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Mercedes Pay+ to Offer Fingerprint Payments at German Petrol Stations

(London, UK): Mercedes-Benz recently announced a new partnership with Mastercard to offer embedded in-car payments using a fingerprint sensor at petrol stations in Germany. The new service, made possible via Mercedes Pay+, will be available to use at 3,600 service stations across the country, eliminating the need to enter a PIN or authenticate with a mobile device.

Though this is a world first and has created a lot of buzz around the industry, usage is limited to less than one-fifth (17%) of the total amount of service stations across Germany. Mercedes says that fingerprint payments from the car will be extended soon to other vehicle-related services and to other European markets.

“Like with all new payment technology, for it to become widely used there needs to be integration on both sides of the issuing and acquiring network” says Simon Cottenham, Head of International Partnerships at Auriemma Group. “Before contactless terminals became widely available at retailers and on public transport, contactless cards acted no differently to traditional chip and pin only models, so how and when service stations and other vehicle-related services roll out the ability to accept this innovative way to pay will be key to its success.”

Mercedes and Mastercard’s strategic, limited rollout will help inform how consumers will utilise this type of technology in the future, and how willing they are to adopt.

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Strong Rewards for Sign-up and Ongoing Spend Are Table Stakes for Co-Brand Cards

(New York, NY) Co-brand credit cards connect cardholder spending to exclusive benefits and rewards at their favorite brands. The fierce competition to capture everyday spend and increase cardholder acquisitions continues to push brands, issuers, and networks to evaluate which value propositions resonate best. Auriemma Group’s latest issue of Cardbeat US found that rewards—points, miles, or cash back for applying and for ongoing spend—are the top driver of card acquisition and usage.

The challenge for brands, issuers, and networks is crafting a compelling value proposition that optimizes their objectives and delivers a product that resonates with customer enough to stand out in a crowded marketplace. The card program’s benefits and rewards must be differentiated enough to speak to a brand’s unique customer base, while valuable enough to rival the competition, which includes proprietary bank cards in addition to other co-brand cards.

Auriemma Group’s latest issue of Cardbeat US determines the drivers of value proposition success by asking existing co-brand cardholders to compare potential co-brand rewards and benefits. Surveying opinions on the relative value of rewards, card design, tolerance for annual fees, and more, the issue confirms that card rewards are the primary driver of co-brand card success.

46% of co-brand credit cardholders indicated that their desire to earn ongoing points, miles, or cashback rewards for spend would motivate them to apply for a co-brand credit card, more than any other single factor across all types of co-brand cards (e.g., airline, hotel, retail). Attractive sign-up offers also play a role–29% of cardholders say they would motivate them to apply for a co-brand, the second-most cited factor.

And when considering potential motivators for increasing co-brand spend outside the partner brand, roughly eight-in-ten co-brand cardholders say their co-brand delivering double points for online (82%), grocery (81%), and/or restaurant purchases (77%) increases their likelihood to use it.

“Card acquisitions are powered by attractive sign-up offers and strong ongoing rewards,” says Gary Rezak, Managing Director at Auriemma Group. “Then the value of the rewards and benefits, as well as the cardholder’s ongoing relationship to the brand, continue to engage cardholders and unlock the programs’ full potential.”

In addition to rewards value, brand affinity is a significant driver of cardholder engagement, especially for retail co-brand cards. 34% of retail co-brand cardholders cite frequent purchases at the brand as their reason for applying. And hotel co-brand cardholders have their own unique motivations, with improving loyalty status as an especially powerful motivator of ongoing engagement for that category. While other co-brand card characteristics, such as the card’s design or APR, should be thoughtfully considered, far fewer cardholders say these factors have a major impact on their card usage.

“Many value proposition elements make an incremental difference in the success of a co-brand and cannot be ignored, but strong rewards value is a must,” says Rezak, “a co-brand without valuable sign-up and ongoing rewards risks never getting a prospective applicant’s consideration in the first place.”

To get full access to this special co-brand issue of Cardbeat, Auriemma’s syndicated research publication studying the debit and credit card industry, or to discuss a custom research study on cards and payments topics, contact Jaclyn Holmes, Director, Auriemma Research.

For assistance assessing, evaluating, finding partners, and negotiating your co-brand and private label partnership, contact Gary Rezak, Managing Director, Auriemma Group.

Survey Methodology

Cardbeat US

This Auriemma Group study was conducted online within the US by an independent field service provider on behalf of Auriemma Group (Auriemma) in June 2023 among 1600 adult credit cardholders. The number of interviews completed for both is sufficient to allow for statistical significance testing among sub-groups at the 95% confidence level ±5%, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the research was not disclosed, nor did respondents know the criteria for qualifying.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 35 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognized experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships, and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise, and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximize their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in New York City and London.

