Vela RewardsWelcome
Welcome to the technical documentation for Vela API. This guide will help you integrate our sustainable rewards platform into your solutions.
About Vela Rewards
Vela Rewards is transforming how consumers engage with sustainability by making healthier and more sustainable choices rewarding, measurable, and transparent. Our mission is to empower individuals to make better purchasing decisions while helping financial institutions and brands drive meaningful impact.
Through Vela API, we enable banks and card issuers to reward customers for healthier and more eco-friendly purchases. By connecting transaction data with product-level insights, we turn everyday spending into personalised rewards that drive positive outcomes—for consumers and business performance.
The Problem We Solve
123 million eco-conscious consumers exist in Western Europe alone. While 92% say they want to live sustainably, only 16% actually change their behaviour. This 76% Say-Do Gap exists because motivation isn't missing—incentives are.
Traditional loyalty rewards spending, not behaviour. Meanwhile:
- 70% of trade promotions don't break even (McKinsey)
- Conscious consumers already spend >$500bn/year on FMCG, heading to $1tn by 2027 (Kantar)
- Banks and retailers throw billions at cashback to drive volume, not better choices
We flipped the model. Better choices = better rewards.
What is Vela API?
Vela API is a rewards engine that scores products using verified nutritional and environmental data. When people shop, they earn points that reflect the quality of their choices—higher-impact items earn fewer points, lower-impact items earn more.
Points can be earned automatically at partnered retailers, through receipt scanning, or via product tracking—giving users multiple ways to engage while keeping the system flexible and open-loop.
Proven Results
In a UCL pilot involving 900 students, we demonstrated:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Reduction in hot meal emissions per user | ↓ 18.8% |
| Drop in overall basket emissions | ↓ 16.8% |
| Increase in transaction frequency | ↑ 9.8% |
| Lift in average basket value per user | ↑ 5.5% |
In 2025, we've collected thousands of transaction receipts covering tens of thousands of SKUs across 350+ retailers.
Real Behaviour Change
We tested whether simple nudges could shift choices without price cuts:
- Tracked 3,000+ purchases of high-sugar soft drinks over 10 months
- Ran targeted tests: highlighting better alternatives + explaining differences + bonus point boost
- No discounts. No margin erosion.
- Result: 22% uplift in choice of featured healthier products
How It Works
- Seamless Integration — Integrate our API into your application with minimal development effort
- Flexible Intake — Ingest item-level data from receipts, emails, or meal entries through a single, unified API and hosted flows
- Smart Scoring — Our AI reads any receipt, recognises every line item, matches products to retailers, and calculates environmental + nutritional impact down to ingredients and weight
- Earn Rewards — Users are rewarded with points for choosing healthier and lower-impact items
Why Choose Vela API?
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Uplift Without Discounts | Drive behaviour change without cutting price or eroding margins |
| Incremental Volume | Real behaviour shift, not subsidised purchases |
| Higher Repeat Rates | Build habit loops through consistent rewards |
| Lower Cost Per Conversion | More efficient than traditional trade promotions |
| SKU-Level Insights | Real-time behavioural data at product level |
| Scientific Credibility | Powered by Nutri-Score and LCA-based carbon scoring with transparent calculations |
Get Started
Quick Setup Guide
Ready to integrate Vela API into your application? Follow these steps to get up and running:
1. Get API Access
Sign up for the Developer Console to receive your OAuth 2.0 client credentials for authentication.
2. Create Application
Set up your application with webhook and redirect URLs to start integrating.
3. Enroll Users
Use the User Enrollment API or hosted pages to register customers and link their accounts to Vela API.
4. Enable Food Tracking
Integrate our hosted receipt scanner—a low-lift solution where we handle UI and processing.
Integration Flow
Understand the complete integration architecture and data flow:
Vela API Integration Overview
A guide to the full integration flow: enrollment → transactions → food tracking → scoring & rewards.
How Vela Points Works
Detailed technical walkthrough with sequence diagrams, API examples, and hosted pages.
Understanding Scoring
Learn how we calculate points and rate products:
Points Calculation
A breakdown of the points formula, worked examples, and how automatically and manually tracked products are scored.
Rating Methodology
An explanation of the Nutri-Score and Carbon Score methodologies, data sources, and scientific basis.
API Reference
Explore our complete API documentation with endpoints, request/response examples, and error handling:
User Enrollment API
Register and manage user accounts in the Vela system.
Authentication
OAuth 2.0 implementation guide for secure API access.
Tracking and Data Capture
Integrate our hosted pages to capture and process item-level data from receipts or meal logging.
Stats & Rewards
Access user points balances, transaction history, and environmental impact metrics.
Next Steps
Read the Integration Overview — Start with our Vela API page to understand the value proposition and high-level architecture.
Set Up Developer Console — Create your developer account and application to get your API credentials.
Review the Technical Flow — Check out How Vela Points Works for detailed sequence diagrams and implementation guidance.
Start Building — Use our Authentication guide to set up OAuth 2.0 and make your first API call.
The place for technical integration guides and resources to help you get the most out of Vela's products.