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Tag: rewards

  • Uber Japan and Rakuten Drive Up Rewards: Users to Earn More with Rakuten ID Integration

    Uber Japan and Rakuten Drive Up Rewards: Users to Earn More with Rakuten ID Integration

    Rakuten Group, Inc., Rakuten Payment, Inc., Uber Japan Co., Ltd., and Uber Eats Japan, Inc. have revealed plans to augment their strategic alliance by incorporating Rakuten ID. This joint venture connects Uber, a prominent mobility and delivery platform in Japan, with Rakuten ID, an essential element of the Rakuten Ecosystem. The objective is to cultivate new value via Rakuten Points, one of Japan’s most substantial loyalty programs.

    Strategic Partnership and Loyalty Program Integration

    The Uber Japan mobility service and Uber Eats Japan delivery service will progressively roll out Rakuten Payment’s shared point service, known as Rakuten Point Online. This integration will enable users who associate their Rakuten ID with the Uber or Uber Eats app to earn a Rakuten Point for every 200 yen (excluding tax) they spend on these apps.

    Starting from April 2022 for Uber Eats and April 2023 for Uber, users have had the ability to use Rakuten Pay, a cashless payment service. Paying with Rakuten Pay enables users to earn up to 1.5% back in Rakuten Points. With the new integration, users can combine Rakuten Point Online with Rakuten Pay to earn up to 2% back in Rakuten Points. As inflation increases daily living costs, utilizing Uber’s services provides a more beneficial method of earning Rakuten Points.

    Subscription Benefits and Personalized Experience

    Moreover, by subscribing to Uber One, a 498 yen monthly membership, users can earn Uber One Credits equivalent to 10% of the fare amount when using Uber’s mobility service, adding another level of savings. This strategic alliance allows Uber to leverage Rakuten’s large data assets to offer more personalized recommendations and promotions for users.

    The companies collectively aim to offer new experiences that make daily meals and mobility more convenient and rewarding. To commemorate the launch, the companies will run the “Earn up to 1,000 Points by Linking Your Rakuten ID with Uber” campaign until December 22, 2025.

    Special Campaigns and Future Plans

    During this campaign, the first 500,000 users who link their Rakuten ID to the Uber or Uber Eats app and spend at least 1,500 yen (excluding tax) on Uber Eats will earn 300 Rakuten Points. Users who also spend at least 1,500 yen (excluding tax) on an Uber ride will receive 350 Rakuten Points on their first ride and an additional 350 points on their second ride, totaling 1,000 Rakuten Points when combined with Uber Eats benefits.

    Rakuten Mobile subscribers who link their Rakuten ID and pay on Uber or Uber Eats will receive 20 times the standard Rakuten Points. Furthermore, Uber One monthly members who have linked their Rakuten ID will be eligible to purchase the annual plan at a special 70% discount.

    Rakuten, Rakuten Payment, Uber Japan, and Uber Eats Japan are committed to continue strengthening their strategic partnership through the integration of Rakuten ID, expanding collaboration between the Rakuten Ecosystem and the Uber and Uber Eats platforms. The aim is to create new value by offering convenient and rewarding services that support users’ lifestyles and drive business growth for both companies.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the main aim of the strategic partnership between Rakuten and Uber?
    The main aim is to create new value by offering convenient and rewarding services that support users’ lifestyles and drive business growth for both companies.

    What benefits will users get from linking their Rakuten ID with Uber?
    Users will earn Rakuten Points for every 200 yen spent on Uber or Uber Eats, and they can earn up to 1,000 points through a special campaign. Rakuten Mobile subscribers will receive 20 times the standard points.

    What additional benefits do Uber One monthly members receive?
    Uber One monthly members who link their Rakuten ID can purchase the annual plan at a special 70% discount. They also earn Uber One Credits equivalent to 10% of the fare amount when using Uber’s mobility service.

  • VivoCity launches Asia’s first instant parking-rewards programme

    VivoCity launches Asia’s first instant parking-rewards programme

    VivoCity has partnered with DBS Bank to launch Asia’s first instant parking-rewards program.

    DBS customers can link their VivoRewards account to their DBS PayLah! account to earn points for purchases charged to an eligible DBS/POSB payment mode at VivoCity. Points earned will be applied to parking charges.

    “We work closely with merchants across Singapore to optimize their payments journey,” said Jeremy Soo, head of DBS consumer banking group in Singapore. “With our focus on using digital technologies to perfect customer experiences, we are able to work with our partners to co-create seamless and hassle-free experiences for their customers across multiple touchpoints.”

    The purpose of the new program is to bypass the usual “shop, scan, upload” method. Now,  by tapping onto DBS’ API and technology platforms, VivoCity can process eligible transaction information in real-time, calculate and award points instantly, increasing the program’s efficiency and accuracy.

