History
Alexander Rittweger founds Loyalty Partner in 1998 with three members of staff and no venture capital investors. Inspired by his consultancy work for Deutsche Lufthansa and its frequent flyer programme Miles & More, he develops the vision of a cross-sector and multi-media bonus programme. His business plan convinces the then Lufthansa CEO Jürgen Weber and his employer Roland Berger.
On the way to becoming Europe’s biggest bonus programme
The new bonus programme PAYBACK is based on strong partner companies with relevance for its customers. A cross-sectoral and multi-media partner alliance that fits the core of the PAYBACK programme brand is key to Rittweger’s vision. Consequently, he approaches only top companies from the retail and services sectors. METRO AG with Galeria Kaufhof and real,- and companies like Europcar and Apollo-Optik all agree to join the programme. Today, almost 20 companies put their trust in PAYBACK. The concept is a success thanks to its contemporary approach, which generates benefits for customers and companies alike.
Loyalty Partner – an expert in customer management
The know-how built up from the development of PAYBACK is unique in the field of customer management. Loyalty Partner makes this expertise available to other companies, offering tailor-made IT solutions for the operation of bonus programmes. Loyalty Partner wins Deutsche Bahn AG as one of its customers.
emnos GmbH begins operations as an independent subsidiary of Loyalty Partner in 2003. Within a very short period of time, the company becomes one of the leading providers of “insight-based marketing”.
In October 2004, Loyalty Partner acquires the software company Billing & Loyalty Systems (BLS), thereby combining the market for billing programmes with customer loyalty programmes.
In August 2008, Loyalty Partner Solutions and PAYBACK also begin to operate as legally independent subsidiaries. Loyalty Partner takes this step in response to the extraordinary company growth and to ensure optimum customer support in all fields of activity.
The shareholder structure changes on the road to success
Since September 2005, the British investment firm Palamon Capital Partners is the main shareholder in Loyalty Partner. Metro AG owns around 10 percent, Alexander Rittweger 20 percent and Roland Berger 7.5 percent.