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Upbound Group Second Look Program Aims to Convert More Card Applicants to Cardholders

Upbound Group, a provider of consumer leasing services, has forged an agreement with Genesis Financial Solutions, a provider of near-prime consumer financial services, to provide credit solutions to customers in its platform of brands, including Rent-A-Center and Acima.

As part of the agreement, Genesis will serve as program manager and service a general-purpose credit card for qualified Rent-A-Center and Acima customers, as well as a second-look point-of-sale private label credit card to approve initially declined applicants for Acima’s network of retail merchant partners.

This partnership showcases the enduring value of co-brand and private label credit card products and, more specifically, the potential for second-look services to approve credit applicants who were initially declined. In a recent Auriemma study, 37% of cardholders indicated they had been declined for a credit or store card application. And of the one-fifth offered a second look offer, 76% accepted the alternative card.

With credit conditions expected to tighten at lenders across the country, second look is more valuable than ever for converting more applicants to cardholders.

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Cardless, Imprint, and Other Emerging Providers Set to Shake Up Co-Brand and PLCC Landscape

Cardless, an emerging co-brand credit card provider based in San Francisco, recently announced it secured a three-year, $75 million credit facility from i80 Group. The company stated that the credit facility will enable Cardless “to fund customer receivables, growth, and continue its work with large, globally recognized brands.”

Additionally, Cardless announced that Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, which tracks and ranks credit card value propositions and redemption options, is an investor and advisor.

The entry of Cardless, along with Imprint, Deserve, and Tandym, in recent years is beginning to altered the co-brand and private label credit card competitive landscape, which has been historically dominated by a set of incumbent banks, many of them household names.

Research suggests that incumbents do have significant advantage, as cardholders place a premium on their preferred banks issuing their co-brand cards. Recent Auriemma data indicates that 72% of cardholders say it is somewhat or very important for their preferred issuer to issue their ideal co-brand card.

Nonetheless, co-brand and private label credit cards are in high demand, with 36% of cardholders saying they are likely to apply for one in the next 12 months. The number rises to 56% among Millennials. If new co-brand and private label providers can offer cards for previously unserved brands and deliver valuable product innovations, they should find plenty of room to grow.

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AMC Entertainment Launches Co-Brand Credit Card for Moviegoers

AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest movie theatre operator, has partnered with Deserve and Visa to launch the co-branded AMC Entertainment Visa credit card. Co-branding is a well-established strategy that provides a valuable financial service, deepens customer loyalty, and drives incremental brand revenue.  According to Auriemma Group’s most recent Cardbeat® study, more than 50% of branded credit cardholders shop more at the brand as a result of having the card, and nearly 40% of that population shops a lot more at the brand. This trend is more prominent among those aged 18–34 – 76% shop more at a brand with the card. Read more about the AMC Entertainment Visa credit card here.

Survey Methodology

The Auriemma Group study was conducted online in the US in Q1 2023 by an independent field service provider. A total of 888 web interviews were conducted among credit card users. The purpose of the research was not disclosed, nor did respondents know the criteria for qualifying.

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COVID-19’s Impact on Travel Has Shifted Consumer Loyalty Needs

(London, UK) Perceptions of loyalty points and miles redemptions has shifted in the wake of COVID-19. The lack of opportunity to travel since the beginning of COVID-19 is eroding the appeal of travel-related benefits from UK loyalty programmes. According to Auriemma’s latest research, 76% of credit cardholders enrolled in a loyalty scheme prefer to use their loyalty rewards for non-travel benefits. Meanwhile, only 35% of programme members intend to use their points or miles for travel-related benefits in 2021.

But how has this change in behaviour been impacting loyalty programmes, and how quickly, if at all, will these patterns return to previous norms?

The large volume of unused loyalty points mean high levels of financial exposure for brands on their balance sheets, which can cause a serious headache for company CFOs. Brands with loyalty programmes which are modelled heavily around offering travel redemptions, such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy, are at the highest risk in this scenario. As evidenced in April and May 2020 when Hilton Honors sold $1 billion Honors Points to American Express, and Marriot Bonvoy sold a similar $920 million points to American Express and JP Morgan Chase to build up much needed cash flow and reduce their points liability. This is only a temporary fix, however, and with travel restrictions still in place one year later, the problem of over-exposure persists for brands.

