We’re hearing a lot of chatter about major card issuer “experimentation” these days.

As credit card companies meander a new market, unsure of what will be both profitable for the company and palatable to consumers, they are taking a trial-and-error approach to things like annual fees, rewards programs and marketing promotions.

The most recent example of this is American Express’ Zync card aimed at the 20-something market. Rolled out as a beta, the charge card is being designed in part by a test group of young adults.

This group, called the “Zync Tank,” will provide feedback on their experience with the card, ultimately helping to determine exactly what the finished Zync product will look like.

As an entirely new card market emerges from new legislation governing how issuers can do business, a dominate card product has yet to be determined. Ultimately, consumers will dictate the most popular models.

While smaller issuers likely lack the resources to run large-scale betas of their own, FIs can still take advantage of the consumer-driven product concept.

Using simple tools like surveys, blogs, Twitter and good old-fashioned conversation with cardholders, you can gather valuable insight into the emerging desires of your current and prospective cardholder base.