GIFT CARDS AND VOUCHERS MOST POPULAR REWARDS ITEM - Citibank Australia

 

The rising popularity of gift cards has been reinforced in a survey released by Citibank today where they were named the most popular and recognised rewards item¹.

When people were asked to name three products or offers available through their credit card rewards program, more than half (54%) of people cited gift cards/vouchers as top-of-mind, ahead of home appliances (23%) and hotel accommodation (22%).

Citibank's World of Rewards survey found that around two in three Australians (65%) have a credit card with an associated rewards program while 17% have multiple rewards programs through multiple credit cards.

Head of Citibank Credit Cards Madeline O'Connor said rewards programs had evolved and were becoming more innovative and extensive. "Gift cards are certainly our most popular items - at last count we had 44 different gift cards available to redeem, including the new Citi Prepaid Gift Card. At the moment other key redemption trends are travel and merchandise, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

Spend behaviour
When it comes to credit card usage, 27% of people (the majority of these being Generation Y) said they have been using their credit card to make purchases more often in the last 12 months, compared with 12% who said they were using it less. The average amount spent by people on their most expensive credit card purchase was $5,164.

More than a third (36%) of people said they paid for their most expensive purchase with their credit card - despite having the cash available - so they could earn reward points, while 28% didn't have the cash available and 17% used their credit card for an online purchase.

Women are more likely to use their credit card for a purchase because they don't have the cash available, (25% vs 32% of men) whereas men are more focused on using their card to earn reward points even if they have the money available. This may suggest that women have a higher tendency towards instant gratification than men.

People living in capital cities have the highest propensity to use their credit card to earn reward points (40%), compared to 30% of those living in a regional centre and 19% of those living in a rural area.

Redemption behaviour
Many respondents (30%) look forward to getting their monthly statement to see how their points are building up. But when it comes to actually redeeming points, almost one in five (19%) say they don't like to redeem items, preferring instead to see their points build up and up.

Other findings showed:

    •
Previously redeemed an item for the purpose of giving it as a gift (23%)

    •
Want access to the best offers and privileges available (47%)

    •
Interested in redeeming reward points instantly to pay for a meal when dining out (21%)

    •
Offered as an exclusive service from their bank, they would like to be able to purchase online from select overseas retailers and have goods sent to Australia (23%)

    •
Would consider redeeming points to make a charitable donation (11%)

Madeline said: "Outside rewards, there is a whole raft of additional discounts, offers and privileges available to customers but our survey showed that almost one in two (46%) people aren't aware of them. People are missing out on thousands of special offers and discounts across a great range of areas which could add up to hundreds of dollars in savings. Citibank has almost 4,500 of these offers and you can access many of the deals available without additional spending on your credit card."

Newsroom - Citibank Australia

GMI World Poll: Chinese and Japanese Consumers Image of America Most Influenced by U.S. Foreign Policy

Seattle, WA December 12, 2004

&194;“With China&194;’s continued GDP growth, increasing consumer buying power, and the largest consumer market in the world, there is no doubt that these results must be taken seriously,&194;” explains Bob Chua, Managing Director of GMI International. Chua added that Chinese and Japanese consumer&194;’ attitudes towards America and American foreign policies could have a direct impact on future American brands entering and already in these markets.

GMI World Poll, which polled a 1000 representative sample in both China and Japan (97% accuracy) found that 39% of Japanese consumers and 37% of Chinese consumers indicated that American foreign policy was most important in molding their image of the United States.

Other key findings include:

&194;•One-half of Japanese consumers and one-third of Chinese consumers indicate a negative change in their view of America as a result of the U.S. War on Terror and the War in Iraq

&194;•80% of Chinese consumers and 62% of Japanese consumers think the primary reason behind the United States&194;’ War in Iraq was an attempt to control oil

&194;•79% of Chinese consumers think the United States foreign policies are guided by self &194;–interests and empire building; 15% of Chinese consumers think it&194;’s the defense of freedom and democracy

&194;•56% of Chinese consumers distrust the American government

The extensive study of Chinese and Japanese consumers also found a direct correlation between the consumers&194;’ attitude towards American foreign policies and their purchasing habits of locally offered American products and services. According to the survey, the companies most likely to be impacted include American owned and operated airlines and CNN News International.