    “It’s long been a bugbear for customers, having to collect receipts and wait for days before parking rebates are processed in a typical mall. We’ve been able to achieve a new payment milestone by eliminating this process altogether, so customers are able to receive rebates instantly and can focus on enjoying themselves at the mall,” Jeremy said.

    Head of retail management at Mapletree Commercial Property Management, Charissa Wong, said the introduction of the DBS x VivoRewards Instant Rewards Programme is part of an ongoing effort to enhance customers’ experience at VivoCity.

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  • Flybuys tops loyalty programs

    Flybuys tops loyalty programs

    Flybuys remains the top ranked loyalty program according to Australians, though the distance between it and second-place Woolworths Rewards narrowed significantly in 2019, according to the 7th annual For Love or Moneyreport.

    Flybuys dropped from a 35 per cent share to 30.4 per cent in the latest report, while Woolworths Rewards grew from 20.2 per cent to 21 per cent, based on survey respondents stating the programs were “doing a very good job.”

    While much of the list of top loyalty programs appears the same, there are some notable additions and subtractions, with Myer One and Commbank Awards falling off the list to make room for Event Cinema’s Cinebuzz Rewards, and Mecca’s Beauty Loop program.

    The most important considerations by program members surrounded how secure their data is, how it’s being used, and the reputation of the company itself – with 57 per cent of survey respondents noting they are worried they will be hacked or subjected to fraud based on information gathered by a loyalty program.

    “With numerous data breaches being reported world-wide… loyalty programs are at a pivotal point with member data protection, collection and use,” report author and chief executive of The Point of Loyalty Adam Posner said.

    “To maintain members’ trust and ongoing engagement with their loyalty programs, brands with programs should prioritise a proactive and transparent approach to clearly highlight to their members how their data is being protected and used.”

    Despite concerns surrounding the use of data, 62 per cent of loyalty program members take advantage of the rewards and benefits available to them. Millennials were the most likely to utilise these rewards, with 68 per cent indicating they utilise the advantages of a loyalty program.

    Additionally, the report found that loyalty programs tend to stimulate extra purchases from its members, with 28 per cent of members indicating purchased something they didn’t need in order to earn points, or maintain program benefits – an increase on the 16 per cent first measured in 2015.

    “The incremental purchases that a well-structured loyalty program can stimulate is where business who invest in loyalty programs really succeed,” Posner said.

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  • Hong Kong International Airport Christmas Big Rewards

    Hong Kong International Airport Christmas Big Rewards

    To celebrate the upcoming Christmas holiday, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is launching a series of shopping promotions, including delightful rewards of HKIA cash coupons worth up to HK$15,000.

    Instant Rewards Promotion

    From 20 December 2017 to 2 January 2018, travellers can redeem and enjoy rewards of cash coupons worth up to HK$15,000 when making purchases by electronic payment at HKIA. Passengers making purchases with their UnionPay cards can enjoy additional rewards.

    HKIA’s mascot will be dressed up in full Christmas outfit and walk around in the terminal, ready to meet, greet and take snapshots with travellers to spread the festive spirit.

    Shopping and Dining Offers

    During the promotional period, HKIA will also collaborate with retailers to provide a whole host of fabulous shopping and dining offers. Travellers can get more details simply by scanning the QR code on promotional materials or by visiting our website:
    https://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/shopping/special-offers.html

    Free Delivery Service

    Travellers spending HK$1,000 or more in a single transaction at HKIA can enjoy complimentary local delivery service. Free delivery service to Mainland (for clothing, bags and accessories only), Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam is also offered to travellers who spend HK$2,500 or more in a single transaction. For details, please check with the staff at the retail outlets.

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  • 3 in 4 shoppers demand loyalty rewards from retailers

    3 in 4 shoppers demand loyalty rewards from retailers

    They want more personalised reward programmes, not just the traditional point-based ones. Amidst Singapore’s retail doldrums, more than 75% of Singapore consumers indicate that the will buy more from retailers if they are better rewarded for their loyalty.

    According to a study by ICLP, this is despite the fact that many consumers are currently lukewarm about their relationships with brands and retailers, giving average to low scores in terms of passion, commitment, and intimacy.

    The study noted that only 3% of consumers considered themselves to be devoted to their preferred brands.

    The research suggested that in order for retailers to take their relationships with customers to the next level, they have to go beyond just giving traditional-points based reward programmes.

    “Much like in a relationship with friends and loved ones, they would engage more when they receive genuine gestures that surprise and delight them,” the study explains.

    ICLP country manager Bruno Tay said many Singaporean consumers still relate to brands and retailers at a transactional level, so when times are uncertain, they easily resort to the myriad of choices that are at their disposal.