Some loyalty schemes have expanded their partnership approach to maintain member engagement and relevance. IAG Loyalty’s recent partnership with Nectar in January 2021 allows the direct  transfers of points between the two schemes providing low value redemptions to BA Executive Club members, also demonstrated with the launch of Virgin Red in November 2020 and its partnership with Greggs. Despite the apparent strengths of these partnerships, they can present poorer value to consumers which will test the theory as to how viable they are in the longer term, once travel restarts.

There remains hope as Auriemma found that 55% of consumers still enjoy earning travel rewards through their loyalty programme or credit card, many with plans to redeem these for travel-related benefits as soon as possible. With the continued effectiveness of UK’s vaccine rollout and the subsequent easing of restrictions, a return to travel could be around the corner.

“Now is the time for issuers and loyalty programmes to focus on member and cardholder engagement,” says Kate Morgan, Head of International Partnerships at Auriemma Group. “As consumer confidence in the ability to travel rises, the appeal of redeeming hard-earned points for bookings should, too. We have seen that delivering relevant, personalised offers and marketing is key, along with cancellation options that give customers the assurances they need to complete the booking process.”

While foreign holidays remain less of a certainty than domestic travel this summer, the airlines face a larger challenge than hotels who have a greater ability to turn the focus inwards on UK stays and vacations. Premier Inn owner Whitbread, UK’s largest hospitality company, is bracing for strong summer demand.  Nevertheless, as most hotel programmes exist without the cushion of commercial partnerships with non-travel-related loyalty schemes, the reopening of UK hotels might be the only opportunity for a profitable 2021.

“The nation eagerly awaits more clarity on the government’s foreign travel policy beginning on 17th May 2021,” says Kate, “and fingers crossed it is good news for the travel industry and the thousands of employees within this sector.”

Survey Methodology

Cardbeat UK

This Auriemma Group study was conducted online within the UK by an independent field service provider on behalf of Auriemma in November 2020, among 845 adult credit cardholders. The number of interviews completed is sufficient to allow for statistical significance testing between sub-groups at the 95% confidence level ± 5%, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the research was not disclosed nor did the respondents know the criteria for qualification. The average interview length was 21 minutes.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 30 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships, and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, call Kate Morgan at +44 (0) 207 629 0075.

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Auriemma to Speak on Co-Branding Sessions at Mega Event 2018

(New York, NY):  Auriemma Consulting Group will have two speaking roles at Airline Information’s Mega Event 2018, scheduled for October 31st through November 2nd in Long Beach, CA. Both of Auriemma’s speaking roles will discuss how issuers and brand partners can evolve and improve their co-brand programs in the current environment.

David Edwards, a director in Auriemma’s International practice, will speak on the panel “Driving Additional Revenue Streams from Co-Brands: Lessons from Non-US Markets,” scheduled for November 1st at 11:10 a.m.

The panel will focus on how co-brand programs have or will be impacted by new payment regulation, as well as key learnings from post-interchange markets. Edwards, in addition to the panelists from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Kobie Marketing, will share how co-brands can thrive amid regulation by adopting collaborative approaches, embracing change and designing innovative solutions that are both desirable and relevant to customers.

“All markets around the world have or will be impacted by new payment regulation,” Edwards said. “But consumer desire for rewards and benefits is greater than ever – they will choose co-branded products over and above new alternatives.”

Jaclyn Holmes, director of Auriemma’s Payments Insights practice, will share proprietary consumer research in the presentation “Which Rewards Set Co-Brand Programs Apart – A Consumer Perspective,” scheduled for November 1st at 2:25 p.m.

The presentation will detail how consumers’ usage and perceived value of card benefits vary drastically, depending on the benefit offered.  Issuers and brand partners alike are designing increasingly attractive credit card programs to capture the attention of young, affluent cardholders. Session attendees will learn which benefits best capture the attention of prospective cardholders, as well as which benefits drive increased card usage and retention.

“Rewards card value propositions have grown increasingly complex, with issuers offering robust benefits ranging from comprehensive protections and warranties to elite experiences,” Holmes said. “In this evolving landscape, it’s critical to understand your customers and their motivations for card selection.”

Attendees can schedule a one-on-one meeting with Auriemma’s team to discuss how the firm’s research and advisory work can help navigate the current environment most effectively.

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Second Look Offers Potential Benefits for Issuers and Brand Partners Alike

(New York, NY):  The battle for market share among branded credit card programs seeking prime and superprime customers has been fierce. Rewards have grown ever richer and, as the cost per acquired account rises, marketing efforts come with diminishing returns for both brands and issuers.

