Leading loyalty solution for the travel industry selects secure API-based financial data platform Pentadata as its account-linking partner

Travel rewards program Thanks Again announced it has forged a partnership with Pentadata, a trusted API-based data platform that puts consumers’ needs first. The agreement between the two organizations enables the loyalty company, which lets members automatically earn rewards when they shop, park, or dine at thousands of retailers in and around more than 100 airports throughout North America, to enhance its offering.

“Our members have long valued the fact that our program is free, secure and easy-to-use,” said Ed Puckhaber, Co-founder, President and COO of Atlanta-based Thanks Again, launched in 2006. Now that the company is working with Pentadata, program participants get even more value from their membership—and from their data.

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“Our members have long valued the fact that our program is free, secure and easy-to-use”

“Our decision to work with Pentadata is based on our belief that data ownership belongs with the consumer, and that the consumer should be the one to benefit from its use,” said Puckhaber. He noted that in many cases, it’s the banks, card issuers, networks, and credit bureaus, which often mine and sell consumer data, who profit. “After extensive due diligence, we’re firmly in the court that account-linking versus traditional card-linking is the way to go.”

Rather than sign up for the program via their 15- or 16-digit credit card number (card-linking), members are able to link their debit or credit account with a direct connection to their financial institution to share their data (account-linking)—and reap the rewards. Consumers give their explicit consent before data recipients can access their data; data sharing with third- and fourth parties is allowed only with permission; and consumers can opt-out at any time.

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In addition, storage of data is avoided. While collecting, saving, and duplicating data is not a best practice, it’s common, according to Puckhaber. “By partnering with Pentadata, our members are assured that the risk of data exploitation and compromise is substantially minimized,” he added.

Thanks Again members have an increased sense of comfort that they’ve actively consented to sharing data in a way that’s safe and secure. They’ve grown accustomed to sharing their account information with their mortgage company, their brokerage firm, with mobile payment services and others—and have gained confidence that this is a smarter approach.