SMCC agrees to partner with HTS for entry into the travel segment

Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd. (SMCC), the credit card company  of SMBC Group and the largest credit card issuer in Japan, has agreed to join forces with HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) to create a travel loyalty portal for SMCC customers. The portal will allow cardholders and reward members to book flights, accommodations and car rentals, and save while doing it. 

HTS is the B2B division of the global travel platform, Hopper, which uses data to bring transparency, flexibility, and savings to travelers globally. Working with the world's leading banks, airlines and travel providers, HTS empowers financial institutions to supercharge travel benefits for cardholders with cutting-edge travel and loyalty platforms. HTS now accounts for two-thirds of the Hopper business and reaches millions of travelers around the world. 

“HTS is uniquely positioned to power SMCC’s travel portal and bring industry-leading travel booking options to their tens of millions of cardholders and reward members,” said Dakota Smith, President and Co-Founder of Hopper. “We are thrilled to be partnering with SMCC on this endeavor and look forward to the portal’s launch.”

SMCC selected HTS for its entry into the travel market due to the travel platform’s industry-leading flexibility products, modern e-commerce platform, comprehensive travel agency, and deep understanding of data. The portal will be designed to offer the best value to SMCC cardholders and rewards members, as the company aims to attract new users and increase loyalty among existing customer base.

“At SMCC, we are focused on providing value to our customers in all areas, including areas outside traditional financial offerings,” said Yoshiro Kagata, Managing Executive Officer at SMCC. “Partnering with HTS to power this portal will give our cardholders a new way to book travel in the Japanese market and get the most value out of their loyalty benefits.”