In contrast to the proliferation of products targeting prime and superprime customers, there has been relatively little product innovation for customers with less developed credit profiles, whose access to credit tightened as a result of the recession and some of the sizable regulatory changes that occurred soon afterward. But, increasingly, both issuers and brands are considering “second look” programs, which use different underwriting criteria to reevaluate declined applicants for credit with separate terms. For the benefit of brands and issuers, second look programs can approve more credit applicants and drive incremental sales by expanding credit access to customers who have lower FICO scores or thin credit histories.

“This segment of under-served customers is a significant opportunity for issuers and brand partners,” said Steve Serra, Senior Director of Partnerships for Auriemma Consulting Group. “With the intense competition now underway for each new cardholder, portfolio growth is a pressing concern, and issuers cannot afford to ignore any sizable pool of potential customers.”

At a time when many brands may be experiencing portfolio stagnation, second look programs can expand the penetration rate of a given co-brand or private label card by underwriting customers who would otherwise be declined for the primary credit program.

These second look programs layer onto an existing primary credit program, often in partnership with a second issuer. Second look programs can be seamlessly integrated into the application flow within existing point-of-sale (POS) technology to provide a smooth customer application experience.

“Previously, these customers would have been declined at POS and forced to look outside the brand for quality financing options,” Serra said. “These second look programs provide a better customer experience, strengthen a brand’s relationship with its retail customer and make store employees more comfortable offering credit.”

Brand partners that use second look programs can drive significant uplift in their credit application approval rates – typically 10 to 20 percent of customers who are declined for a primary program can be approved by a second look program. More approvals also translate to more loyalty – having a branded card motivates shoppers to spend and shop more, with 30 percent of co-brand and private label cardholders saying they have increased their spending with a retailer after being approved for its branded card, according to Auriemma Cardbeat research. A second look program can also drive incremental sales for a brand – in some cases, up to 10 percent year-over-year – according to a recent Auriemma case study.

Given the significant potential to increase approval rates and drive sales growth, brands should incorporate second look issuing rights into their issuer co-brand and private label agreements to ensure that the opportunity is available to them at any point in their contract term.

The benefits of second look programs are also manifold for card issuers. Issuers that build second look capabilities can increase the size of their card portfolios and gain greater market share. Additionally, many brands are looking for deeper underwriting as they have deep pools of under-served customers with an appetite for credit, and most major issuers do not offer second look services today. Thus, the ability to offer second look services can be a major point of distinction for issuers seeking to win brand partnerships.

“Second look programs are beneficial for customers and card programs alike,” Serra said. “Through collaboration, brands and issuers can better serve their customers, improve the acquisition experience and drive more loyalty and sales.”

With over 30 years of experience crafting profitable, long-lasting partnerships in the Cards and Payments industry, Auriemma is well-suited to facilitate these collaborations between issuers and brands. For more information, please contact Steve Serra at 212-323-7000.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 30 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognized experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships, and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximize their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in New York City and London. For more information, call Steve Serra at (212) 323-7000.

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Auriemma to Speak at Co-Brand EMEA Conference in London

(London):  Auriemma Group will have two speaking roles at Airline Information’s Co-Brand EMEA Conference, scheduled for 21 February in London.

David Edwards, Director in Auriemma’s Partnerships group, will chair the conference with opening remarks focused on optimising co-brand programmes and identifying opportunities as the industry absorbs new EU regulation under Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR), Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“With the launch of new co-brands since IFR was implemented, the co-brand market is demonstrating that there is still an ability to successfully grow and be profitable,” Edwards said. “However, to be successful in this changing market, there is huge importance in understanding where opportunities for growth have been created, how to adapt to more flexible commercial arrangements and how to talk directly to new and existing cardholders to derive additional value.”

Opportunities for growth include starting new programmes in the current environment, optimising co-brands with card-linked rewards and better understanding the needs and motivations of the consumers.

Jaclyn Holmes, Director of Auriemma’s Payments Insights group, will lead a discussion on consumers’ expectations from payments players, including features that have implications on spend, engagement and acquisition. Using proprietary data from Auriemma’s UK Cardbeat study, Holmes’ presentation will detail UK consumer attitudes and expectations on retailer offers and benefits, card personalisation and card selection criteria.

“With the right messaging, card issuers and co-brand partners can develop successful offers, encourage stronger engagement and build consumer trust,” Holmes said. “But to do so, it’s critical to recognise cardholders’ lack familiarity and understanding of regulatory language. There’s opportunity to build consumer education, and the brands and issuers who get the communications right will be at an advantage.”

Attending retailers can schedule a one-on-one meeting with Auriemma’s team to discuss how the firm’s research and advisory work can help navigate the current environment most effectively.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 30 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships, and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, call +44.(0).207.629.0075.

