Money management platform Wealthsimple has partnered with a roster of lifestyle brands to launch a rewards program for premium customers.
New rewards are provided by partners in the travel sector, such as DragonPass, which will offer VIP lounge access; Gigs, which will provide a global eSIM for travel; and Uber and Uber Eats, with a one-year Uber One membership. In the wellness area are Headspace and Strava, offering a one-year subscription; Maple, with a primary care visit and discount on specialty care visits; and Willful, with individual will and power of attorney documents.
On the culture side, brands that have partnered with Wealthsimple include DINR, which will offer a one-year premium membership with priority access and exclusive reservations at various Canadian restaurants and culinary events; Peggy, with personalized art advice and priority access to private auctions with an art credit; and The Globe and Mail, with a digital subscription with full access for one year.
Wealthsimple says it is launching the rewards program now because more Canadians than ever are choosing to hang on to their money. In the second quarter of this year, Statistics Canada found that the household savings rate increased to 7.2%, three times higher than in 2019, when the average was 2.1%.
Snapchat launches new features
The social network is rolling out new features to improve user experience, after introducing advertising solutions during Advertising Week in New York earlier this month.
New features include easier access to the camera, allowing users to change the lock screen controls on any iPhone with iOS 18 to take photos and videos even when the iPhone is locked. The social network has also introduced the footsteps feature on Snap Map (a personalized map that lets users to see where their friends are and have been), which allows account holders to look at the places they have visited.
It has also launched new AI-powered lenses for Halloween, enabling users to send snaps wearing a costume, as well as more bitmoji stickers with new trends and expressions.
During Advertising Week, the social network announced it is testing two new in-app ad placements with partners such as Disney, McDonalds and Taco Bell. The company said these ad placements are a natural extension of how people already interact with the app, allowing advertisers to access Snapchat’s community through the platform’s most popular features, including Snap Map and chat threads.
