ANZ introduce Sphere

[admin]

ANZ have introduced Sphere, a new "non-airline-frequent-flyer" reward program. The Sphere program can be used with the ANZ First card and offers a lower cost alternative to the popular ANZ Qantas Visa card.

Reward points can be exchanged for a range of goods and services, including travel vouchers redeemable at Harvey World Travel.

This is the latest offering to emerge from the new generation of bank loyalty programs such as the Westpac Altitude and NAB Gold programs.

Have your say, vote in our poll: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/disc...ead.php?tid=15

[Lindsay Wilson]

Why with their huge marketing database, the banks don't want to introduce decent reward programs is beyond me. There is only one exception - ANZ have had a big win with the ANZ Qantas Visa. Look at the penetration that the card got into the general population and the particularly high penetration into the Qantas Frequent Flyers (pound for pound, spending large licks per annum on their cards and increasing).

Westpac - Altitude, ANZ - Sphere, NAB - Gold (and aligned to FlyBuys) -- LOSERS!!! (Sorry Commonwealth, I couldn't even remember what you offer)

Generally speaking, if consumers think they are going to get a decent benefit out of any program (where hotel, hire car, credit card, whatever loyalty card), they are willing to pay something for it, because they have already factored in the cost into the decision as still being value for money!

Pay peanuts, get monkeys!!