Decolar, the Brazilian subsidiary of Argentinian Despegar is launching a credit card in partnership with Visa and Santander for the Brazilian market, as the company reported this Wednesday, 12, in a press release.
Called “Decolar Passport”, the credit card will come along with a rewards program, in which customers will be able to accumulate points, in any purchase, to then redeem for travel products and services, such as flights from any airline, hotel reservations, car rental, tickets or any other product offered by Decolar. In the case of air tickets, the Decolar Passport won’t exclude miles of airline programs that users already participate in, which means they will be able to earn points both ways.
“With the launch of the co-branded card, the Decolar Passport can now be considered one of the best and most complete benefit programs on the market. Both in the accelerated form of accumulation of points and in the redemption of any tourism product on the largest travel website in Brazil,” said Alexandre Moshe, general director of Decolar, in the statement.
“In addition, the card confirms Decolar’s innovation and technology DNA, as the customer can request the card on our platform and, once approved, will be able to use it to make a purchase, without the need to wait for the physical card. It is another step that we have advanced in technological terms and pioneering the sector. We are already considering that this credit card should be one of the main means of payment for the company’s products and services in the coming years.”
Those who are not Santander customers can apply for a credit card on the Decolar website, being subject to instant approval. Santander’s account holders may also request the card through the institution’s service channels. “The partnership represents the union of solid brands, with high expertise in e-commerce and leaders in their respective sectors. And it increasingly values our card portfolio, offering customers, including those who do not have a bank account, the exclusive benefits of the Decolar Passport. For this reason, our expectations are extremely positive ”, highlighted Rogerio Panca, executive superintendent of Cards and Digital Payments at Santander.
Purchases made with the card in any vendor will generate points in the Decolar Passport that can be redeemed for Decolar products; and if the card is used for purchases in foreign currencies or on Decolar website, consumers will earn extra points.
Buenos Aires-based Despegar, the parent company of Decolar, is currently the leading OTA in Latin America. The Latin American giant has recently acquired Mexican travel agency Best Day for $136 million, in an effort to boost its operations in Mexico.
