Latest news with #customized
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Half Price Print expands to UAE with over 700 custom products and sustainable solutions
Half Price Print UAE, a new name in affordable yet exceptional printing solutions, has made its official public debut in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with its forward-thinking approach to bespoke merchandise and promotional product printing. It is a dedicated division of Half Price Packaging, developed to expand the company's expertise in customised printing. The company is set to establish itself as the preferred brand for companies, SMEs, startups, and even individuals who need specialised printing services that don't sacrifice originality, quality, or affordability. A number of UAE-based businesses, including Marina Waves, Axol, SOAR Magazine, Little Turtle Cafe, SK Dazzle, Seddiqi Holding, and Dive Tribe, have been able to collaborate with them. Backed by its parent company, Half Price Packaging which is a US-based custom packaging leader with $7M+ in annual revenue and over 5,000 global clients, Half Price Print brings world-class capabilities and proven trust to the UAE's fast-paced events and retail scene. The low minimum order quantities (MOQs) of Half Price Print's product are one of its primary features. This makes custom printing more affordable for everyone who wants premium products to promote their brands, but may not require large quantities. By providing this service, the business hopes to assist a range of local industries, including new tech companies, tourism, retail, salons, entertainment, restaurants, and education. They provide over 700 different customised items, ranging from banners, flags, exhibition backdrops, and LED-lit signage to t-shirts, office supplies, tote bags, cups, business cards, and notebooks. Customers can quickly select their favourite products, add their logo or design, and have the customised item delivered anywhere in the United Arab Emirates. The company is prepared to create an impact in the Middle Eastern market for advertising and custom-branded merchandise with the continuous development of customised tools and sustainable practices. It is dedicated to sustainability by providing eco-friendly printing options along with its wide range of services. Half Price Print responds to the growing importance of sustainable practices for both consumers and businesses by using eco-friendly products and procedures wherever feasible. Customer feedback regarding the custom-branded goods and services they provide is encouraging. Plenty of positive reviews have been posted to the company's credit, helping it maintain a 5-star rating. After all, customer service is very important to Half Price Print. They provide the following value-added services for free: ● Free design support - Can't decide where to begin? Their in-house creative team may help create images that reflect your brand identity. ● Free mockups - Before committing, get an authentic feel for your product. ● Artwork check - Each file is evaluated to guarantee ideal arrangement and print/color accuracy. ● Urgent order fulfilment - In case of tight deadlines, they've got you covered with fast, reliable production and delivery. ● Local UAE service with global backing - Enjoy the reliability of a locally rooted team, paired with international production standards and supply chain strength for consistent, quality results. The business has progressively expanded its global presence, with offices and production facilities established in the US, Pakistan, and China. The UAE launch is a calculated step in this global expansion, one that fits in well with the growing demand for premium promotional and personalised products.
CNET
29-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Will This 6% Cash Back Card Claim the Crown for Best Rewards Credit Card?