GMI World Poll questions are designed to solicit opinions on numerous topical issues and critical global events. GMI surveys use highly profiled double opt-in panels from more than 500 global sources to help achieve 97% accuracy in their statistical results.

128Trip.com Initiates Operations by Placing its Servers with one of the Fastest Virtual Private Server Hosting in the Market

San Jose, Costa Rica June 9, 2007

In order to assure the end user maximum speed when accessing the 128Trip website (http://www.128trip.com), management has decided to hook up to the powerful VPS technology, which will allow for high speed connections from anywhere around the globe.

"My recommendation to management was to place our servers over with Verio&39;s VPS service," said Ernesto Vargas, Senior IT for 128Trip.com. "Their multi-peering connections between the US, Asia, Oceania and Europe will greatly benefit 128Trip&39;s traffic by increasing speed and accessibility as well as maintaining a very reliable and stable connection."

Information to and from the 128Trip website will be traveling at speeds slightly above the 9 gigabyte range for the most part of the peering. This optical carrier level is one of the fastest available to the public.

"US customers who have booked their trip at 128Trip, be it airline tickets to cruises, can rest assured that wherever they happen to be during their trip, they will have the same reliable access to our website as if they were back at home," continued Mr. Vargas.

Already foreseeing a massive access to their website from the Asian travel market, it just seemed like the most intelligent step to take. This action will allow for 128Trip to focus more on continuing to offer savvy travelers the best deals worldwide as well as unique packages and destinations.

About
128Trip.com (http://www.128trip.com), an Overseas Hotel Management Corp. company, is an upcoming consolidator in hotel accommodations worldwide, including a vast selection of unique hotels in China. 128Trip.com offers hotel and airline booking as well as car rentals, cruises, complete tour packages and more. 128Trip&39;s goal is to position itself as your only choice of information and hotel accommodations worldwide.

MoneyEverything.com Releasing a Review of the New Virgin Credit Cards

London July 3, 2006

MoneyEverything.com , the UK financial website devoted in covering all the aspects of the UK financial market, has now released a review on the two new credit cards that are currently issued by Virgin Money in Great Britain.

Choosing the right credit card is of paramount importance in order to find the right credit card for personal needs, and MoneyEverything.com can be of help, publishing detailed reviews and pointing out the different characteristics of the various credit cards.

Virgin Money is now issuing two different credit cards. The first one is offering a 0% on balance transfers for 9 months, being then the most competitive in its sector in the UK market. Moreover, a reward program is associated to the card, allowing card owners to gain reward points, and spend them on any Virgin Store.

Every aspect of this 0% credit card is covered in the guide, such as the interest rate on cash advances, additional bonuses, credit limit and more. Besides of this, Virgin Money is offering as well a Flat Rate Credit Card, that is useful to clear an existing balance of which the individual had difficulties in paying off. This card is offering one of the lowest APR on cash advance rates, and comes with a free travel accident insurance, and the same reward program included with the 0% interest for 9 months card.

Furthermore, MoneyEverything.com is giving customized suggestions for each visitor, in order to find the best card that matches each financial profile; for instance, different credit cards are proposed when cash advances are needed, or when the balance is paid in full each month.

For more informations on credit cards, or on how to apply for a Virgin credit card online, visit the pages http://www.moneyeverything.com/virgin-flat-rate-credit-card.html and http://www.moneyeverything.com/virgin-credit-card.html .

