# Blog

## Articles

### [Stop Breaking Production: A Step Function Rollout Strategy That Works](/content/blog/stop-breaking-production-a-step-function-rollout-strategy-that-works/index.html)
8 min read  
How confident are you that your next change won’t blow up production? In traditional server-based systems, gradual rollouts and canary deployments are standard practice. In serverless systems, however, we too often treat infrastructure as magic black boxes rather than critical, complex systems that deserve the same rigor. Even with extensive pre-production testing, this leaves us … [Continued](/content/blog/stop-breaking-production-a-step-function-rollout-strategy-that-works/index.html)

### [Introducing Runa Prepaid: A Fully Branded, Embedded Payout Experience](/content/blog/introducing-runa-prepaid/index.html)
4 min read  
Businesses today need payout solutions that are as flexible and customizable as the people they serve. Sometimes that means sending a gift card for instant choice, sometimes it’s a direct-to-bank transfer, and sometimes the right fit is a prepaid card. With Runa, you don’t have to choose just one. From gift cards to push to … [Continued](/content/blog/introducing-runa-prepaid/index.html)

### [The Pains of the Cloud: Deprecated Services and why Lambdas are King](/content/blog/the-pains-of-the-cloud-deprecated-services-and-why-lambdas-are-king/index.html)
10 min read  
New rails. New wallets. New payout types. New regulations. New fraud tactics. It’s all on the table for 2026. For teams handling rewards, incentives, and disbursements, that means the old model of “send one payout type via one channel and call it a day” is at its breaking point. Recipients now expect instant, flexible, mobile-native … [Continued](/content/blog/the-pains-of-the-cloud-deprecated-services-and-why-lambdas-are-king/index.html)

### [Three Payout Predictions To Watch in 2026](/content/blog/three-payout-predictions-to-watch-in-2026/index.html)
10 min read  
New rails. New wallets. New payout types. New regulations. New fraud tactics. It’s all on the table for 2026. For teams handling rewards, incentives, and disbursements, that means the old model of “send one payout type via one channel and call it a day” is at its breaking point. Recipients now expect instant, flexible, mobile-native … [Continued](/content/blog/three-payout-predictions-to-watch-in-2026/index.html)

### [5 Gift Card Trends That Will Define 2026 For Merchants](/content/blog/5-gift-card-trends-that-will-define-2026-for-merchants/index.html)
6 min read  
The role of gift cards is changing fast. No longer just a seasonal sales boost or consumer afterthought, gift cards are becoming one of the most flexible, scalable tools in modern payouts, rewards and incentives.

### [Terraforming Datadog Workflows](/content/blog/terraforming-datadog-workflows/index.html)
10 min read  
Terraform recently added the datadog_workflow_automation resource to its Datadog registry. This new resource enables teams to provision and manage Datadog workflows using Terraform, giving teams the ease and flexibility of infrastructure-as-code for observability automation.

### [2025: A Breakout Year for Your Gift Cards](/content/blog/2025-gift-cards/index.html)
5 min read  
In 2025, we worked harder than ever to bring your gift cards into the spotlight, driving redemptions, unlocking new demand and connecting you to a growing base of global customers.

### [Introducing the Refreshed Runa](/content/blog/introducing-the-refreshed-runa/index.html)
Somewhere along the way, fintech brands have started to look and sound the same. A parking lot of Toyota Camrys—reliable, sure, but forgettable. Logos in the same colors. Language that blurs together. Promises that sound interchangeable. It’s a landscape optimized for safety, not distinction.

### [2025: The Year You Redefined What’s Possible](/content/blog/2025-wrap-up/index.html)
7 min read  
At Runa, we believe moving money should be as seamless as sending a message – instant, intuitive, and built for scale. In 2025, you brought that vision to life.

### [Beyond the Hype: A Look Back at Our First Runa Product Event](/content/blog/runa-product-event/index.html)
Earlier this month, we turned our London HQ into something more than just an office, it became a space for real product talk. No buzzwords. No fluff. Just sharp insights and honest conversation at our first-ever Runa Product Event.

### [Beyond Deployments: Creative Uses for GitLab Scheduled Pipelines](/content/blog/gitlab-scheduled-pipelines/index.html)
5 min read  
When we talk about GitLab pipelines, we usually think of continuous integrations and deployments – jobs that run tests, builds artifacts, deploy services. Pipelines are essentially automated tasks that run in response to an event or condition, whether that’s a merge request, a push to a branch, or even a defined schedule.

### [Prepaid in the Wild: 4 Unexpected Ways Innovative Businesses Are Using Prepaid Cards](/content/blog/prepaid-in-the-wild-4/index.html)
Prepaid cards have a PR problem. Say “prepaid,” and most people picture a disposable plastic card with limitations. But that image is outdated. The most innovative businesses are using prepaid cards in ways that are fast, flexible, and surprisingly strategic. Not just to send funds, but to power engagement, build trust, and move faster than legacy financial … [Continued](/content/blog/prepaid-in-the-wild-4/index.html)

### [Gift Cards Just Changed: What We Learned at RGCA](/content/blog/gift-cards-changed-rgca/index.html)
5 min read  
Gift Cards Just Got an Upgrade At RGCA last month, the energy was unmistakable: gift cards have gone from side hustle to strategy. The most innovative merchants aren’t just offering them — they’re using them to drive engagement, loyalty, and scale. Here’s how the landscape is shifting – and how Runa is helping lead the change. From One-Offs to … [Continued](/content/blog/gift-cards-changed-rgca/index.html)

### [Banking Rewards: The Biggest Untapped Channel for Merchants](/content/blog/gift-cards-fintech-loyalty/index.html)
4 min read  
Fintechs, neobanks, and digital wallets are creating billion-dollar loyalty ecosystems – and they’re powered by gift cards. For merchants, this isn’t just another marketing tactic. It’s a new revenue channel hiding in plain sight. According to recent data, 77% of banking customers expect loyalty rewards, but only 45% are satisfied with what they get. That means millions of active, high-spending users … [Continued](/content/blog/gift-cards-fintech-loyalty/index.html)