Most of the banks and mobile financial services are offering a bundle of packages and discounts for shoppers on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh, Ramadan, and Eid-ul-Fitr.
From the first day of April, most banks have been offering discounts ranging from 10% to 50% on shopping with their credit and debit cards.
The mega packages on the use of credit or debit cards include discounts, cashback and buy-one-get-one-free offers on fashion and lifestyle brands and restaurants ahead of the two major occasions in the country.
As this year the Pohela Boishakh, Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr are being celebrated in almost the same month, many banks are giving lots of offers to their customers.
Moreover, Pohela Boishakh and Eid celebrations are going to be held under normal circumstances after almost two years of Covid-19 related restrictions. So, the customers are also very happy with these offers, as it seems.
Mastercard has re-launched its flagship ‘Ramadan Spend and Win’ campaign called ‘Mystical Maldives’. Under the campaign, the participants with the most points will win a luxurious trip for two to the Maldives. The next top 50 participants will receive exciting prizes such as vouchers for electronics, gadgets, dining and e-commerce.
Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of MasterCard Bangladesh, said that the revolution of cashless transactions in Bangladesh has become gradually popular in the last two years due to the pandemic.
“We are experiencing significant growth in the cashless transactions in lifestyle and clothing. We are expecting that more transactions will take place through cashless means throughout the month,” he added.
Southeast Bank Limited is offering up to a 50% price cut and buy-one-get-one offers for credit cardholders at reputed lifestyle brands, restaurants, and hotels.
“We are offering various packages and discounts on the occasion of Ramadan, Pohela Boishakh, and Eid,” Md Abdus Sabur Khan, head of the card division of Southeast Bank Limited, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He also said that they are offering to buy one get one (BOGO) offers at 59 hotels of Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rajshahi, Bogura, Khulna including hotels like Le Meridien, Intercontinental, Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Radisson etc.
“We also offer from 10% up to 50% discounts on shopping at 120 lifestyle brands of Dhaka, and 10 of Chittagong. Moreover, we also offer discounts on the bills of 35 restaurants in Dhaka and five in Chittagong,” he added.
LankaBangla Visa and MasterCard members will enjoy up to 20% discounts at 47 fashion shops, up to 50% discounts at 15 jewellery shops, up to 20% discounts at nine shoe shops, up to 15% discounts at 50 dining outlets on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh till April 14.
LankaBangla Finance’s customers will also enjoy buy-one-get-one offers at 30 hotels on their buffet, iftar, and sehri.
Eastern Bank Limited’s Visa Platinum, Signature and Infinite credit cardholders can enjoy complimentary dining at Holiday Inn, Radisson Blu (Dhaka and Chittagong), Intercontinental Dhaka, The Westin Dhaka, Sheraton Dhaka, Renaissance Dhaka while, Visa and Mastercard holders get to enjoy complimentary dining at Dhaka Regency, Bengal Inn, Canary Park and many others.
Moreover, EBL cardholders also can enjoy a 10% to 15% discount on jewellery and many renowned restaurants in the country.
EBL customers will also enjoy discounts ranging from 10% to 50% while shopping at various retailers like Priyo, Zaara, Sara, Jenny’s, Kay Kraft, Orion, Sadakalo, Sailor and many others on the Ramadan and Pohela Boishakh offer.
The credit cardholders of Jamuna Bank Limited will enjoy up to a 22% cashback in their shopping from renowned branded shops including Aarong, Apex, Bishwo Rang, Cats Eye, Sailor, Richman, Dorjibari, Diamond World, Vasavi and many more.
According to the Bangladesh Bank’s data, the transaction through debit, credit and prepaid cards increased by 31.9% or Tk6,548.2 crore in a span of only 13 months.
In January 2022, transactions through debit, credit and prepaid cards increased to Tk27,072.5 crore from Tk20,524.3 crore in December 2020.
Debit card transactions increased to Tk24,701 crore in January 2022 from Tk18,795.6 crore in December 2020.
Credit card transactions stood at Tk2,138.4 crore in January 2022 from Tk1,560.9 crore 13 months ago.
Prepaid card-based transactions reached Tk233.1 crore from Tk167.8 crore, said the central bank.
