Munich – Germany’s largest bonus programme PAYBACK can look back on an extremely successful first year for its travel website payback-reisen.de. In just a short period of time, it has become one of the leading portals of its kind. “We have achieved sales totalling a healthy eight-figure sum and will continue to go from strength to strength in 2009,” says PAYBACK CEO Bernhard Brugger. “Even after such a short time, the number of return visitors and repeat buyers on our portal is particularly high,” he adds. The major advantage payback-reisen.de enjoys over other providers is that users who are keen to get away from it all can collect PAYBACK points when booking their trip and thereby save a considerable amount of money.

The portal is operated in cooperation with Munich-based Comvel GmbH and is the real high-flyer among Germany’s travel websites. Brugger attributes the high volume of package holidays booked and the excellent average price to the carefully chosen portfolio and very successful joint communication. “Right from the very start, we used all the channels in the programme to spread the word about our new site. In doing so, we make full use of the opportunity to combine offline and online offerings in the best way we can, whether that be through posters, mailshots, e-mail newsletters or coupons.”

Aleksandar Vucak, Managing Director of Comvel: “payback-reisen.de is the travel website with the best conversion rate on the market. We are confident that it will continue to enjoy successful growth and attract a great deal of attention.” Comvel also operates weg.de, the site that is currently ranked top by the Stiftung Warentest foundation for comparative product testing.

At payback-reisen.de, customers earn points for every euro they spend on travel products and services. Customers who pay with the PAYBACK Premium credit card receive five points for every euro they spend, giving them the equivalent of a five percent discount. The site offers deals from over 60 tour operators, 100,000 holiday homes in 30 countries, scheduled, charter and budget flights from over 500 airlines, and around 180,000 hotels and car hire firms. payback-reisen.de has just received an award for “best conditions” from the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ).

In this partnership, customers benefit not only from savings made by collecting points, but also from direct comparisons between the best and most reasonably-priced holiday deals available from well-known travel companies and hotel reviews submitted by guests who have stayed there. The portal is to be expanded with further payback-specific features and additions are to be made to the partner portfolio in the field of leisure and tourism.