These partnerships, welcomed by Accor’s guests, formed with some of the biggest names and guaranteeing high media exposure, are designed to increase the international visibility of Accor’s loyalty program and brands, delivering augmented hospitality as regards its distribution networks.
Seeking to engage guests, these alliances will be a source of value for the brands, whose reputation and attractiveness will be increased, particularly among hotel owners, further boosting the Group’s fees, performance and earnings long term. As loyalty points are exchanged for rewards within this ecosystem, Accor will gain knowledge of its members’ preferred touchpoints and their purchasing behavior. To this end, the Group will offer them more targeted communication and solutions.
In January 2020, Accor continued to enhance the appeal of its loyalty program by forging new partnerships with other leading-edge market players to offer more services and greater rewards for its guests and partners.
Building on this strategic partnership with Grab, the largest loyalty program in South-East Asia, Accor provides both ALL and Grab members access to various rewards and benefits when travelling.
Grab is a Singapore-based company that offers a range of services via its super app, including ride-hailing, deliveries, digital payments, etc. Thanks to this partnership, Grab members can use their GrabReward points to access the full range of Accor offers: hotels, bars, nightclubs, sporting events, entertainment and food festivals and enjoy the experiences provided by the Group’s network of 39 different hotel banners. Grab has 36 million regular users and they can now benefit from the broad range of rewards of ALL-Accor Live Limitless by becoming members and using their GrabRewards to stay, eat, shop and travel seamlessly across the globe.
Similarly, ALL members will have access to the numerous GrabRewards benefits. Of the 66 million ALL-Accor Live Limitless members worldwide, more than 19 million are in the Asia-Pacific region.
Today’s digitally-savvy consumers expect rewards that meet their aspirations, offering them both new and unique experiences.
In this respect, Accor has formed an international partnership with Visa, the world leading digital payments group, to offer new payment solutions to ALL members.
This partnership will bring together Accor’s loyalty program and Visa’s global payment capabilities to create the new ALL Visa card. Members who apply for the new card, can use it for everyday purchases everywhere Visa is accepted.
The card offers holders tailored rewards based on customer preferences and the ability to earn more loyalty points when staying at an Accor property or when making purchases.
Enhancing the benefits of the Group’s loyalty program, this initiative aims to give group guests the incentive to stay in Accor hotels more frequently and more easily. The program makes it possible for guests to win reward points and enjoy new experiences. The new card should also enable Accor to engage guests beyond their stay, and to recruit new members and also increase average spending
This card will be linked to the Group’s loyalty program ALL-Accor Live Limitless and will be available in several versions. It will offer members the opportunity to collect loyalty points when making everyday purchases and to receive benefits tailored to their interests
A launch in France early 2021 and gradually in Europe
Accor, a world leader in hospitality, and BNP Paribas, the leading bank in the eurozone and a key international banking player, announce that they have concluded a pan-European partnership to launch a unique co-branded payment card. Members of the ALL-Accor Live Limitless lifestyle loyalty program who subscribe to the card will be able to use it for all their day-to-day purchases. Linking up with one of the sector’s best loyalty programs, card users will earn points as soon as they start spending, upgrade to a higher status more quickly, and enjoy special and unforgettable experiences both in the Group’s hotels and across the entire Accor ecosystem.
In an environment that has been dramatically impacted by the pandemic, it is vital to enable members to continue to take advantage of their loyalty program at a time when travel has been temporarily restricted. These points earned in the course of everyday life can be enjoyed immediately and in many ways – by using them for short breaks to explore our regions, perhaps in the mountains or on the coast, or to enjoy a dinner or a spa. As the validity of these points is extended with each purchase made, users can also keep them to explore new destinations during their next summer vacation through our 85 travel and lifestyle partners, including more than 33 airlines. In addition, these points can also be spent on special events in 2021 – perhaps to see Paris Saint-Germain play, attend a concert in the Accor Arena or visit world-renowned food festivals.
This payment card represents a major asset for the Group in leveraging customer engagement. The various services available to cardholders are a perfect illustration of Accor’s “Augmented Hospitality” strategy, a sophisticated vision of hospitality and bespoke services to enable guests and local residents to enjoy unique experiences. Extending beyond just maintaining contact, the card will help strengthen the relationship with members of the Group’s loyalty program ALL-Accor Live Limitless.
Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, said: “This partnership with BNP Paribas puts one of the cornerstones of our loyalty building strategy into practice. The launch of the innovative and ambitious ALL payment card is a key step in the rollout of our loyalty program, which already has almost 70 million members. We will be able to offer new and ever more generous and pioneering services, accelerating the diversification of the Group’s revenue streams. By combining the complementary expertise of two European leaders, we aim to attract ever-increasing numbers of loyal customers and step up the rollout of new offers to create an ecosystem that is unique in the world of travel and leisure.”
A generous card without the need to change bank
With three different tiers offered, ALL-Visa Pulse (aimed at Millennials), ALL-VisaExplorer (for clients who travel extensively for work or leisure) and ALL-Visa Ultimate (for super-premium clients), once launched these will be some of the most generous payment cards ever made available on the market, providing benefits to users as soon as they subscribe. There will be no need to open a new account or change bank. The card will be allocated in a few minutes once the connection to the current account has been made. The card will be linked to the dedicated and secure Accor Pay app, created in partnership with BNP Paribas, which will allow users to securely view their balance, manage their spending, check their points and contact the concierge service at any time. The card and all its related benefits will be unveiled early next year.
Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Director and CEO of BNP Paribas, said: “The payment card market is undergoing a huge transformation, particularly in Europe, both functionally and technologically. Today, it is one of the major drivers enriching the customer experience and introducing higher added value services and offers. As a European banking group, we continuously innovate in terms of payment solutions to support customers with their new habits and aspirations. We are therefore delighted to be involved, alongside Accor, in this major advance for the customer experience within the international hotel industry.”
