Under a new arrangement with Zip, Qantas is now offering consumers the option to buy now and pay later on international and domestic tickets.
Starting on Thursday, May 19, the airline will reward regular fliers for using the payment method by giving them Qantas points for every dollar spent.
After Virgin joined forces with the financial services company in 2018, the Sydney-based carrier became the second Australian airline to work with Zip. The new partnership comes a year after Qantas ended its Frequent Flyer partnership with AfterPay, which was set to begin in 2020.
“The option to buy now, pay later through Zip gives our customers more choice in how they pay for their flights,” said Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth.
“With Zip, they can spread the cost over time by choosing flexible repayments, and also earn Qantas Points on the payment as well as the flight itself.
“Being able to earn points on buy now, pay later purchases through Zip Rewards when shopping online or in-store is something that will appeal to many of our members.”
While all customers will have the option of using the payment method, regular flyers will be able to earn more Qantas Points through Zip Rewards, the company’s loyalty program.
Customers who sign up, link their Zip account, and complete their first transaction will receive 3,000 Qantas points automatically, according to the airline.
Additionally, travelers who meet their Zip Reward objective might earn 500 Qantas points or receive $20 in cash.
Customers will also earn one Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every $3 spent on qualified Zip flights.
“We are also giving freedom and choice back to customers by giving them the option to pay for their trip before they go, or when they get back,” Zip ANZ managing director Cynthia Scott said.
“We want Zip to be the first payment choice everywhere and every day and partnering with leaders in travel like Qantas will help get us there sooner.”
According to Zip’s study, consumers who use the “buy now, pay later” payment method are more likely to travel within the next year than those who do not.
“In fact, more than 75 percent of Zip customers intend on traveling in the next 12 months,” Scott said.
In an effort to regain consumers during the pandemic recovery, airlines around the world have begun to introduce more flexible payment options.
Following a partnership with AfterPay in 2017, Qantas’ budget subsidiary Jetstar was already offering this payment option to passengers well before the epidemic.