Collinson Group, a specialist in loyalty programs for airlines, plans to boost its services around the time of payment through the acquisition of Welcome Real-time.

Welcome Real-time’s technology enables companies to provide special offers, points redemption and other messages to consumers at the time of payment.

Exact terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed although a spokesman for Collinson describes it as a ‘multi-million pound’ deal which the company has been able to fund through existing cash reserves.

The company, which is based in France and also has offices in Asia and Latin America, joins Collinson’s existing services including loyalty marketing agency ICLP and online earning and redemption platform Collinson Latitude.

Colin Evans, Collinson Group chairman says:

“Our combined skills, experience and technologies will enable our clients within the travel industry to offer their members a wider choice in both the earn and redemption aspects of their programmes.”

Collinson counts airlines including Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic among its customers as well as a number of leading hotel companies such as IHG.

Original author: Linda Fox