KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5): Citi and Grab have announced a partnership across five markets in Asia Pacific, namely Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which would allow Citi credit card holders to pay for their rides with Citibank credit card points.

This will be first time globally that the bank is integrating its credit cards with a transportation application, Citi and Grab said in a joint statement today.

“By grounding our reputation in safety, quality and availability, Grab is now the trusted, ridehailing leader in our six markets, with one in eight smartphone users in Southeast Asia already on our platform.

“As customers use Grab for their regular transport needs, many of them are choosing to go cashless by adopting GrabPay for a more seamless ride experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Citi to extend its best-in-class loyalty capabilities to make it easier to serve and reward our customers in the region,” said Joel Yarbrough, Grab’s head of payments and commerce product.

“Our strategy in consumer banking is to be the world’s leading digital bank, which includes delivering a remarkable client experience in key digital ecosystems.

“By integrating our services into key applications such as Grab, we [will also] drive growth in our cards business via new acquisitions and increased customer loyalty,” said Anand Selva, head of Asia Pacific consumer banking for Citi.

According to the statement, as part of the initial phase, customers who added Citi credit card to GrabPay, Grab’s mobile payment platform, will receive a discounted first ride. In return, customers who sign up for any Citi credit card through the partnership, gets a number of free rides worth up to US$50.

The next phase will see customers paying for Grab rides, using Citibank credit card points.

Cardholders who charge their Citi credit card on GrabPay will receive an SMS from Citi, requesting if they would like to redeem the ride for points. Upon replying with their acceptance, the redemption will be made automatically and reflected on the customer’s monthly statement.

Grab currently operates in 30 cities across Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam — markets and cities through which Citi offers consumer banking services, including credit cards.