Airbnb getting ready to reward loyal users

It wouldn’t be your standard loyalty program.

Airbnb is considering a loyalty program that would reward its customers.

The company’s chief business officer, Dave Stephenson, shared that while no plans are in motion, it already has tools that could create a loyalty program in the future.

The company wants its program to be “unique” and not only involve users collecting points for dollars. The new loyalty program would include stays, experiences, and services, Stephenson shared with Bloomberg.

A few months ago, Airbnb updated its services by adding add-ons like getting a professional trainer, a private chef, or a massage therapist.

Airbnb’s chief executive officer, Brian Chesky, estimates that such service expansion would bring the company at least one billion dollars of annual revenue.

The release of the loyalty program would also confirm Chesky’s shift from previously dismissing the idea of a dollars-to-points reward system.

It seems that the loyalty program is needed, as the company has been asked about this for a while. Chesky shared that Airbnb already has strong user retention, but such a program would encourage users to use the services more often.

In March, the company started a discount program through HotelTonight, which would give users Airbnb credits by booking a stay in the said hotel.

Airbnb has been accused of contributing to Spain’s excess tourism problem, resulting in a housing crisis in the country.

The Spanish government asked Airbnb to withdraw more than 65,000 listings for holiday rentals from its platform.

So, while introducing users to loyalty cards or reward programs isn’t new, what would be interesting to see is how, if at all, these loyalty rewards would impact rental practices.