UK – Accor ALL Launches Gift Cards For UK & Earn Bonus Points For Purchases Until December 31, 2020
Accor Live Limitless (ALL) members can now buy gift cards in GBP that are valid at most UK hotels
There is a bonus of 500 points for purchasing a £100 card and 1,500 points if you splurge for a £250 one through December 31, 2020.
UK – Epos Now Appoints Former Deliveroo and Amazon Executive as New CFO
Epos Now, a global software and payments technology company, supporting over 35,000 retail and hospitality locations, has appointed former Deliveroo and Amazon executive, Philip Green, as Chief Financial Officer to spearhead the company’s continued growth plans following a year of rapid international expansion.
US – Petrosoft, LLC Announces EPS Loyalty Partnership with Verifone
Petrosoft’s partnership with Verifone allows Petrosoft to expand its loyalty rewards program to thousands of convenience stores, gas stations and retail stores – Petrosoft, LLC, a global leader in cloud-based, back-office software solutions for retail convenience store, petroleum, and food service industries, today announced that Verifone, a world leader in payment and commerce solutions, welcomed Petrosoft as an EPS Loyalty Partner. Petrosoft was already an approved Verifone Petroleum and C-store Integrated Back Office Partner. This expanded partnership will enhance Petrosoft’s relationship with Verifone, including Verifone’s approval to use their point-of-sale (POS) terminals with Petrosoft’s Go Loyalty customer rewards program. Petrosoft joins the growing list of certified Verifone EPS Loyalty Partners
UAE – UAE telecoms firm Etisalat launches blockchain Rewards Exchange
Today Etisalat announced the launch of a blockchain-powered Rewards Exchange that lets users of the Smiles mobile app exchange points from one loyalty program for another.
Smiles is an existing deals and rewards app that provides discount offers across 3,000 outlets in the UAE. It has 2.2 million customers and more than a thousand participating brands.
Global Gift card fraud is rising
The holiday season has led to increased gift card fraud.
Researchers said November saw the highest rate of new gift card scams with 6,881 total new scam sites, over 229 new sites per day, and nearly 10 times more new gift card scam sites created than in January.
Retail and gaming are gift card scammers’ favourite targets heading into the holiday season. In November, these categories accounted for 59% of all gift card scams online.
Italy – How you could win up to €5 million in Italy’s ‘receipt lottery’
A government reward scheme offers consumers the chance to enter a million-euro prize draw each time they make a purchase in Italy.
The ‘lotteria degli scontrini’ is open to shoppers who pay by card or cash, but the biggest prizes are reserved for people who make electronic purchases. It is just one of several incentives on offer as part of Cashless Italy, the government’s strategy to encourage consumers and businesses alike to switch to card payments in a bid to fight tax evasion.
UK, Italy, Japan- Certification Europe Ltd announce employee engagement partnership with Thrive App
Certification Europe has today announced their partnership with Thrive.App, which has involved the development of an employee engagement and communications app ‘CE Connect’.
Certification Europe Ltd. is a leading accredited Certification Body based in Ireland with offices in the UK, Italy and Japan.
US – Subway is launching a new online catering platform across the U.S. powered by ezCater.
Subway is the country’s largest chain by unit count with more than 23,800 restaurants; catering will be available in participating locations, according to a release.
By partnering with the large corporate catering marketplace, the sandwich chain can potentially reach a broad swath of new customers, particularly businesses, as well as get ezCater’s help with marketing and operating its catering channel. It streamlines the chain’s existing platform, said Renee Hourigan, senior director of off-premises innovation for Subway
Australia – Farm labour incentives failing and the result could be crops left unharvested
Attempts to encourage Australians who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to take up farm work appear to be failing, despite cash incentives to help cover accommodation and the cost of moving to rural areas.
The nation’s horticulture industry is projecting a shortfall of 26,000 fruit and vegetable pickers this harvest season due to the shutting of international borders that has kept many working holiday-makers locked out.
According to figures from the Federal Department of Employment, a program that offers Australians who move to regional areas to take up harvest jobs has only attracted 148 workers in the month it has been operating
Nigeria – More than 60% of Nigerian banks trust Netcore’s AI-Powered platform for Customer Engagement and Retention
Netcore Solutions, the leading marketing automation, and personalization platform announced that it enables more than 60% of banks in Nigeria in realizing their digital-first approach to customer engagement through its AI-powered platform.
In the last six decades of Nigerian independence, the financial sector has come a long way propelled by diverse ideas and timely reforms. The sector is now digital-first by embracing the use of the internet as a medium of banking and accessing the entire portfolio of services through a computer or a smartphone.
US – Fetch Rewards Closes $80 Million Round of Funding
Fetch Rewards, the nation’s leading consumer-loyalty and retail-rewards app, announced today that it has raised $80 million in Series C funding in a round led by ICONIQ Growth. Another new investor, DST Global, and existing investors Greycroft and e.ventures also participated. This latest round of funding brings the total amount raised by Fetch Rewards to $118 million.
India- Samsung Smart club loyalty program and referral program announced in India
Samsung has announced the Smart Club Loyalty Program and Samsung Referral Program for users in India.
Customers buying new Galaxy smartphones from Samsung exclusive stores will be eligible for the offerings. You can avail benefits such as reward points and discount coupons under the smart club loyalty program and with the Samsung referral program, one can earn rewards up to INR 7,500 by referring a friend or a family member to buy Galaxy smartphones from Samsung exclusive Store.
UK – MotorVise launches mystery shopping service for dealerships
A CAR dealership support firm has launched its own mystery shopping service to drive up standards across car dealerships – as a new report reveals Britons experience the worst customer service in Europe.
MotorVise Automotive, based near Richmond, North Yorkshire, says its mystery shopping tool can accurately measure the quality of customer service offered by dealerships and enables managers to understand exactly how their sales teams operate.
US – 7-Eleven Introduces In-App Contactless Payment
7 Eleven, Inc.’s new app-based mobile wallet offers all customers — including those who would like to load cash — a contactless way to pay.
Easily accessible in the 7 Eleven mobile app, 7 Eleven Wallet customers can securely load funds to use upon checkout using cash, debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and prepaid 7 Eleven gift cards. Cash must be loaded in-store at the register, while other payment methods can be loaded in the app. 7 Eleven Wallet users are not charged any loading or transaction fees and incur no interest fees like credit cards charge.
Egyptian payment app receives a six-figure investment
Egyptian mobile payments, and loyalty startup, Zeal Rewards, has announced the conclusion of an undisclosed six-figure round of Seed funding. The funding raised will assist the startup in expanding across Egypt and the UK.
