logo

Swiipr launches welfare 'eco-card' for travelers

Finextra2 days ago
Swiipr, the platform digitally transforming airline payments, has launched an industry-first fully sustainable 'eco card' to replace single-use paper and plastic welfare compensation methods.
0
This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author.
Swiipr's Mastercard welfare cards enable airline ground staff to instantly distribute food and beverage payments when flights are delayed, offering instant, secure and compliant payouts that have universal retail compatibility. The cards eradicate the need for paper vouchers, which are typically time-consuming to process and issue, prone to fraud, and difficult for retailers and passengers to use.
Made entirely from left-overs from construction timber and other wood products, and sourced from a zero-landfill mill, the Swiipr eco card is fully recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable with the same rigidity and thickness of PVC cards. It is certified to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 standards and compostable to EN 13432 standard.
A leading low-cost European airline has become the first carrier to adopt the eco card. The airline is using the card to supply passengers affected by travel disruptions with welfare payments to support them as they complete their journey.
Tara Spielhagen, co-founder and CEO at Swiipr, said: 'Swiipr is thrilled to continue cementing its place as an innovator in the airline payments industry with the launch of its sustainable eco-card. Paper vouchers should be a thing of the past. But unfortunately, they're still common-place and used by many airlines. The digital eco-card is an easy to use, much more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative that streamlines the issuing process for airlines and improves the passenger experience, with minimal impact on the planet.'
The card has been produced by paperboard company Holmen Board and Paper, listed by EcoVadis among the top 1% of global businesses for sustainability. The company sources its wood from sustainably managed forests, where more trees are planted than felled.
Mark Browne, Account Manager at Holmen Board and Paper, said: 'We're delighted to lend our expertise in sustainable forestry and manufacturing to help the travel industry become more environmentally friendly. Just like passengers, the eco cards have their own journey to make: from our growing forests, where we prioritise biodiversity and tree health, through our 99% fossil-fuel-free mill and into the customer's hand. Then they can be recycled and the whole cycle starts again.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BCP Council to use one app for all parking payments
BCP Council to use one app for all parking payments

BBC News

time42 minutes ago

  • BBC News

BCP Council to use one app for all parking payments

A single mobile app will be accepted for parking payments across all car parks operated by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, it has been announced. RingGo will become the sole provider in the area from Monday 1 September. following the end of contracts with JustPark and will still be able to pay using a range of methods, including phone call, text message, online and via the RingGo Barrie, director of commercial operations at BCP Council, said the change was "intended to make it simpler for residents and visitors to pay for parking quickly and securely". "We understand that changes to parking payment systems can raise questions," she said."We appreciate the public's support during this transition and remain committed to making parking as straightforward as possible."Consolidating payments into one app will also save staff time and reduce operational costs, which will help keep increases to charges to a minimum, the council said. The authority has encouraged residents and visitors to download the app before users can continue using their accounts in the BCP area without any council also said that QR codes would not be used for registration or payment. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

The retirees on £36k state pensions – triple the full amount
The retirees on £36k state pensions – triple the full amount

Telegraph

time2 hours ago

  • Telegraph

The retirees on £36k state pensions – triple the full amount

Hundreds of retirees earn state pensions of at least £36,000 – three times the 'full' amount, analysis shows. A 'full' new state pension pays £230.25 a week, or £11,973 a year. However, complexities in the system have created large disparities between the amounts pensioners receive. There are 324 retirees who receive at least £692.30 a week in state pension payments, equating to an annual income of £36,000, according to calculations based on Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) data. All of these retirees receive the old state pension, having retired before April 2016, when the new state pension system was introduced. Many people who retired before the state pension changed in 2016 have been able to boost their payments to much higher amounts. The 'basic' element of the old state pension is currently £176.45 a week, or £9,175.40 a year – £2,800 less than the new state pension. But many older retirees also draw money from an additional earnings-related pension, commonly known as Serps, for a maximum of £222.10 a week. It is also possible to delay the start date for drawing the old state pension to boost payments further. In the past, delaying drawing the old state pension raised the starting amount by 10.4pc for each year deferred. The rate has since been reduced to a 5.8pc uplift for every year of deferral. The Telegraph previously revealed that some pensioners receive as much as £50,000 a year from the state pension, while others receive pennies. Around 8.4 million people still receive the old state pension, paid to those who reached state pension age before April 2016, compared to 4.6 million on the new state pension, according to DWP figures. Despite the greater potential to boost payments under the old system, women, the self-employed and low earners lost out. This was because they were likely to have lower National Insurance contributions, and did not benefit as much from Serps, which was earnings-linked. The new system boosted payments for these groups, but left pensioners stuck on the old system at a permanent disadvantage. Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister who introduced the 2016 changes and is now a partner at pension consultants LCP, said: 'These figures are a reminder that outcomes under the old state pension system could vary hugely, with some people receiving very large pensions and others very small ones. 'In particular, some people with very large entitlements to the additional state pension on top of their basic pension could have pensions of £300 per week or more, significantly higher than the standard rate of the new state pension. 'In the future, it will not be possible to build up state pensions this large, but there are significant numbers of people who retired before 2016 who will continue to enjoy pensions above the new flat rate.' Tom McPhail, an independent pensions expert, said: 'The old state pension system produced some spectacular winners, compared to the new state pension, but it also tended to be more unequal – some did very well, others largely missed out. 'For younger workers today, facing poorer private pensions, later retirement and a state pension that is being rapidly overtaken by taxes, it is understandable if they feel hard done by.'

