3,000+ retailers and 100+ million products for the client's end customers or members.
• CashBackHeaven.com Direct consumer-facing CashBack shopping mall operated by VIR, allowing individual shoppers to earn cashback at participating retailers.
• ShopSaveEarnMoney.com Direct consumer-facing CashBack shopping mall operated by VIR, allowing individual shoppers to earn cashback at participating retailers.
• Influencer CashBack Mall Licensing Program Licensing program that enables influencers and content creators to deploy VIR's CashBack shopping mall under their own brand to monetize their audience through affiliate commissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 10% bounce rate on v4 platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ProvisionRxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2016VIR partnered with ProvisionRx to develop ProvisionRx Rewards, an online CashBack shopping mall combining prescription savings with CashBack shopping. ProvisionRx offers free discount pharmacy cards accepted at over 60,000 pharmacies nationwide, providing 10-85% savings on medications. The partnership created a comprehensive savings platform merging healthcare discounts with retail CashBack rewards.
• Green Garage Challenge / Find Green GarageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2016VIR partnered with the Find Green Garage public verification program to provide CashBack rewards for automotive shops meeting green sustainability standards. Shops in the ENERGY STAR Green Garage Challenge can earn 3-10% CashBack for purchasing green products, minimizing waste, and reducing energy usage. VIR provides the shopping mall technology while Green Garage provides the sustainability certification program.
• 3,000+ Brand Name Retailers (Merchants)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVIR maintains affiliate relationships with over 3,000 of the nation's top brand name stores including Target, Best Buy, Staples, Travelocity, Drugstore.com, Wal-Mart, CVS, and many more. Each merchant offers CashBack on purchases made through VIR's malls. VIR receives affiliate commissions on all purchases and shares a portion with shopping members.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MyPoints: MyPoints operates a cashback shopping mall with thousands of merchants and points-based rewards, comparable to VIR's mall model and consumer rewards structure.
• Rakuten (formerly Ebates): Rakuten operates one of the largest global cashback shopping malls with thousands of merchant relationships and a browser extension, directly competing with VIR's CashBackHeaven.com and affiliate model across consumer and enterprise use cases.
• Honey Science (PayPal): Honey offers a browser extension that surfaces coupon codes and cashback at thousands of retailers, directly competing with VIR's CashBack Button extension. PayPal ownership gives Honey scale advantages in merchant integrations and user acquisition.
• Capital One Shopping: Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) provides price comparison, coupon codes, and cashback rewards through a browser extension - overlapping directly with VIR's CashBack Button and product search/price comparison features.
• TopCashback: TopCashback is a cashback shopping mall with thousands of merchant relationships and similar affiliate-funded economics to VIR, serving as a direct competitor for both consumer and white-label/B2B2C use cases.
• RetailMeNot: RetailMeNot aggregates coupons, promo codes, and cashback offers across thousands of retailers, competing with VIR's cashback mall, Hot Deals, and coupon integration features.
• Swagbucks: Swagbucks is a rewards and cashback platform offering shopping rebates alongside surveys and other activities - comparable to VIR's consumer-facing malls and rewards-based engagement model.
• BeFrugal: BeFrugal is a cashback shopping mall offering percentage rebates at thousands of retailers, with a similar affiliate-funded model and comparable consumer proposition to VIR's cashback malls.
• CouponCabin: CouponCabin offers cashback, coupons, and deals from thousands of merchants, directly comparable to VIR's combined shopping mall, promo codes, and Hot Deals features.

Emerging players

• Rewards Network (now Nexi): Rewards Network powers card-linked offers and merchant-funded loyalty programs for financial institutions and affinity groups - an adjacent business model to VIR's merchant-funded loyalty platform for associations and enterprises.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Very Important Relationships