To counter Jio, Bharti Airtel launches loyalty programme for prepaid users

Bharti Airtel has created a loyalty programme for its prepaid users, similar to what airlines offer to flyers. Now, subscribers will be able to reap benefits based on their tariff plans and consumption of digital services on the Airtel network.

Amid a bruising price war with Reliance Jio, this is Airtel’s first such exercise to retain its prepaid user base. Postpaid users already enjoy access to services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime bundled with their tariff plans.

Under the loyalty programme, prepaid customers subscribing to higher tariff plans will get access to better services and added benefits. Airtel expects to achieve twin objectives of increasing its average revenue per user, which has been under pressure after Jio’s entry in September 2016, while getting them to avail more services as the telecom major embarks on its journey to morph into a digital platform.