    “It’s not too late to turn things around, though. In fact, retailers now have a chance to truly stand out if they appeal to the heart too – by approaching communication, reliability, consistency, reward and recognition from a human perspective,” he noted.

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  • 70 companies honoured at Hong Kong Awards for Industries

    70 companies honoured at Hong Kong Awards for Industries

    Seventy companies were honoured today (December 13) at the 2016 Hong Kong Awards for Industries (HKAI) presentation ceremony, at which the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, officiated.

    The Grand Award winners were WowWee Group Limited (consumer product design), the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (equipment and machinery design), Sidefame Limited – Anteprima Wirebag (customer service), Gammon Construction Limited (innovation and creativity), Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (productivity and quality), Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited (technological achievement) and Sinomax Group Limited (upgrading and transformation).

    A total of 234 entries were received at the 2016 HKAI. The winners were decided by the final judging panels chaired by Professor Joseph Sung.

    The HKAI was launched in 2005 by merging the former Hong Kong Awards for Industry and the former Hong Kong Awards for Services, established in 1989 and 1997 respectively. The HKAI aims to recognise the outstanding achievements of Hong Kong enterprises in pursuit of high technology and high value-added activities, and to commend excellence in various aspects of their performance.

    The 2016 HKAI covered seven categories, namely the consumer product design category organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries; the equipment and machinery design category organised by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong; the customer service category organised by the Hong Kong Retail Management Association; the innovation and creativity category organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; the productivity and quality category organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council; the technological achievement category organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and the upgrading and transformation category organised by the Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council.

    The 2016 HKAI media partners were Hong Kong Economic Times and Metro Finance.

     

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  • First Cross-Border Rewards Platform UTU Launches

    First Cross-Border Rewards Platform UTU Launches

    Father and son team Asad and Ameer Jumabhoy from tourist VAT refund and payments technology company The Scotts Group, and Jeremy Tan, an expert in financial technology, mobile payments and loyalty platforms from Korvac Holdings, announce the launch of UTU, a cross-border loyalty and rewards platform that enables people to convert, earn and redeem points in real time at any UTU merchant outlet worldwide through their smartphone.

    UTU consolidates rewards points from multiple credit and debit cards; eliminates the time it takes for those points to be processed; removes the barriers to cross-border loyalty; and offers shoppers a new kind of consumer model – one that enables them to earn rewards points now and pay with them at point of sale. The platform also features a merchant portal that allows brands to set up their own promotions, optimize campaigns and track their return on engagement.

    “UTU’s potential lies in its ability to engage merchants with consumers, acquirers with merchants and issuers with their consumers on a single integrated platform,” says Asad Jumabhoy, an entrepreneur and pioneer in the digitization of global tax-free shopping. “Real innovation minimizes the gap between process and people. With UTU, we’re bringing it all together in the retail, travel and rewards space at home and away, online and instore.” 

    UTU launches in Thailand in November, with further roll out happening in Asia in 2016/2017. The choice of Thailand as a launch location is attributed to the country’s deep loyalty culture, and presents UTU the opportunity to fill an immediate need (e.g. as of August 2016 over 70 million credit and debit cards were in circulation in the country; Thais carry an average of seven loyalty cards each; and brand rewards programs are the country’s most popular Google search category). Brand partners at launch include Visa Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, RSH Limited and Singapore’s NTUC Link. Availability in the UK, Europe and US is anticipated in 2017. 

    “We are excited to be working with UTU on the expansion of the Plus! Partners network beyond Singapore and is in line with our vision to provide gratifying experiences for members of the Plus! Rewards Program,” says Tony Tan, CEO of NTUC Link. “This synergistic partnership allows Plus! Members to maximize the mileage of their overseas expenditure as points earned during their travels can be converted and redeemed for rewards when they return home. The growing number of leisure and business travelers in our membership base will definitely benefit from the enriched array of options UTU will make available around the world.”

    “UTU promises to enhance everyday retail experiences by providing greater seamlessness between customers and brands across borders,” says Indranu Hati, CEO of RSH Thailand Group. “UTU is the perfect loyalty service partner for us, given our growing footprint in nearly a dozen countries across Pan Asia.” 

    UTU is a response to the observation that the tourist today is a local tomorrow, and a local today is a tourist tomorrow. With more than one billion people travelling to foreign countries a year, locals and tourists want integrated loyalty programs, greater ease in managing their rewards points and more relevant deals from merchants. With UTU, shoppers continue to be rewarded, regardless of geography, through the one piece of technology they use every day – their mobile phone. 

    To use UTU, users download the free mobile application; register up to five credit or debit cards on to the UTU app; earn rewards points when they shop; convert those points through the UTU platform; and spend them at thousands of participating redemption outlets. Users can also gift points, select to receive promotions and earn extra points through merchant engagement.