Contact:

Jon Francis

http://www.moneyeverything.com
+44 7999 878172

Emirates Honours UAE National Summer Trainees

17th August 2008 Emirates has paid tribute to UAE students during its Summer Trainee graduation ceremony, reaffirming the airline’s dedication to recruiting and developing the nation’s youngsters. Some 90 students from local schools, colleges and universities spent up to two months working across various departments, including engineering, IT, flight operations and procurement and logistics, as part of the Emirates Group’s Annual Summer Job Training Programme. This programme is a work experience assignment, giving UAE national students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain practical experience in the workplace. The students, aged 15 to 25, were presented with certificates during a ceremony at the Emirates Group Headquarters building on Thursday 14th August. Additional certificates for excellence were awarded to 11 outstanding performers. Nasser Bin Kherbash, Divisional Senior Vice President, HR Development and Employee Services, offered his congratulations to the students and thanked them for their collective commitment during the placements, which were staggered from 15th June to 14th August. He added: “Our Summer Trainees have experienced Emirates commitment to young people, which involves investment in career training and development, and professional grooming initiatives such as the in-house mentoring scheme. Emirates received 430 applications for the summer job training programme during the Career Fair 2008 earlier this year. Of that number, 90 secured placements on the Summer Training scheme. In recent months, Emirates employees helped thousands of young people apply for career training programmes with the Group. The team has also visited UAE schools and colleges to raise awareness of the company’s career opportunities. For more information on careers in the Emirates Group, students can visit National Recruitment & Development at the Group’s headquarters on Airport Road, Dubai or apply online via www.emiratesgroupcareers.com

Emirates Rolls Out Special Services During Ramadan

15th September 2008 Emirates Airline is providing a special Iftar service to its Muslim customers during the month of Ramadan, to help travellers break their fast during their journey. Onboard Emirates flights, customers travelling to destinations in the Middle East, Gulf and Indian subcontinent region are served a special Iftar box as sunset approaches. This Iftar box contains humus with crudities, olives served with Arabic bread and chicken shawarma sandwiches, dates, a banana, a laban (yoghurt) drink and an Arabic pastry. At the airport, customers preparing to board the aircraft at Dubai International Airport during the Iftar period will be offered snack boxes at the boarding gate. This will help them break their fast, prior to enjoying full meals onboard. The snack box contains water, dates, a laban (yoghurt) drink and an Arabic pastry. This service is also being provided to Emirates customers at a number of other destinations across the network. With the longer daylight hours during summer, Emirates has also ensured that extra Iftar boxes from Dubai are available onboard some afternoon flights to Europe, to cater for those customers whom will break their fast prior to arrival or after reaching their destinations. Dubai-based Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing international airlines, has earned a reputation for service and innovation. Since its launch in 1985, it has won over 400 international awards for excellence across its business. Today, the airline operates services to over 100 cities on six continents.

Emirates offering special Dubai packages during Ramadan

13th August 2008 Emirates passengers travelling to Dubai during the religious month of Ramadan can enjoy two nights accommodation from as little as US$57 a night per person. The offer, which runs from 1st September to 30th September, involves six select hotels in Dubai, including the Marco Polo Hotel, Novotel World Trade Centre Dubai and Hyatt Regency Dubai. Extra nights with bed and breakfast are also available at excellent value rates, providing bookings are within the offer period. All accommodation-related taxes and charges are included in the offer. The packages, which are available worldwide to all Emirates passengers travelling in any class, include a meet and assist service at Dubai International Airport. A uniformed representative of Emirates destination management company Arabian Adventures will attend to passengers upon arrival. Passengers taking advantage of this offer, which is invalid for groups, will also receive an Arabian Adventures Welcome Pack and Privilege Discount Card, providing special rates and discounts at numerous shops and restaurants across Dubai. Elsewhere, passengers will receive chauffeur-driven transfers between Dubai International Airport and the hotel. Bookings are subject to availability, with passengers having to travel inbound and outbound on Emirates flights to be eligible for the offer. More details about the offer, which also covers the Ibis World Trade Centre Dubai, Highland Hotel and Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City, will soon be available at www.emirates.com