Visit Mexico to Tout Digital Wallet as Unofficial Loyalty Program
Photo Credit: Visit Mexico, a tourism marketing agency, has signed a deal with Rêv to coax travelers to use a debit-card app and travel loyalty program. Source: Rêv. Rev
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It's not obvious the world needs another payment method. But a points-based loyalty program tied to the new debit card may give Visit Mexico a tool to steer travelers to suppliers and locations that most need visitors. The idea is intriguing.
Visit Mexico, a tourism marketing agency, said this week it had signed a deal with Rêv, a financial technology company based in Austin. The aim is to coax North American travelers into using a debit-based payment app tied to a loyalty program.
"To promote Mexico better, we need better data," said Carlos Gonzalez Gonzalez, CEO of Visit Mexico, a public-private agency that represents the world's third-most visited country. "So we need to partner with fintech [financial technology] and other technology companies to run more effective campaigns."
"Another question we're asking is 'how can we create a loyalty program for travelers?'," Gonzalez Gonzalez said.
Visit Mexico will try to popularize Rev's just-announced product, X World Wallet, a multi-currency debit account. Travelers download a mobile app and link it to physical and digital Visa cards via a debit account — or Apple Pay, Google, Pay, and Samsung Pay.
The app gives U.S. visitors t