    The global loyalty industry is estimated to reach US$20 billion by 2020. Loyalty management today is an expensive and segmented process which has resulted in a plethora of programs delivering incremental advantages to the consumer. Merchants bear the cost of loyalty systems and front line education and training. Shoppers are burdened with physical cards and are responsible for monitoring their points and merchant offers through separate portals. UTU eliminates the inconvenience for all parties and provides a streamlined experience. 

    “We congratulate UTU on launching this global loyalty rewards program and choosing Thailand as its springboard,” says Suripong Tantiyanon, Country Manager, Visa Thailand. “Through Visa Direct, UTU taps the push payment capability of Visa’s global payment system to redeem points and rewards.” 

    “Loyalty is the key to brand success in a digital world, yet we’re still limited in how we are rewarded for how we choose to spend our money,” says Ameer Jumabhoy, a second-generation student at MIT Sloan School of Management involved in MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative. “What we’re working to achieve with UTU is to remove those boundaries and give people the freedom to get more.”

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  • 2017 APAC Effie Awards Call for Entries Announced

    2017 APAC Effie Awards Call for Entries Announced

    The Asia Pacific Effie Awards has announced the Call for Entries for the 2017 season. Recognized by agencies and marketers to be the most prestigious effectiveness awards in the region, APAC Effie, now in its fourth edition, continues to honour marketing communication campaigns that have achieved outstanding measurable results.

    The 2017 competition offers 42 categories, spotting several changes to stay relevant to the evolving marketing landscape in Asia Pacific. 3 new Specialty Categories are introduced – Branded Content, Programmatic, and Seasonal Marketing.

    In addition, the Positive Change Effie Awards, a multinational programme run in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, is now offered as part of the APAC Effie program under Environmental – Brands and Environmental – Non-Profit. In alignment with global practices, we have rebranded Goodworks – Brands as Social- Brands, and Goodworks – Non Profit as Social – Non-Profit under the Positive Change categories this year. Full list of categories and category definitions are available in the Entry Kit.

    “As one of the most coveted accolade in this region, the APAC Effie has become the “must-enter” award in the region’s competition calendar. This is where we can demonstrate our capabilities to deliver innovation, creative solutions and results for brands,” said Anthony Wong, the 2017 Awards Chairman. He added, “I am excited to see the cases and look forward to be inspired by outstanding work that represents the best of the region – and the world.”

    The 2017 Awards is now accepting entries through to December 2016 for all marketing communication efforts that have ran in Asia Pacific during the qualifying period. Winners will be announced at the Awards Gala in Singapore in April 2017.

    Visit www.apaceffie.com for more information on the competition.

  • Hong Kong Airlines wins international acclaim awarded Airline of the Year at ISPY2016

    Hong Kong Airlines wins international acclaim awarded Airline of the Year at ISPY2016

    The spectacular ISPY Gala Awards is a core part of the ISPY programme originated in 1999, an annual four-day event for all inflight retail stakeholders groups.At the ISPY (Inflight Sales Person of the Year) 2016 Gala Awards ceremony held in London, full-service airline Hong Kong Airlines won the much-coveted Airline of the Year Award. The airline’s cabin crew Mr Oscar Cheng and Ms Minerva Tam were awarded silver medals in the category of Product Merchandising Team Award, as well as recognized as the World’s Greatest Selling Cabin Crew 2016.
    The spectacular ISPY Gala Awards is a core part of the ISPY programme originated in 1999, an annual four-day event for all inflight retail stakeholders groups. Before the announcement of the winners, each of the Airline of the Year finalists is required to have an hour-long workshop including a 30-minute presentation followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience, while the cabin crew are trained and assessed to compete for team and individual awards. This year, 28 world-class airlines including Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada participated in the event to compete for the awards.

    Mr Stanley Kan, Director of Service Delivery of Hong Kong Airlines, said, “Last time, Hong Kong Airlines was the only legacy carrier in Asia amongst the top 4 finalists for Airline of the Year Award, while this year, we are thrilled to be crowned as Airline of the Year – a remarkable progress indeed. Partnering with inflight retail concessionaire DFASS, Hong Kong Airlines has achieved significant improvement in inflight duty free sales services with the launch of innovative initiatives such as professional training and the introduction of the Brand Ambassador Scheme.”

    Aside from the ISPY award, in recent years Hong Kong Airlines garnered a bunch of international acclaims including Asia’s Leading Inflight Service 2015 at the internationally renowned World Travel Awards in October 2015. The airline has been rated as the 4-star airline since 2011 by international specialist research consultant Skytrax. Hong Kong Airlines also won Skytrax World’s Most Improved Airline in 2014, and enlisted the top 10 World’s Best Regional Airline for the first time in 2015.