Etisalat today announced that Smiles launched the UAE’s first ever Rewards Exchange powered by blockchain, facilitating fast, seamless and secure points exchange from a single platform to enhance customer experience.

The launch was held during the 40th GITEX Technology Week taking place from 6th to 10th December 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Smiles members can now link their other loyalty programmes to Smiles by adding their membership details on the Rewards Exchange page on the Smiles app. Currently the Smiles’ Rewards Exchange is the only blockchain-powered rewards exchange that can onboard multiple programmes and allow the flexibility of exchanging points or rewards from one programme to any other programme in real-time.

Under Rewards Exchange, Smiles customers can look forward to a number of benefits such as the ability to add loyalty memberships on one app, track all loyalty points in real time, exchange points with any programme within the Rewards Exchange network in real-time, and access an expanded marketplace for points redemption. More importantly, members can avoid losing their hard-earned points due to expiry as they convert them to their most preferred loyalty programme.

Khaled Elkhouly, Chief Consumer Officer, Etisalat, said: “At Etisalat, we are committed to providing top-notch benefits and bringing in customer-centric innovations that focus on fulfilling our customers’ needs. We are delighted to launch Rewards Exchange on Smiles, the first Internet of Loyalties in the UAE powered by blockchain, which allows customers to earn and redeem points and maximise their savings by exchanging points with GEMS Rewards, as well as other loyalty programmes that will be integrated with Smiles in the near future.”

GEMS Rewards, an exclusive rewards programme designed for GEMS Education’s community of students, parents and staff, is the first loyalty programme to join Smiles’ Rewards Exchange. As one of the largest private education providers in the country, GEMS’ exclusive rewards programme is accessed by 100,000+ families of parents and faculty members across 43 schools in the UAE and facilitates a host of lifestyle and retail opportunities through thousands of family-focused offers and benefits, as well as savings.

Smiles members can exchange their Smiles points into GEMS Rewards points in multiples of 7,500 Smiles points, equivalent to 500 GEMS points, and pay for their children’s tuition fees, school transport, and other education fees. GEMS Rewards members can convert their GEMS points into Smiles points in multiples of 500 GEMS points, equivalent to 3,000 Smiles points, and enjoy a wide range of daily deals and lifestyle rewards.

Smiles, one of the largest lifestyle engagement programmes in the UAE, has more than 2.2 million customers on-boarded on the Smiles mobile app and 1,000+ participating brands. Smiles offers everyday savings to its members through earn and redemption of Smiles points for Etisalat, partner products and services as well as ‘Unlimited Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ and other discount offers at over 3,000 outlets, on entertainment, shopping, dining, travel, services and wellness experience.