About Ai | Airline Information

Ai is an established leader and innovator in commercial aviation conferences. Since 2005, Ai has hosted thousands of airline and travel professionals at the company’s groundbreaking conferences, forums, workshops, webinars and networking events.

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Co-Brand and PLCC Programs Are Crucial to Driving Omnichannel Loyalty

(New York, NY):  As consumers migrate from brick-and-mortar stores to online shopping, merchants have turned to omnichannel strategies and experiences to bolster loyalty and retention.

But consumers’ behavior has become increasingly fragmented: In the quest for deep discounts and convenience, allegiance to one particular merchant has taken a backseat.  In this environment, a key question facing merchants is what the future of shopper loyalty looks like, and how they can best position their offerings and experiences to capture it.

To answer it, merchants are increasingly turning to payments – an oft overlooked component of the shopping experience that can unlock store traffic, sales, and long-term brand loyalty.

“Increasingly, merchants are re-thinking the way co-brand and PLCC programs can deepen consumer loyalty,” said Gary Rezak, a director in Auriemma Consulting Group’s Global Partnerships practice. “These programs have the power to increase omnichannel productivity, boost in-store visits and drive new behaviors.”

The evidence that a card program can stimulate positive shopping behaviors is mounting, with 30% of co-brand and private label cardholders saying they spend more at the related and 73% reporting they feel more loyal to the related merchant, according to Auriemma’s February issue of Cardbeat®.

Here are other loyalty indicators well-executed programs can deliver to merchants:

  • More in-store visits. Even as store footprints shrink, garnering in-store visits is still king among retail performance metrics. Generally, cardholders have higher shopping frequency and larger average order sizes than non-cardholders. With more price competition than ever before, special sales events and mail-order coupons often do not achieve the same sales lift as they did historically. But card programs can provide a reason to return to the store – again and again. If a cardholder returns to the store just once early in its cardholder relationship, he or she is far more likely to return later: 30% of co-brand and private label cardholders say they’ve increased their spending with the retailers since getting the card, according to Auriemma’s Cardbeat research.

 

  • More special experiences. Perks and VIP experiences for cardholders, such as dressing room reservations, free alterations and special access to cardholder-only events are increasingly successful in generating in-store traffic and engagement. Look for an increasing focus on soft benefits, brand partnerships, personalized delivery, “surprise-and-delight” offers and special events embedded in value props going forward. And encouraging cardholders to “unlock” such perks could also be effective: When cardholders are given the opportunity to unlock richer rewards with increased spend, 25% say they spend enough to hit the reward threshold, according to Auriemma’s Cardbeat research.

 

  • More cross-channel sales. Consumers who shop in all three channels – store, online and mobile – are often the most profitable. Driving top-of-wallet behavior is crucial for online and mobile shopping, particularly without a store employee to remind the cardholder of the benefits. Knowing that your online or mobile shopper is an existing cardholder is a critical component of generating top-of-wallet spend. More retailers will begin requiring known customers to create log-ins for online check-out. While the sign-up process may be an initial speed-bump, its overall benefits, including prompting existing cardholders to use their card for savings or free shipping, is invaluable to drive spend without disrupting the check-out process.

 

  • More cross-over customers from non-tender loyalty programs. The value of loyalty programs is two-fold: data capture and targeted marketing. Increasingly, merchants are leveraging loyalty programs to screen and pre-approve potential credit-worthy applicants. However, there is potential for cannibalization between the two programs. (According to Auriemma’s Cardbeat research, 53% of cardholders enrolled in both a credit and non-tender program believe the rewards between both programs are the same.) Merchants can break this pattern by ensuring both programs have distinct value propositions with calibrated richness. In addition, enrollment in both programs can be highly attractive to customers, and increase in-store visits, if consumers can multiply rewards to accelerate their redemption opportunities in-store.

 

“Even in a challenging environment, there are numerous opportunities for merchants to break through the clutter, communicate compelling messages and engender more loyalty,” said Diana Middleton, Director of Auriemma’s Brand Partner Roundtable, an information-sharing group for senior retail payment executives. “As customers change the way they shop, merchants must ensure they have laid the groundwork to be the top-of-wallet tender for any transaction in any channel.”

About the Brand Partner Roundtable

Open exclusively to brands, including retailers and T&E partners, the Brand Partner Roundtable focuses on designing and executing card programs that benefit members’ core retail business. Discussions give participants the tools and information they need to improve their program’s value proposition and acquisition strategy, eliminate fraud, and fine-tune mobile and digital enhancements.

About Auriemma Group

Auriemma is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space. We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients’ business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines. For more information about Industry Roundtables, contact Tom LaMagna at (212) 323-7000.

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