ACCC proposes to authorise BP, Qantas loyalty scheme
The ACCC has announced it is proposing to authorise Qantas, BP Australia and independent BP petrol stations to ‘collectively participate in the BP Rewards, Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Business Reward programs’.
The draft determination proposes a five year authorisation, expressing the view that the arrangements will ‘provide public benefits, for example by giving consumers more opportunity to earn and use rewards program points’ and is unlikely to have any ‘significant negative impact on competition’. Some concern was raised about the ‘potential for consumer harm arising from BP sharing consumer data’ and the ACCC encourages ‘BP and Qantas to adopt the recommendations regarding collection and use of customer data in the ACCC’s final report into customer loyalty schemes when it is published’.
Submissions on the draft determination are invited (until 20 January) with a final determination expected in February 2020.
See ACCC media release.