Interra Project

= alternative credit card and payment system for ethical and local communities

Description

Jon Ramer:

"In this model, business is transacted in a way that re-circulates sales proceeds within a community to benefit all of its stakeholders: citizens, nonprofits, businesses, and natural ecosystems. The force of increasingly empowered consumers drives the model; and the model attracts citizens by giving them substantial reason to participate, both for their personal benefit and that of their community.

The Interra model is based on a simple, purchasing-based platform that intelligently bundles open source technologies for community cooperation and empowerment. It works with any form of payment at the POS and online, promotes education and awareness of restorative options, drives community loyalty, and supports community causes—all with a simple swipe of a card or click of a mouse." ([1])

How it Works

Jon Ramer:

"How Interra works

Interra’s primary interactions are with representatives of community alliances. We offer alliance partners a self-funding solution with two major deliverables:

1. Membership program and Community Cards and online Bot, which facilitates the rewards, donations, and criteria for merchants and beneficiaries

2. A community information commons that uses open source software which enable communities to create their own combination of content management, community mapping, social networking, “wikis”, directories, etc.

Interra has in place a template project plan to facilitate work with communities. The main areas of activity are: program design, merchant enrollment, card production and distribution, and community marketing. Each community program will be co-branded with Interra, but distinct. Program specifics will be decided locally and Interra will provide the common operating system that links the cards, online Bot and community programs together.

With new funding, Interra will rapidly roll out its offering to community alliances, merchants, consumers, and nonprofits. Below are some highlights of our plan." ([2])

More Information

• Article: The Interra Project: consumer dollars as collective goods. Jon Ramer [3]