“Can a specialty RC hobby retailer turn deep enthusiast loyalty into a durable embedded-finance revenue stream through co-branded credit and rewards products?”
Horizon Hobby is the dominant US specialty retailer for radio control (RC) products — cars, aircraft, boats, and accessories. The company has layered embedded finance onto its e-commerce core, most notably by partnering with Imprint to launch a co-branded Visa credit card and bank-linked debit rewards card in 2022, deepening loyalty via its Full Throttle Rewards program. The card partnership, backed by First Electronic Bank as sponsor, reflects the broader trend of specialty retailers monetizing their loyal communities through fintech rails rather than purely through merchandise margins.
Horizon Hobby discloses First Electronic Bank as its banking provider, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Horizon Hobby does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through First Electronic Bank.
Horizon Hobby processes payments through PayPal.
Horizon Hobby's cards are issued through Imprint.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 5 layers in Horizon Hobby's stack: Payments / PSP (PayPal); Banking / BaaS (First Electronic Bank); Card issuing (Imprint); Lending (Horizon Hobby Visa Credit Card (revolving credit, 19.74%-34.99% APR)); Sponsor bank (First Electronic Bank).
Horizon Hobby is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, USA.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Horizon Hobby and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.