Press Release

Qantas Frequent Flyer partnership

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NEW PARTNERSHIP 🚀

Paying bills with Sniip is now more rewarding with new Qantas Frequent Flyer partnership

Sniip, an Australian owned payments platform is set to deliver more value to new and existing customers through its new partnership with the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Since 2014, Sniip has enabled over 140,000 customers to seamlessly and flexibly pay over 1 million bills and will now reward Qantas Frequent Flyers when they use the platform to pay their bills.

From April, new customers who sign up to Sniip are eligible to receive 5000 bonus Qantas Points when they complete 3 bill payments, to a total value of $1000 within 60 days.

Both new and existing customers will be able to earn 1 Qantas Point for every $10 transacted on eligible payments in the Sniip app, further expanding the range of ways that QFFs can earn on financial products and services.

Damien Vasta, Founder and CEO of Sniip, said: “We’ve always believed that paying bills shouldn’t feel like a chore. By partnering with Qantas Frequent Flyer, we’re turning everyday expenses into rewards, offering our customers more value for doing something they already have to do.”

Simon Rowlands, Executive Manager Financial Services Qantas Loyalty, said: “Australians love earning Qantas Points. Our partnership with Sniip provides a new and exciting way for members to earn points on their everyday personal bill payments, helping them get even more value out of being a Qantas Frequent Flyer.”

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sniip Chief Marketing Officer, Leah Kidd (07) 3268 7710.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Further information on the partnership is available, here. 

THE BEST SURPRISE: Comedian Merrick Watts With Sniip

THE BEST SURPRISE:

Comedian Merrick Watts Catches Up With Sniip

Sniip CEO Damien Vasta was delighted to welcome the much-loved comedian and wine expert, Merrick Watts, to Fish Lane where the Sniip headquarters are based today. Known for his wit and charm, Merrick was in town ahead of his highly anticipated Brisbane Festival show, “An Idiot’s Guide to Wine – Volume Two.”

During his visit, Merrick met Sniip CEO Damien Vasta, where the two exchanged laughs and ideas. While the topic of conversation included the finer points of wine pairings—no doubt in preparation for his upcoming shows—Damien couldn’t resist the opportunity to share a few of his own (infamous) dad jokes.

“We’re always thrilled to host creative talents like Merrick and it just goes to show how much Brisbane is on-the-map as a capacity city now,” said Damien Vasta. “Merrick’s ability to blend humour with expertise is something we admire at Sniip, as we strive to make bill payments as seamless and swift as possible for our users.”

Merrick’s show, “An Idiot’s Guide to Wine – Volume Two,” has already received critical acclaim, and we look forward to seeing him continue to entertain audiences with his unique blend of comedy and wine knowledge. At Sniip, we’re proud to support the arts and local talent, and we wish Merrick continued success on his tour.

For more information about Merrick Watts and his upcoming shows, visit the Brisbane Festival website. 

To learn more about how Sniip is revolutionising the way Australians pay their bills, explore our platform at www.sniip.com.

BREAKING NOW: Vibrant artwork takes gong in 2024 Easter Competition

Congratulations Sophie!

THE winners of the 2024 ‘Sniip Easter Colouring-in Competition’ are officially in! 

Now in its second year, record entries poured in, resulting in the competition deadline being extended to allow for little artists to have extra time to complete their masterpieces.

The competition was open to children aged up to 12 years, seeing entrants fill in the custom artwork, complete with bunny, birds, butterflies (and Sniip billers). It is fair to say the contest attracted a vast array of colour schemes and wonderfully creative interpretations.

Sophie, age 9 from New South Wales, winner of Sniip Easter Competition 2024

Darren Lockyer, endorser of Sniip and judge of Sniip Easter Competition

Normally used to judging football talent, NRL football legend Darren Lockyer took on the prestigious role of competition judge for his second year.

He was ably joined by wife Loren and their four children: Sunny, Flynn, Hugo and Cleo.

