There are several offers from different companies on the occasion of the Valentine’s Day 2019. After all, spending activities witness an increase during the week leading up to the special day for couples. The annual Mastercard Love Index, created by analyzing credit, debit and prepaid card transactions over a three-year period (11th-14th February 2016-18), reveals several insights about how Indians indulge in shopping during Valentine’s week.

In 2018, the Mastercard data showed that majority (29 percent) of Valentine’s purchases in India took place on 14th February. Given the convenience and range of choice offered by e-commerce, Indians have been increasingly choosing online shopping over in-store visits. As a result, the index notes a 241 percent increase in the number of e-commerce transactions from Valentine’s Day 2016 to Valentine’s Day 2018.

However, these tech-savvy Indian lovers continue to invest in traditional gifts such as flowers and jewelry to show their love. Therefore, the overall spend on flowers in 2018 increased by 67 percent as compared to 2016. Similarly, spends on jewelry has increased by 57 percent from 2016 to 2018. Apart from investing in material goods, people are also splurging on dining out. This has led to a 54 percent growth in the amount spent at restaurants since 2016.

The use of contactless technology in India continues to rise, faster than the global pace. During the Valentine’s week, the value of contactless transactions has increased by 1005 percent since 2017 compared to 229 percent globally for the same period. It is hardly surprising that contactless is the preferred method of settling the bill, given the ease, safety and security, and growing acceptance in the country.

Offers from PAYBACK

PAYBACK loyalty platform is running a #PAYBACKPlaysCupid campaign for its members, where one lucky member on redeeming 200 points (worth Rs 50 only) will win the PAYBACK Jackpot – Bajaj Pulsar NS200 worth Rs 1.25 Lakh. Members and other shoppers will get access to exclusive discounts at PAYBACK Partners and exciting offers on vouchers on PAYBACK VoucherWorld.

PAYBACK is India’s largest multi-brand loyalty program offering its 120+ million members multitude of benefits. It has over 100 partners including affiliate brands participating in the PAYBACK network across categories in-store as well as online namely American Express, ICICI Bank, Big Bazaar, Central, Ezone, Home Town, Brand Factory, HP Petrol Pump, TripAdvisor, Bookmyshow, Amazon, Flipkart and many more. With such a varied portfolio of partners, PAYBACK members can earn points on everyday shopping and redeem for attractive rewards of their preference.

PAYBACK VoucherWorld has instant vouchers of 100+ leading brands like Myntra, Fab Hotels, Brand Factory, Lifestyle, Marks & Spencer, United Colors of Benetton, Vero Moda, Van Heusen, Jack & Jones, Only, Charles and Keith, Levi’s, Woodland, Bata, Archies, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins and more. Moreover, PAYBACK members get a chance to enjoy discounts up to 25% or BOGO offers on their favorite vouchers and can even redeem their reward points for additional discounts.

Remarking on the occasion, Mr. Ramakant Khandelwal, CMO, PAYBACK India said, “At PAYBACK, we believe in making our members’ lives more rewarding. We encourage members to accumulate points so they can use them during special occasions such as Valentine’s. Campaigns like #PAYBACKPlaysCupid on our platforms like VoucherWorld and Rewards Catalogue enable millions of our members to enjoy the best of deals & offers and make such occasions memorable with their loved ones.”

Offers from Flipkart

To celebrate the season of love, Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce marketplace, has introduced ‘FlipHeart Days’ – a special online store featuring top brands and the best selection across a variety of categories. The store will showcase lucrative deals and a never-before-seen selection from over 5000 brands across categories such as toys, beauty, and home decor, among others. The experience has been designed to give customers  a great variety of quality selection and offers that will enhance their shopping journey.

“Valentine’s Day has conventionally been celebrated by spouses or partners. This year, we are going a step further and celebrating love in all forms of relationships – be that a sibling, grandparent, or friend. With the FlipHeart Days store, consumers will have access to top domestic and international brands from a curated store with over 1 lakh products to choose meaningful gifts from” said Nishit Garg, Senior Director – General Merchandise and Home at Flipkart.