Embedding Insurance into Digital Reward Programs: How Zurich is elevating insurance to drive customer value and loyalty

Leveraging Partnerships to Enhance Rewards Programs

Zurich has long recognised the power of partnerships in enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. By integrating insurance solutions within digital rewards programs, we aim to change the dynamics of purchasing insurance, providing greater value to consumers and helping partners increase loyalty and engagement within their ecosystems. Zurich Edge delivers digitally embedded insurance solutions across all Asia Pacific markets and has now started offering propositions fit for reward programs. Powered by our proprietary Zurich Edge platform, we connect via APIs with our partner reward platforms, allowing efficient and seamless ‘earn and burn’ of rewards for insurance. 

Spotlight: Ponta, Japan

Zurich Japan entered into a partnership with Loyalty Marketing, who owns the Ponta app – one of Japan’s largest loyalty programs, to provide embedded digital insurance. Serving over 117 million members in Japan, Ponta is transitioning from traditional direct mail offerings to a fully digital experience. Connected via the Zurich Edge platform, Ponta members have free access to personal accident protection, which offers coverage against traffic accident injuries. This product can be easily upgraded to a Ponta Comprehensive Protection Plan, a paid proposition providing more extensive coverage and allowing customers to earn points equivalent to 1% of their monthly insurance premium. This integration not only enhances the user experience but also positions insurance as a valuable and accessible component of the rewards program.

Spotlight: Docomo, Japan

Zurich Japan has also partnered with NTT Docomo to integrate insurance into Docomo’s ‘d-POINT’ app platform, a rewards program used by over 80 million Japanese consumers. d-POINT consumers typically earn points through their daily retail, leisure, entertainment, restaurant, health & wellness, and other lifestyle purchases, redeeming those points for discounts and promotions. Now with our integration into the d-POINT platform via an API, Zurich Edge allows d-POINT members to easily purchase insurance using their mobile phones with existing points. These purchases generate more d-POINTs that can then be redeemed with other platform partners. 

Integrating Insurance into Rewards Programs

Using lifestyle services applications for online shopping, food delivery, and transportation/ travel purchases, among other categories, has become normal for digital-savvy consumers. It therefore makes sense that rewards programs typically offer discounts and promotions for the same lifestyle services and products that consumers have demand for.   What is less clear is why the products that consumers truly ‘need,’ such as insurance, are less frequently included in rewards programs and why the purchase experience for these types of products differ from what consumers are accustomed to for their day-to-day purchases. Including insurance as an option for rewards program members to earn and redeem points encourages members to explore and consider sustainable and socially responsible actions such as covering their personal risks. Rewards program platform operators have a real opportunity to introduce their members to responsible financial planning, in some cases for the first time.  Additionally, operators can provide societal benefits by offering high-quality insurance coverage to the unbanked and or uninsured/underinsured members of their programs. Many consumers still have a limited understanding of insurance. And warranted or not, neither the application nor the claims process under the traditional insurance experience is considered ‘simple and easy’ for most consumers.  Offering straightforward, easy-to-understand insurance options that deliver value-add to the customer, on a platform that they trust and use regularly, will be an additional benefit to rewards program members.

Enhancing Customer Loyalty through Zurich Edge

Through Zurich Edge, incentive models can be tailored to match the specific demographics and needs of various rewards programs. This may include free insurance incentives, personal accident coverage, micro insurance, periodic payments, and chatbot claims processing. To enhance user engagement, artificial intelligence can be used to offer context-based recommendations and incorporate gamification elements like interactive challenges and leaderboards. Zurich Edge leverages its global expertise and dedicated digital teams across Asia Pacific to deliver innovative, personalized insurance solutions that align with the specific needs of each market. This localized, data-driven approach ensures that our offerings not only support partner objectives but also address the evolving demands of today’s digital consumers. To explore how Zurich Edge can enhance customer loyalty by integrating tailored insurance solutions into your rewards program, visit our website to learn more about the potential of our partnerships to meet the unique needs of your membership base.