Company News

Aimia files suit against hedge fund to prevent takeover

Aimia says it is defending itself and its shareholders by taking action against Mittleman Brothers, which it says is trying to seize control of the company and its assets.

In a legal action filed in Toronto before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Aimia is going head to head with New York based hedge fund Mittleman Brothers and related parties for “continued breaches of contract, other unlawful and destructive interference and ongoing, self-interested … [Read more...] about Aimia files suit against hedge fund to prevent takeover

Koin working with Fidel for ethical rewards

Having just announced their Seedrs crowdfunding campaign, Koin Rewards, the ethical rewards platform built on blockchain, is to partner with card linking API Fidel to build a responsible and sustainable rewards programme for shoppers.

Koin Rewards is working with Fidel to build a community of merchants and members based upon shared ethical behaviours. Koin Rewards is using Fidel’s PCI-compliant card linking API to enable merchants to automatically reward their customers for … [Read more...] about Koin working with Fidel for ethical rewards

Kantar deal highlights need for data aggregation

Marketing and advertising agency WPP has confirmed it is selling 60% of its stake in markets research and data company Kantar to Bain Capital, valued at around $4bn. It follows the recent US$4bn acquisition of Epsilon by Publicis, highlighting the appetite to invest in data aggregation capabilities.

The size of the deal is a surprise because Mark Read, chief executive of WPP, had previously stated his intent to hold onto 25-40% of the company. An industry … [Read more...] about Kantar deal highlights need for data aggregation

Square Loyalty expands into Canada

Square, the POS payments company co-founded by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has launched its new loyalty programme, to Canadian businesses this week.

It has been running in the US since 2017.

The tool, called predictably Square Loyalty, allows business owners to customize loyalty programmes for their customers; ranging from simple points-earning systems to more complicated tier-structured loyalty programmes.

“Canadian customers love loyalty programmes, and in … [Read more...] about Square Loyalty expands into Canada

Affinion divests loyalty firm five years after cyberattack

An Irish loyalty has been sold on by its US parent, five years after a devastating cyberattack.

Loyaltybuild never recovered from the cyberattack, which put the company out of action for seven months.

In 2016, it announced 37 redundancies at its Irish HQ in Ennis, Co Clare base and lost a significant customer at the end of 2016.

LoyaltyBuild rebranded but its past stayed with it

The firm no longer has a presence in Ennis and new accounts filed by … [Read more...] about Affinion divests loyalty firm five years after cyberattack

Latest card-linked loyalty start-up gains funding

Second seed round over-subscribed

The concept of allowing consumers to consolidate multiple loyalty and points programmes into one mechanism is moving from a conceptually good idea to a fast moving express train.

Latest announcement is the over-subscribed second round seed funding for rewards startup OpenSparkz which currently works in the Asia-Pacific region.Founded two years ago by (pictured) chief executive Terry McMullen (third from left) and co-founders … [Read more...] about Latest card-linked loyalty start-up gains funding

Closed loop multi-currency giftcard on a blockchain

Solving the issue of multi-currencies for loyalty and gift cards

Tranxactor, working with technology company Kornchain, have released a ground-breaking multicurrency closed-loop gift card product which will use blockchain to create efficiencies, speed of transaction and cross-border usability.

The global gift cards market is expected to hit US$750bn by 2026 with growth of 15% a year. But for many retailers and those in the hospitality sector that … [Read more...] about Closed loop multi-currency giftcard on a blockchain

Barclays leads £10m funding round for Bink

Proposition to provide a marketplace for loyalty programmes back on the agendaLee Clarke and Greg Gormley no longer part of the management teamInterview with Mike Jordan, CEO here on Monday

Barclays has become a minority stakeholder in Bink, having taken part in its recent oversubscribed £10m funding round. A statement said “Barclays and Bink will work in collaboration to deliver a ground-breaking experience for Barclays customers”.

Bink began its life as a … [Read more...] about Barclays leads £10m funding round for Bink

Big guys suffer major fines with warnings of more to come

France fines Google €400m for GDPR breaches; Mastercard fined £504m by Europe for competition breach;It was a subject of much debate in certain circles as to which country in Europe would be the first to hit Google with a GDPR action.

In the end it was France that was chosen to enter the history books because although Google's European headquarters is in Ireland, it was decided among the various authorities … [Read more...] about Big guys suffer major fines with warnings of more to come

Air Canada completes purchase of Aeroplan

Aimia “in the enviable position of having unrestricted cash of over half a billion dollars” says chairmanAimia plans for the cash outlined

Air Canada has completed its purchase of the Aeroplan loyalty program from Aimia, and has confirmed to customers that their miles will be honoured on a "one-to-one basis" when the airline's new rewards program launches in 2020.

The deal marks a reunion for Aeroplan and Air Canada, which spun off the points program to Aimia in … [Read more...] about Air Canada completes purchase of Aeroplan