As the family poured over the mass amount of entrants, Lockyer said he was wowed by the record number of participants and the diligent efforts by all who took part.
“It really shows how the awareness for Sniip and this great Easter competition is growing,” Lockyer said.

Each entrant put their own spin on the design, but there was one entrant who really caught the eye of the judging panel. 

The entire Lockyer family were all quite vocal in their assistance to Lockyer as they deliberated over his final decision.

Sophie, age 9 from NSW took the grand prize, scoring first place with her colourful creation. 

“Sophie’s added a rainbow and showed some real initiative!” Lockyer said. 

“It’s very colourful and has a lot of depth to the design.

“It just makes you feel happy!” 

Receiving the winning call on an overcast afternoon after school pick-up, Sophie was elated to hear the news she had come in first place. 

“I’m really happy, and really excited!” she exclaimed down the line with her support squad (Dad) Drake-Brockman within earshot. 

“I was trying to add lots of colours and trying to make it a bit special,” Sophie said. 

Nine-year-old Sophie recalled the Saturday afternoon at home when she got out her colouring pencils and textas and got to work on her entry. 

Adding a big bright rainbow, the sun, a pond and even Easter eggs in the clouds, along with an ‘on-trend’ bow to the bunny, her artistic creation flawed the illustrious judging panel. 

There’s no surprises that the talented artist aspires to be an author or illustrator and we look forward to seeing the talented works in the future. 

A close second prize was awarded to Harris, age 10 from Queensland. 

“It’s very neat and I loved the Easter bunny in Harris’s design. It’s a zebra bunny! Wow!,” Locker commented.  

“It’s very colourful and out of all of them, it’s probably the first one that captures your eye the most.” 

Taking out third place is Elisha, age 8 from Victoria. 

“It’s very neat and the Sniip logo really stands out. The shading on the bird is very clever too,” Lockyer said.  

Lockyer said it was a tough selection to pick just three winners and runners-up. 

“The efforts from all participants were very encouraging and a lot of people have taken a lot of time, and showed a lot of pride. Thank you so much for making my job a tough one!” 

Three additional runner-up prizes were awarded to Bridgette, age 9 from Queensland, Arthur, age 5 from Queensland and Thaddeus, age 6 from Victoria. 

Congratulations to everyone who participated for making such a fantastic effort, We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Exclusive: Welcoming A New Board Member

Welcome Virginia

We are delighted to announce a new addition to our board at Sniip. Virginia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team.

Virginia’s distinguished career in corporate law, coupled with her exceptional leadership qualities, makes her a perfect fit for our board. Her insights have already proven invaluable, and we are eager to benefit from her strategic advice as we continue to advance Sniip’s mission. 

Can you tell us about your background and experience in legal matters, including your time as a partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, Russells, and Mills Oakley?

Certainly! I have had the privilege of working in the legal industry for many years, and my experience as a partner at these prestigious firms has been instrumental in shaping my career. During my tenure at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, I honed my skills in legal compliance, IPO listing requirements and M&A. Critical thinking and legal analysis were fundamental to my role.

Additionally, I developed a strong sense of commercial awareness, which was crucial in navigating regulatory compliance and cross-border transactions. My experience also includes expertise in matters related to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and cyber & data governance.

How do you envision contributing to Sniip’s mission and growth in the coming years?

As a Non-Executive Director, I see my role at Sniip as instrumental in providing strategic guidance and ensuring that the company operates within legal and regulatory frameworks. Drawing from my experience, I aim to contribute by fostering a culture of good governance, while identifying opportunities for growth. My expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate reconstructions, and capital market transactions will also be valuable as we explore avenues for expansion and innovation.

What motivated you to join Sniip’s board as a Non-Executive Director?

My decision to join Sniip’s board as a Non-Executive Director is driven by a desire to lend my experience to a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation. While my background is rooted in law, I see this as an opportunity to broaden my experience while applying my skills to strategic decision-making . Sniip’s mission and growth prospects align perfectly with my interests and expertise, which makes this next phase a very exciting journey.

What motivated you to join Sniip’s board as a Non-Executive Director?

