Travelstart launches pay-in-store with Pep

TRAVELSTART is tapping
into a new market of
clients who prefer to
pay for goods and services
in-store through the launch of
its ‘Pay@PEP’ initiative.
Customers book on
travelstart.co.za then select
‘Pay@PEP’ and take their
booking reference to a Pep
store to complete payment.
“This is part of our strategy
to increase access to air
travel for all South Africans,
including those who don’t
have credit cards,” said
Odette Faling, head of global
partnerships at Travelstart.
Travelstart says it will
be rolling out the pay-instore
service at various
retailers across South Africa
in the coming months. A
spokesperson said the
partnership had been initiated
as Travelstart had identified
that many clients searched
for flights on the Internet
but did not complete their
transactions online. Reasons
for this include lack of access
to a credit card or fear of
online payment transactions.
A number of other travel
suppliers have historically
entered into partnerships
with clothing retailers,
although these have ended.
In the cruising market, TNW
understands that MSC
once partnered with Edgars
Club through a third-party
arrangement, and Imagine
Cruising once partnered
with Stuttafords prior to the
retailer closing its stores.
One ongoing retailer travel
initiative is Computicket
Travel’s in-store partnership
with the Shoprite Checkers
stores. Computicket is a
wholly owned subsidiary of
the Shoprite Holdings Group,
however, and the brands
are therefore incentivised to
synergise.
TNW understands that
Shoprite Checkers stores are
some of the largest sellers
of bus tickets in South Africa
and that substantial sales
revenue is generated from
local and regional flight
bookings processed through
the retail stores.
Thompsons Holidays
initially assisted with the
launch of the Computicket
Travel-Shoprite Checkers
partnership and Joanne
Adolphe, ceo of the tour
operator, explained that
the partnership remained
successful as the retail
chains were able to access
a particular niche cash sale
market.