Mastercard (NYSE: MA) cardholders will be able “to book travel using credit card loyalty points with Travel with Rewards powered by Expedia.”
Expedia Group and Mastercard “expand their partnership for a new joint adventure: Travel with Rewards, a modern loyalty points redemption solution that enables consumers to redeem credit card loyalty points for travel bookings powered by Expedia.”
A complete redemption system “leveraging Mastercard’s trusted loyalty solutions and Expedia’s extensive travel supply, Travel with Rewards will make exciting experiences more accessible on a global scale.”
Through a participating issuer’s website, U.S. cardholders “can access Travel with Rewards, powered by Expedia, using a seamless single sign-on.”
From there, the cardholder “can see the points to dollars conversion as they search for travel, and will have the option to book using only points, their Mastercard credit card, or a combination of both.”
With Expedia Group’s substantial reach, cardholders will “have access to 700k+ properties, 500+ airlines, 100+ car rental companies and thousands of activities around the world.”
Travelers making bookings will also “gain access to Expedia Group’s high-quality, end-to-end customer service – whether that’s speaking to live agents or leveraging the company’s self-serve capabilities such as the Virtual Agent tool – allowing them to make changes or ask questions about their trip.”
Stephanie Meltzer-Paul, Executive Vice President of Global Loyalty at Mastercard, said:
“With Travel with Rewards, we’re providing consumers choice in how they want to pay and underscoring the importance of building loyalty programs that provide real value. Our companies are uniquely positioned to deliver a more effective point redemption experience that’s easy to activate for issuers and allows cardholders to transform points they’ve already earned from everyday spending into the ultimate reward: their next adventure.”
Expedia Group’s White Label Template “allows issuing banks and merchants to seamlessly integrate the solution to their existing customer interface, providing a frictionless experience for both cardholder and issuer.”
This strategic partnership “unifies the travel loyalty experience into one ideal solution, reinventing redemption functionality and standardizing access for partners seeking to deliver more diverse offerings to their consumers.”
Together, the companies have “united complementary technology, with Expedia Group’s template technology and Mastercard’s digital redemption capability combining to act as a turnkey solution that can be implemented by issuers around the world.”
Ariane Gorin, President Expedia for Business, Expedia Group, said:
“We are proud to partner with Mastercard to ensure their customers can spend their well-earned loyalty points on great travel experiences. Our template technology will power Mastercard’s global network of issuers, giving their customers access to a broad choice of hotels, flights, car rentals and activities, all backed by our deep customer service expertise. This partnership will also bring more valuable travel demand to our global supply partners.”
The solution is first “available to issuers working with Mastercard’s proprietary loyalty technology capabilities in North America, with additional technology builds, markets, and merchant program usage planned as fast follows.”
Mastercard’s digital redemptions solution currently “provides more seamless and rewarding experiences across industries including gaming, retail, online gifting, and more.”
Expedia Group engages “more broadly with Mastercard’s robust suite of services, leveraging Mastercard capabilities to support initiatives across cyber, loyalty, virtual cards and beyond. This joint solution marks the first entry into a new chapter of the partnership poised for continued growth.”
