The operators of BlinkSky – a rewards as a service (RaaS) provider — is partnering with National Commercial Bank (NCB) using the Lynk application to further transform the consumer market.

BlinkSky Jamaica and Lynk inked the partnership deal in February 2022, which will see greater collaboration between the two brands to create more opportunities, convenience, and value for merchants and customers alike. The partnership will see BlinkSky’s gifting technology integrated with Lynk mobile wallet to allow Lynk users to send digital gift cards to their loved ones from a wide array of local lifestyle merchants such as Island Grill, Quik& Easy Bill Pay, Fontana, CPJ Market, Juici Patties, Grab &Go Gas, and more. The gifting feature of Lynk will go live in the coming weeks.

It is expected that Lynk merchants will tap into BlinkSky’s technology to provide digital gift cards for their business, while BlinkSky’s merchants will accept Lynk payments. The two partners agree that it is a win-win for the customer, as it means greater adoption of digital payments, as more persons will be paying with digital methods (digital gift cards or Lynk) all from their mobile phones.

In a statement, general manager for BlinkSky Jamaica, Sherika Jackson Grant said, “BlinkSky’s mission is to support the acceleration, adoption, and distribution of digital gift cards between Jamaican merchants and consumers.”

She said businesses with a digital gift card option can see increases of up to 25 per cent in revenue as a digital gift card provides wider distribution opportunities for businesses. “The technology that BlinkSky brings to the market allows for a fully digital experience where delivery and redemption are done directly from a smart device. The partnership with Lynk will give BlinkSky Jamaica merchants access to the wider audience to drive revenue,” she continued.

Meanwhile, John-Matthew Sinclair, chief product officer for Lynk, agreed, he said the historic partnership with Jamaica’s largest mobile wallet will benefit all. “Our partnership with BlinkSky will provide Lynk users and merchants with added value through closed-loop digital gift cards. From the merchant’s perspective, they have the opportunities to gain access to BlinkSky technology to create, issue, and redeem their own digital gift cards to further drive revenue. From the users’ standpoint, it will provide added value where Lynk users will now be able to gift/send their family and friends digital gift cards from Jamaica’s most popular brands. The partnership with BlinkSky is aligned with Lynk’s strategy to drive digital adoption and usage in the e-commerce space.”

BlinkSky Jamaica was first introduced to the market in 2020 as a RaaS digital platform designed to power the next generation of gifting across mobile and desktop devices, via its cloud-scalable platform. The company provides services for B2B and B2C usage, covering employee rewards and incentives and customer loyalty. This latest partnership is set to generate interest from several sectors.