Aussie slams major airline after 'mistake' costs her more than $6,000 as she desperately tries to get her money back: 'They're ignoring us'
Aussie slams major airline after 'mistake' costs her more than $6,000 as she desperately tries to get her money back: 'They're ignoring us'

Daily Mail​

time4 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Aussie slams major airline after 'mistake' costs her more than $6,000 as she desperately tries to get her money back: 'They're ignoring us'

An Aussie woman has lashed out at a major airline, claiming that a mistake by staff turned her trip to the US into a nightmare that left her $6,000 out-of-pocket. Melbourne woman Daniella Melfi explained that she, her partner, and children flew to America on July 1 to visit her husband's family. 'This was a trip that was, financially, a bit of a struggle, but we knew it was really important to take,' she said in a TikTok video on Friday. Ms Melfi said she was excited and that the trip 'overall' was 'beautiful and amazing'. 'However, it has now been tainted because of this American Airlines mistake,' she said. Ms Melfi explained she travelled from Austin to Minneapolis via Dallas. 'That flight was very odd, because we had a very small connection time in Dallas to get to our next flight,' Ms Melfi said. 'We just assumed the gates were near each other. They weren't. We had to run through the airport Home Alone-style.' Ms Melfi claimed once the family reached the gate, they were stopped from boarding the plane because the 'doors were closed'. She said a staff member 'booked us on the next flight to Minneapolis'. Ms Melfi claimed the staff member accidentally cancelled the return flight they would need to catch back to Dallas. 'We didn't know about it, because there was no email, no notification, so we went about our trip like nothing was wrong,' she said. 'We knew we were going to return home on July 24.' Ms Melfi said the day of departure came and she said her 'emotional goodbyes to everyone'. 'We get to the airport to be told, "Your booking does not exist",' she said. She explained her family needed to catch an American Airlines flight to Dallas so they could catch the international flight back home to Melbourne with Fiji Airways. Ms Melfi said she was informed at the desk at the airport she should have received an email about the change to her flights. 'No, an email wasn't sent to us,' she said. 'We have been blindsided.' She claimed staff informed her there would be no flights available until the next day, meaning Ms Melfi and her family would miss their international flight from Dallas. Ms Melfi explained she tried to speak to Fiji Airways, but couldn't get a flight a couple of days later, and she would need to make a new booking and pay a penalty fee. She claimed the total cost came to $6,322. Ms Melfi said she did everything she could to try and find a way around it. 'In the end, after being at that desk for over four hours, with our family and kids, we had to pay the $6,322 so that we would have a seat on the plane two days later,' she said. 'Two days later, we fly home. We've missed work, the kids have missed school, and American Airlines are coming up with nothing. Ms Melfi claimed she was offered some 'miles' and a '$50 voucher' by American Airlines. She said she just wanted her 'money back', prompting them to file an official complaint. Ms Melfi said she has yet to hear back from American Airlines since their last correspondence on July 31. Social media users were left divided, with some arguing a traveller should always use the same airline for their connecting flights. 'This is a prime example not to do separate bookings when travelling internationally,' one wrote. 'The little savings she originally saved, cost her big $$$. Now she's crying wolf. They were only responsible for the domestic flight. Good luck. You're wasting your time.' Others shared their sympathy for Ms Melfi. 'I hope you get your money back!' one wrote.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store