My decision to join Sniip’s board as a Non-Executive Director is driven by a desire to lend my experience to a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation. While my background is rooted in law, I see this as an opportunity to broaden my experience while applying my skills to strategic decision-making . Sniip’s mission and growth prospects align perfectly with my interests and expertise, which makes this next phase a very exciting journey.

In your view, what unique insights or expertise do you bring to Sniip that will benefit our business?

My extensive legal background equips me with a unique perspective on risk assessment, compliance, and governance – critical components for any successful organisation. I specialise in commercial law, and regulatory compliance, which I believe will be an asset to Sniip. Additionally, my track record in cross-border transactions and expertise in areas such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and cyber and data governance, provides skills that assist with the evolving challenges faced by all tech businesses today, especially payments businesses.

What excites you the most about being part of Sniip’s board, and what do you hope to achieve during your tenure as a Non-Executive Director?

What excites me most about joining Sniip’s board is the opportunity to collaborate with a dynamic team and contribute to the company’s vision. I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the board, ensuring that Sniip continues to thrive in a challenging corporate market for tech companies. My goal is to see Sniip achieve its mission and establish itself as a leader in the bill-payments space. I’m excited to have the opportunity to play a part in that journey.

Sniip in the Herald Sun: Earn Points Paying Tax

Earn Points Paying Tax

An article by the Herald Sun

Wondering how to earn points paying tax? Sniip is emphasised by the Herald Sun for maximising credit card rewards on government payments. The article highlights Sniip’s cost-effectiveness while earning full credit card points on government transactions. 

The article emphasises that Sniip offers a platform for individuals and businesses alike to pay BPAY payments using their preferred credit cards. By utilising the Sniip platform, you can earn valuable credit card rewards while making government transactions such as ATO payments, superannuation, and HECS/HELP repayments

Unlike traditional methods of tax payment that often come with capped or no credit card points, Sniip has emerged as a groundbreaking solution, providing their users with the opportunity to maximise credit card rewards.  

"What do I do if my credit card doesn’t earn points? There are a couple of bill payment services such as Sniip which allow you to use any credit card to pay bills."

Key advantages of Sniip include:

  1. Full Credit Card Points: Individuals can earn full credit card reward points on every government payment, ensuring that they make the most of their spending.

  2. No Hidden Fees: Sniip stands out by offering transparent pricing, without any hidden fees or extra charges, making it an economically sound choice for individuals and businesses.

  3. Payments for anyone: Sniip caters to both business and individuals, so everyone can earn credit card rewards on all transactions.

As a pioneer in the industry, Sniip continues to revolutionise how people approach financial transactions, offering unmatched convenience and value.

You can read the Herald Sun article here

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New Announcement: Sniip Finnies 2023 Finalist

Sniip Nominated for Two Finnies Awards: Excellence in Payments and Best Workplace Diversity

We’ve got some exciting news to share: Sniip has been nominated as a finalist for the third year running in the Australian Fintech Awards! Yes, that’s right, three years in a row. If we don’t win this time, we’re starting to feel like the Steve Bradbury of the FinTech world.

Jokes aside, we’re thrilled and humbled to have been named a finalist in two categories at the 2023 Finnies Awards: Excellence in Payments (including Remittance/FX) and Best Workplace Diversity. These awards are like the Logies of the FinTech world, and we’re excited to be part of the action.

As a payment platform, we’re committed to providing a seamless experience for our users, and being recognized for our work in this area is a testament to the dedication of our team. But we’re not just about payments – we’re also committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

Our CEO, Damien Vasta, is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, and he strives to provide job opportunities and career advancement to individuals from diverse backgrounds. As a result, our team comprises a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, which has been instrumental in our success.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders, staff, and supporters for their ongoing support and commitment to Sniip. We couldn’t have achieved this recognition without you, and we’re excited to continue working together to build a better bill payment experience for Australia.

The winners of the 2023 Finnies Awards will be announced on 31 May, 2023. Stay tuned for updates, and thank you again for your support.