Bank of America/CNET If I told you there was a credit card offering a whopping 6% cash back on any one of six common spending categories, such as gas or dining out, would you think it's one of the best cash back cards on the market? As a credit card expert who's written about that topic for years, I would. The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card is the latest addition to the list of top rewards credit cards, thanks to a new offer that launches on June 1. New cardholders can earn 6% back on purchases in one spending category of their choice from six available options in their first year. What's the catch? There are a few caveats that make this card less lucrative than it seems, and it might not be the right card for everyone. Here is what you need to know. Everything you need to know about the new offer Starting June 1, the new Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards earns double cash back in one category of your choosing for the first year. That means 6% cash back in the choice category instead of 3% cash back on the first $2,500 (in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter). There is no end date for this offer for new cardholders. You can choose one of these options to be your choice category: Travel Dining Drug stores Home improvement and furnishings Gas and electric vehicle charging stations Online shopping (including cable, internet, phone plans, streaming) You can switch your category once a month through online or mobile banking. If you don't switch it, your selection from the previous month will carry over. You'll also earn 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% back on all other purchases. There is a $2,500 combined quarterly spending cap for the bonus rewards in the choice category and 2% categories, after which you'll earn 1% back on those purchases. In addition to the boosted first-year cash back rates, new cardholders can earn a $200 welcome bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days after opening the credit card. This new offer looks really strong… To understand why the new Customized Cash Rewards offer is so good, you need to understand the cash-back landscape. Flat-rate cards, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, tend to offer 2% back on all purchases. Tiered rewards cards, like the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, typically offesr 3-5% back on a few fixed categories and 1% back on everything else. Rotating rewards cards, such as the Chase Freedom Flex, usually offer 5% back on one or two rotating categories, up to a quarterly maximum, which change throughout the year at the issuer's discretion, and 1% back on everything else. With this new offer, Customized Cash Rewards offer 6% back in your choice category (plus 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs) for the first year. More importantly, you can choose your 6% category and change it once per month. That means both higher rewards and more flexibility than most competitors. The quarterly spending cap does limit rewards beyond a certain point, but that's relatively common among no-annual-fee cash back cards with high category bonuses. Though maximizing rewards requires some careful planning (more on that later), this new offer makes Customized Cash Rewards one of the best cards for anyone whose top spending categories change throughout the year. …but there are some caveats. Before you pounce on this new credit card offer, be sure to consider these caveats. Bonus rewards are only for the first year with a spending cap The biggest weakness of Customized Cash Rewards is the $2,500 quarterly spending cap on the choice and 2% categories, limiting rewards for big spenders. (To be clear, big spenders can still make great use of this card for their first $2,500 of spending. They'll just want to use a different card afterwards.) The second issue is that after the first year, the reward rates revert back to the baseline: 3% cash back on the choice category 2% back at grocery stores or wholesale clubs 1% cash back on all other types of purchases While those are still a competitive rewards rates for a no-annual-fee card, they won't be top of the line for some choice categories. You have to time spending carefully to maximize rewards One important thing to note is the Customized Cash Rewards quarterly spending cap is shared among the 3% and 2% categories, and is calculated based on the chronological order of your transactions, so improper timing can reduce your rewards. With the 3% choice category rewards rate upped to 6% for the first year, the difference is even starker. For instance, say this quarter you plan to spend $1,000 on groceries each month, plus another $1,000 on online shopping (your choice category) at the end of the quarter. If you use your card as normal, charging the $3,000 in groceries throughout the three months and finally the $1,000 in online shopping, this is what your rewards would look like: Reward examples Spending Rewards rate Rewards earned Month 1 groceries $1,000 2% $20 Month 2 groceries $1,000 2% $20 Month 3 groceries $1,000 2% on the first $500, then 1% after hitting $2,500 quarterly cap $15 Online shopping $1,000 1% (would be 6% if the quarterly cap was not already reached) $10 Total $65 By contrast, if you made the online shopping purchase first, you would've earned $105, as you would have benefited from the 6% rewards rate on that purchase before those grocery purchases ate up your quarterly spending quota. A difference of a few dozen dollars isn't the end of the world, but with some extra planning, you can maximize rewards with Customized Cash. Does the first year double cash back stack with the Preferred Rewards program? The Bank of America Preferred Rewards program offers up to a 75% bonus on its credit card rewards for eligible customers who maintain a certain balance in a Bank of America banking or Merrill investment account. The Preferred Rewards bonus will apply to the base 3% choice category cash back rate, but not the additional 3% from the first year bonus, according to a Bank of America representative. So someone in the highest tier of the Preferred Rewards program could potentially earn a total of 8.25% cash back on their choice category purchases during the first year subject to the quarterly spending cap: 5.25% from the base rewards and an additional 3% from the first year bonus. Remember not to overspend for the sake of earning rewards Several choice category options — like travel, online shopping, and home improvement and furnishings — lend themselves well to large purchases. If you're already planning on making those types of purchases (and have budgeted for them), this card is a great option to earn extra cash back on those expenses. But don't let the rewards push you into making purchases that you otherwise wouldn't have, or ones that are out of your budget. While this card does have a 0% introductory APR offer for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers (18.24% to 28.24% variable APR thereafter), it's still not a smart idea to take on credit card debt for discretionary spending. 6% cash back might seem like a lot of rewards, but it's nowhere near the interest you'll pay from carrying a balance month to month at the regular APR. Should you get the Customized Cash Card with the new offer? As a credit card expert, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this card to readers as well as my friends whose needs and spending habits fit its profile. You should probably pick up this card if all of the following apply to you: You spend a lot in one or more of the choice categories. You want a new cash back card and don't already have the Customized Cash. Your quarterly spending in the choice and 2% categories is below $2,500 or you switch to a different card once you hit that cap. That said, it's not for everyone, including myself. I personally prefer the travel rewards from my trusty Chase Sapphire Preferred Card over cash back rewards, since I value the flexibility of transferable points more than a higher base rewards rate. If you're in the same camp, consider a dedicated travel card instead. If you don't spend a lot in any of the choice categories, you'll be better off with another card that rewards you where you spend the most. Although this card does offer 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, there are more rewarding cards for groceries. And if you spend a lot and only want to use one card for everything, a 2% unlimited cash back card might be your best option.
