Finnair Plus points - new payment method in Epassi app

Kirjoittanut Lasse Saari

Finnair and Epassi expand their partnership on mobile payments: Finnair Plus points can be used to pay for services at over 20,000 ePassi merchants in Finland.

In January 2017, Finnair became the first airline in the world to accept mobile payments for in-flight purchases when it began accepting Alipay on flights between Helsinki and Shanghai. The globe’s largest online payment platform for Finnair aircrafts & lounges was implemented by ePassi.

The cooperation now continues targeting Finnair Plus members in Finland. With the new integration, Finnair Plus points can be used to pay for services in more than 20,000 merchants around Finland. Payment is made using the Epassi mobile app, where the user can add his / her Finnair Plus ID. Points can then be used to pay for multiple wellness services including, but not limited to, gym classes, ski passes, massages, golf green fees or restaurant bills.

The new payment method will be introduced to end-users during 2021.

Loyalty benefit programs to mobile

Finnair is the first partner to join Epassi's new loyalty program cloud service, which enables customer benefit programs to be used with an end-to-end mobile platform. This modern way basically eliminates the need to order paper vouchers or display loyalty cards.

“With Epassi's extensive network of merchants and a convenient mobile app, Finnair Plus members have a great opportunity to efficiently use their points, increasing customer satisfaction. It’s great to continue our partnership with Finnair this way, as Finnair Plus is familiar and significant to so many Finns,” says Pekka Rantala, CEO of Epassi.

“The arrival of loyalty programs for mobile payments is one of the rising trends worldwide. People still value customer benefits and rewards, but are increasingly reluctant to carry cards or paper vouchers with them.” Rantala adds.

Efficient reward points usage

The new Finnair Plus payment method in Epassi makes it possible to utilize both smaller and larger reward points balances more efficiently.

“This collaboration brings Finnair Plus program to the daily lives of Finns in a new way. Especially for smaller reward points, there will be plenty of new use cases. You can pay your restaurant bill with our reward points smoothly with a totally mobile experience” says Peter Zeitlin, Head of Loyalty Business at Finnair.

To restaurants, swimming halls or concerts with Finnair Plus points

All Finnair Plus members in Finland can start using the Epassi payment method during the spring by downloading the ePassi application. People who already use Epassi in their employee benefits can link their Finnair Plus account to their own account details, after which the points will be available as a payment method.

The service will be phased in during 2021. In the first phase, well-being-related physical, cultural and health services will be available. In practice, points can then be used as a payment method to buy gym memberships, swimming hall visits, massages or even dentist fees. In the next phase, hotel and restaurant services will be added in.

Epassi expects to further increase the network of merchants through Finnair Plus collaboration. “We already have the most comprehensive network in the country, especially for everyday wellbeing services in sports, culture and health. We believe that the new payment method will further increase service providers' interest in receiving our mobile payments”, Rantala suggests.

Additional information:

Pekka Rantala, CEO of Epassi, 040 505 1970, pekka.rantala(a)epassi.com
Finnair media desk, 09 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com

Finnish ePassi Payments Oy was established in 2007. Epassi was the first mobile payment system for employee benefits and has since expanded into a universal mobile payment service. Tens of thousands of merchants in Finland and Sweden use Epassi in areas such as public transport, aviation, shopping, restaurants, sports, culture, wellness and events. More than 8,000 employers and over 800,000 employees rely on Epassi for employee benefits.

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