(Stockton, CA) - San Joaquin County is pleased to announce the official launch of the Relief Across Downtown (RAD) Card which is now available throughout the County. The County program aimsto put more spending dollars in consumer wallets for purchases at eligible San Joaquin County restaurants, personal care services, and specialty retailers. In March, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize an allocation of $1,000,000 to be used for the RAD Card Program. The RAD Card Program is now live in San Joaquin County and new businesses are continually signing up to participate in the program.

The RAD Card, or “Relief Across Downtown” Card, is a digital gift card program originally created by the Downtown Modesto Partnership. It was originally focused on aiding downtown Modesto businesses, but the program was successfully expanded to downtowns in all cities and unincorporated communities in Stanislaus County. San Joaquin County has adopted the RAD Card model and is making the program available to hard hit businesses throughout San Joaquin County, not just the downtown areas.

Here’s how it works: a customer downloads the RAD Card app to their smart phone, chooses a community to load funds in increments of $25, $50, $75, up to the program limit of $100 and the amount is automatically matched, doubling the funds in the customer’s RAD Card account. The customer’s app is then assigned a unique QR code that can be scanned by participating businesses within the community. The funds then are transferred to the business selected.

Eligible businesses include restaurants, personal care services, and specialty retailers that have been deeply impacted by the effects of COVID-19. As a general rule, these will be small, local businesses where typical transactions would be under $100.00.

This is a completely contact-free, mobile experience. Providing a contactless process was an important consideration when creating this program, due to the sensitivity of consumers during these times. To learn more and participate in the program, visit www.theradcard.com or simply download the free RAD Card app which is available at the App Store or Google Play.

“This new program provides important and needed assistance to our local businesses by allowing residents of San Joaquin County to support their preferred merchants and aid them in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Supervisor Tom Patti, Chairman of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. “I hope all of our residents take advantage of this program and help to give back to our small businesses that have suffered tremendously through this historical challenge.”

Businesses that wish to participate can also download the free RAD Card app and contact the local Community Champion for their area to learn more about eligibility and instructions to sign up.

###