CNA
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
AI firm Cohere doubles annualized revenue to $100 million on enterprise focus
NEW YORK :AI startup Cohere has doubled its annualized revenue since the beginning of the year, driven by growing demand for secure, customized AI tools among enterprise clients in regulated sectors, the company told Reuters. The company has crossed an annualized revenue of $100 million as of May 2025, according to one person familiar with the matter. A Cohere spokesperson declined to comment on the financials. The growth followed a strategic shift in the third quarter of 2024 with a focus on private deployments tailored for customers in sectors such as finance, healthcare and government. Chief Executive Aidan Gomez outlined the new direction in a year-end memo, emphasizing a move toward building tailored models for enterprise users over larger foundation models. Most of its revenue stems from long-term contracts, the company said. Roughly 85 per cent of Cohere's business now comes from such private deployments, the company said, with margins reaching 80 per cent. As part of the strategy, Cohere in January launched a ChatGPT-style application called North, aimed at helping knowledge workers with tasks such as summarizing documents. The product is currently being tested with a limited group of customers, including Royal Bank of Canada and LG. Founded in 2019, Cohere has raised more than $900 million from investors including Nvidia, Cisco and Inovia Capital. Its customers also include Fujitsu, Oracle and Notion. The company was last valued at $5.5 billion. Cohere's shift toward smaller, specialized models reflects a broader trend in the AI sector, as companies prioritize domain-specific tools over large, generalized systems. The move comes as AI labs report diminishing returns from scaling up model size — a strategy that once drove major breakthroughs.
Reuters
15-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
AI firm Cohere doubles annualized revenue to $100 million on enterprise focus
NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - AI startup Cohere has doubled its annualized revenue since the beginning of the year, driven by growing demand for secure, customized AI tools among enterprise clients in regulated sectors, the company told Reuters. The company has crossed an annualized revenue of $100 million as of May 2025, according to one person familiar with the matter. A Cohere spokesperson declined to comment on the financials. The growth followed a strategic shift in the third quarter of 2024 with a focus on private deployments tailored for customers in sectors such as finance, healthcare and government. Chief Executive Aidan Gomez outlined the new direction in a year-end memo, emphasizing a move toward building tailored models for enterprise users over larger foundation models. Most of its revenue stems from long-term contracts, the company said. Roughly 85% of Cohere's business now comes from such private deployments, the company said, with margins reaching 80%. As part of the strategy, Cohere in January launched a ChatGPT-style application called North, aimed at helping knowledge workers with tasks such as summarizing documents. The product is currently being tested with a limited group of customers, including Royal Bank of Canada and LG. Founded in 2019, Cohere has raised more than $900 million from investors including Nvidia, Cisco and Inovia Capital. Its customers also include Fujitsu, Oracle and Notion. The company was last valued at $5.5 billion. Cohere's shift toward smaller, specialized models reflects a broader trend in the AI sector, as companies prioritize domain-specific tools over large, generalized systems. The move comes as AI labs report diminishing returns from scaling up model size — a strategy that once drove major breakthroughs.
