iGoDirect’s innovation and success in Australia will deliver strong value for Kiwi businesses
Leading Australasian payments and rewards company iGoDirect is shaking up the New Zealand market with technology that connects a company’s brand directly to peoples’ Apple or Google wallets with a fully branded digital Visa card.
iGoDirect is introducing web-to-wallet technology to New Zealand’s corporate rewards sector, eliminating the hassle of physical reward cards, third-party apps and delays receiving rewards.
It is the only company in New Zealand offering web-to-wallet technology which transfers fully branded rewards instantly via a digital Visa card to an employee’s or customer’s Apple or Google Wallet to sit alongside their bank cards and concert tickets.
Founder and Managing Director, Pat Dalton, said businesses in New Zealand are desperate for seamless digital-first technology options that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and drive engagement.
“Kiwis are very early adopters, and their preference is digital first. But the New Zealand market is underserved by technology that drives customer and employee loyalty and engagement,” Dalton said.
Dalton said a key issue with existing gift card providers was their brand is prioritised rather than the brand of the company using their service.
“We see a real opportunity to deliver more innovation and flexibility for Kiwi brands to grow and showcase their business by getting their brand directly into people’s Apple or Google wallets.
“Rather than a bit of plastic that ends up in landfill, iGoDirect delivers a payment reward instantly into peoples’ phones. Our technology revolutionises the rewards sector by bringing together loyalty, incentives, payments, and rewards all in one place to make rewarding easy, efficient, and cost effective.”
Digital disruption key to building brand
iGoDirect has led rewards sector innovation in Australia for more than 25 years, introducing branded prepaid Visa cards in 2004 which redefined how brands engaged with customers.
The company is now the engine room behind more than 2000 businesses across Australasia, including Johnson and Johnson, Asahi, and snack company Mondelez.
Asahi runs consumer promotions using iGoDirect technology which puts the brand into consumers’ phones. iGoDirect manages everything from consumer interaction through to issuing customer’s with fully branded Asahi digital rewards Visa cards that can be geo-targeted to deliver location-based rewards and offers in real time.
“Companies both big and small make a significant investment in building brand value and awareness. So, it’s essential for a company when running promotions or gifting rewards that it’s their brand that customers see, rather than a third-party gift card’s brand front and centre. That’s what our customised, fully branded solution enables.”
iGoDirect is a licensed Visa card issuer and holds a New Zealand Financial Services License meaning it issues digital Visa cards directly to its customers.
At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, iGoDirect partnered with Visa to deliver a fully cashless tournament. The technology solution iGoDirect provided also enabled innovative consumer features that had not been previously possible, including branded digital FIFA memorabilia cards and instant offers for attendees.
The future of rewards
The iGoDirect launch comes as New Zealand’s corporate gift card market experiences strong growth. The sector is projected to reach $2.25 billion by 2028, driven by demand for digital-first solutions, the evolution of e-commerce, and increasing corporate spend on employee recognition and client engagement tools*.
Dalton said iGoDirect’s digital-first technology was a game-changer for the New Zealand rewards and loyalty sector.
“Digital payment platforms are increasingly helping to drive economic growth by enabling instant, secure, and seamless transactions. This helps to encourage everything from consumer spending to creating new business opportunities and enhancing innovation.”
The iGoDirect tech
iGoDirect uses Web Push Provisioning technology to enable companies to send a payment token via a QR code, link, or text message to employees and customers who add it instantly to their Apple or Google wallet to enable immediate payments.
*New Zealand Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics report