China's First Multi-Merchant Coalition Loyalty Program
Launches Today
TORONTO,
Oct. 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Building
on last November's announcement of a minority co-investment in
China Rewards, Aimia Inc. (TSX:
AIM) and Points (TSX: PTS; NASDAQ: PCOM), global leader in loyalty
currency management, are pleased to announce the launch of China
Rewards, the first coalition loyalty program in China that enables members to earn and redeem
a common currency across all participating merchants.
"When we chose to invest in China Rewards, it was not only because we
recognized the incredible opportunity to build the loyalty market
in China, but also because we knew
that in China Rewards and China
Union Pay Merchant Services, we had found the right partners,"
commented Rupert Duchesne, Aimia's
Group Chief Executive, " We share a common belief in the potential
of the Chinese loyalty market and by leveraging the best of what
each partner brings to the table today we are launching a program
that will redefine the relationship that brands can have with their
customers in China. "
Points' CEO Rob MacLean added
"Today's announcement is a celebration of the vision and commitment
that China Rewards, and all partners, have shown in launching a
program that will fundamentally transform loyalty in China."
Mr. MacLean continued, "Unlike other programs in China, China Rewards will provide its members
with access to all of the worldwide loyalty programs with whom we
partner. By the end of this month, China Rewards' points will
join the growing list of major international loyalty currencies
participating in our consumer Loyalty Wallet at
www.points.com. Members will be able to both track and
exchange their points with participating international hotel,
airline and retail loyalty programs, giving them unparalleled
transaction opportunities."
With an unrivalled network of partners across the China
consisting of leading retail brands in multiple sectors, China
Rewards features many unique attributes:
- Convenience - no need for a membership card, as a member's
China Union Pay issued bankcard
(credit card or debit card) is their membership card. China Union Pay's sales terminals can recognize
and process members' relevant information automatically. Moreover,
members can register using China Union
Pay terminals at participating merchants.
- High earn rate - significantly higher than banks' points reward
programs.
- Online and in-store - points can be earned and burned both
online and in-store.
- International Exposure - China Rewards enables members to earn
and redeem points around the world. Working with Points, China
Rewards' points can also be exchanged with participating loyalty
currencies around the world including major airlines, hotel chains,
and retailers at www.points.com.
"With global industry leading partners and a network of
unrivalled retailers and brands in China, China Rewards is uniquely positioned to
offer Chinese consumers a truly personal loyalty program that
enables them to earn and redeem where and how they choose," said
China Rewards CEO, Cindy Wu - a
seasoned executive with more than 20 years experience in the
Chinese retail and loyalty industry. "Today we are celebrating not
only all that we have accomplished over the past year, but moreover
the opportunity that we see to create a truly exceptional loyalty
experience for our clients and our members," added Ms. Wu.
About Aimia Inc.
Aimia Inc. ("Aimia") is a global leader in loyalty management.
Employing more than 4,000 people in over 20 countries worldwide,
Aimia offers clients, partners and members proven expertise in
launching and managing coalition loyalty programs, delivering
proprietary loyalty services, creating value through loyalty
analytics and driving innovation in the emerging digital, mobile
and social communications spaces.
Aimia owns and operates Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program,
Nectar, the United Kingdom's
largest coalition loyalty program and Nectar Italia. In addition,
Aimia owns stakes in Air Miles Middle East, Mexico's leading coalition loyalty program
Club Premier, Brazil's Prismah
Fidelidade, and i2c, a joint venture with Sainsbury's offering
insight and data analytics services in the UK to retailers and
suppliers. Aimia also holds a minority position in Cardlytics, a
US-based private company operating in transaction-driven marketing
for electronic banking. Aimia is listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (TSX: AIM). For more information, visit us at
www.aimia.com.
About Points
Points, publicly traded as Points International Ltd. (TSX:PTS)
(Nasdaq:PCOM), is the global leader in loyalty currency management.
Via a state-of-the-art loyalty commerce platform, Points provides
loyalty eCommerce and technology solutions to the world's top
brands to enhance their consumer offerings and streamline their
back-end operations.
Points' solutions enhance the management and monetization of
loyalty currencies ranging from frequent flyer miles and hotel
points to retailer and credit card rewards, for more than 45
partners worldwide. Points also manages Points.com, where
almost 4 million consumers use the only industry sanctioned loyalty
wallet to not only track all of their loyalty programs but also
trade, exchange and redeem their miles and points. In addition
to these services, Points' unique SaaS products allow eCommerce
merchants to add loyalty solutions directly to their online stores,
rewarding customers for purchases at the point-of-sale.
Points has been widely recognized among the loyalty and
technology communities alike. The Company was named the 4th
largest Canadian software company and the 40th largest Canadian
technology company by the 2013 Branham300
list. Points also ranked 40th among PROFIT
Magazine's top 200 Canadian companies by five-year revenue growth.
For more information on Points, please visit www.Points.com,
follow us @PointsBiz on Twitter or read the Points
Loyalty News blog.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of United
States securities legislation, and forward-looking
information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation
(collectively "forward-looking statements"), including, without
limitation, the expected launch of China Rewards. These statements
are not historical facts but instead represent expectations,
estimates and projections regarding future events. Although Points
and Aimia believe the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not
guarantees of future performance and are subject to important risks
and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Certain
material assumptions are applied in making forward-looking
statements and actual results may differ materially from those
expressed or implied in such statements. Known and unknown
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking
statements. The forward-looking statements contained in
this press release are made as at the date of this release and,
accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as
required by law, Points and Aimia do not undertake any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made
or incorporated in this press release, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE AIMIA