Exclusive: Sniip partnership with Virgin Australia, unlocking more points

How to earn Velocity Points Australia:

Sniip partners with Virgin Australia Business Flyer

Unlocking a first in the loyalty space. Sniip joins forces with Virgin Australia Business Flyer offering the ability to earn Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when paying business bills. 

Sniip, built on successful consumer bill payments, launches into the business bill payment sector through this marquee partnership.

Over 50,000 Virgin Australia Business Flyer customers can now benefit from additional Points-earning opportunities when using Sniip, including earning up to 7,500 bonus Velocity Points. 

How to earn Velocity Points Australia

How to Earn Velocity Points

Sniip, Australia’s popular mobile bill payments platform, today announces a new partnership with Virgin Australia Business Flyer. The partnerships provides customers the opportunity to earn Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when paying business bills with Sniip

New Sniip users will benefit from this compelling offer when making purchases with leading airline Virgin Australia, gaining 7,500 bonus Velocity Points when they spend a minimum of $2,500 on bills in 30 days. Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will also earn 1 Point for every $10 paid on business bills using Sniip. This is in addition to Points they would normally earn from their chosen credit card.

Damien Vasta, CEO of Sniip said the partnership heralds an exciting start to Sniip’s launch into the business payments space. 

“Being able to stand alongside Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Frequent Flyer is validation Sniip has disrupted the manner in which individuals and businesses choose how they make payments. We are so proud to be offering all users something that’s clearly valuable to them.” 

A Word from Virgin on the New Partnership

 Highlighting Sniip as a pioneer in mobile-bill payments, Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach said, “Businesses can’t avoid paying bills – this partnership offers a compelling reason for our members to use Sniip. Not only can they make payments more easily, but they can now be rewarded at the same time.”

Sniip paves the way to manage all bills. Users can pay everything from ATO to superannuation payments, commercial rent, utilities and now business bills with ease. 

Sniip allows customers to turn Points into rewards seamlessly by transferring business’ Velocity Points to a Velocity Frequent Flyer account. 

About Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia Group is a major Australian airline headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. The company operates an extensive domestic network as well as short-haul international, charter and cargo services. Virgin Australia’s award-winning loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer, now boasts more than 11 million members. The Group employs more than 7,000 people and has been a competitor in the Australian aviation landscape for 22 years.

About Sniip

Sniip is a mobile bill payments platform. The app allows consumers and businesses to easily pay their bills via the Sniip app, using any debit or credit card. Users can scan a BPAY Biller Code or import a bill from their email using the Sniip app and pay their bills in less than 10 seconds. Learn more or download our app at sniip.com. Through its existing partnerships with BPAY and AMEX, Sniip has continued to scale its business and build its network of users. This has grown by over 250% from 30,000 in January 2021 to more than 85,000 at the end of November, 2022. During the same period, Sniip saw a 1,000% monthly increase in BPAY payment transaction value. The company has now processed more than $600 million worth of bill payment transactions to date.

Sniip and Google Empower You: Pay bills quickly now (Hot-Tip)

Sniip|Google: Sniip takes the sting out of paying bills with the help of Google Cloud

Earlier this year, our development team at Sniip caught up with Google to have a chat about how Sniip has achieved scale with the help of Google Cloud.

We are very proud to share some of the story behind the building of our industry leading bill-payments platform at Sniip! (Thank you Danny Mills and Lidia Zurek). 

Our entire development team is based right here in Brisbane, Australia. We’ve included a Sniipet (😉) of the article below.

Read the full article, here

News Alert: What happened when the Today Show met Sniip

Sniip on Channel Nine’s Today Show

Did you catch Sniip on the Channel Nine’s Today Show? The team were having a bit of fun with our name 😉 What a hoot!

Allison Langdon to father of three Alex Cullen: “Sniip’s free!” ✂️
Karl Stefanovic: “It’s definitely going to save you money!” 👶 💸

Lucky we spell ‘Sniip’ with two i’s … but we’ll still save you money!!

Thanks Effie Zahos and Canstar.

Sniip as featured on The Today Show, 5 November, 2021. 

High Tech Solutions: Sniip and BPAY’s collaboration

Sniip rewards customers thanks to BPAY Group’s open access and collaboration

Mobile bill payments platform Sniip is allowing customers to pay their bills using American Express or Apple Pay after building a unique connection with BPAY.

The innovative service was made possible using BPAY Group’s open access and collaborative approach to new partnerships. This will cut the time and cost of connecting with the popular payment service.

“BPAY has opened up their tech capability to allow partners like us to create a superior user experience for customers wanting to access the BPAY biller network and its payment rails,” says Sniip CEO Damien Vasta.

For Sniip, it means that customers can still accrue reward points when paying bills on any credit card. The bill payment is ultimately routed through the lower cost BPAY network, which includes more than 60,000 billers. They can also choose to pay with their bank account and pay no transaction fee.

“We give the customer a choice at the front-end of the transaction as to how they want to pay. The best part is that while we are giving customers that flexibility, it does not cost the biller. The payment is arriving to the biller through BPAY in the same way that it would normally be received via a bank,” said Vasta.

Control and flexibility

It gives customers even greater flexibility to choose the account or card they want to pay bills with, on top of the control they already enjoy with BPAY.

While around 20% of consumers use direct debit to pay bills[i], there are many frustrations felt by consumers. This includes needing to update card details when they expire and getting charged more than they expected[ii].

Sniip brings the control of BPAY into one app that is not tied to a single banking institution, which may limit bill payments to its own bank accounts or a linked credit card.

“We started out thinking we needed to be an alternative to BPAY. But we realised that BPAY is just so ubiquitous and trusted by customers that we need to embrace and collaborate with them,” says Vasta.

Sniip initially launched in Queensland in 2015. But its recent decision to partner with BPAY increased the number of billers it could accept to over 60,000 and potential access to an extra 1.5 million daily bill payments.

Sniip continues to build new features

BPAY Group launched a range of APIs in 2019 and to date more than 60 companies have already used the APIs to bring the BPAY service to their customers.

“BPAY APIs are critical. It won’t be where the Sniip product ends, but it’s certainly where the product starts and where we want to really make an impact,” said Vasta.

BPAY Group recently launched two new APIs: a Submit BPAY Payment and Manage BPAY Biller, which bring real time capabilities to the service.

Sniip also offers customers enhanced features. These include the automatic importing of a bill from an email account, payment scheduling, reminders, and comprehensive receipt storage. Customers can scan their bill with the app rather than manually entering the BPAY biller code and reference number. Sniip allows customers to pay securely via face ID, fingerprint or PIN.

Sniip said it plans to include new bill payment options beyond popular credit and debit cards. This will potentially include loyalty points, bill smoothing finance (Buy-Now-Pay-Later), and cryptocurrencies. Several other innovations are also being developed to make life simpler for businesses. This will include being able to send invoices and customers being able to pay them via Sniip.

“One of the most exciting features that we’re going to be rolling out shortly is BPAY View, which will be the first time it will be made available within a ‘bank agnostic’ bill payment app,” said Vasta.

“This means that all BPAY View-enabled billers will be available to Sniip customers. They will be able to receive household bills digitally and make payment with one click,” he added.

Published by BPAY Pty Ltd (ABN 69 079 137 518) email: marketing@bpay.com.au. The BPAY Scheme is managed by BPAY Pty Limited. When you use BPAY payment products, the BPAY Scheme is paid fees relating to processing costs and BPAY Scheme membership. Contact your financial institution to see if it offers BPAY payment products and to get the Product Disclosure Statement. Any financial product advice provided by BPAY Pty Limited in relation to BPAY payment products is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on such advice, you should review the Product Disclosure.

[i] RFI Payments Diary 2020
[ii] RFI Digital Banking March 2021

25 May 2021 – By Collaborative Media & Publishing

Visit article: https://bpaygroup.com.au/news/articles/sniip-rewards-customers-thanks-to-bpay-group%E2%80%99s-ope