Absa, KQ and Visa Launch Premium Asante Global Credit Card
Absa Bank Kenya, Kenya Airways (KQ) and Visa have launched a co-branded credit card targeting affluent and digitally connected Kenyans with travel, lifestyle and everyday spending rewards.
The Asante Global Card will allow customers to earn Asante Rewards Points from routine purchases such as groceries, fuel, dining and international transactions, extending Kenya Airways’ loyalty programme beyond frequent flyers.
The partnership brings together Absa’s banking services, Visa’s global payments network and Kenya Airways’ travel and lifestyle offering in a premium card targeting consumers who regularly spend and travel both locally and internationally.
Absa Bank Kenya Consumer Banking Director Moses Muthui said the product responds to changing consumer expectations, with customers increasingly looking for banking, payments, travel and rewards to operate as part of a single ecosystem.
“Our customers don’t think about banking, travel, rewards, and payments separately. Customers think about these things as integrated,” Muthui said.
The card is expected to appeal to higher-income consumers and frequent travellers who can turn their everyday spending into travel-related benefits.
These include flights, additional baggage allowance and airport lounge access, allowing customers to accumulate rewards even when they are not travelling.
Kenya Airways Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu said the product would expand the airline’s loyalty programme to consumers who may not frequently fly but make regular purchases using their cards.
“Customers do not need to fly to earn points for their rewards. They just need to do their everyday spend,” Thairu said.
Under the programme, customers can earn points through everyday transactions and redeem them for travel and lifestyle benefits.
The Asante Global Signature card comes with a 10,000-point welcome bonus, while new Asante Global Platinum cardholders will receive 5,000 points.
Other benefits include airport lounge access, travel and medical insurance, additional baggage allowance and SkyPriority services.
Visa Kenya Country Manager John Njoroge said the card would be particularly beneficial to frequent travellers, with customers earning additional rewards when purchasing Kenya Airways tickets using the card.
The Visa payment network will also enable cardholders to make international payments while travelling, giving them an alternative to carrying large amounts of foreign currency.
The partners said the rewards programme will not be limited to frequent flyers, with points also redeemable for various travel and lifestyle experiences.
These include flights, lounge access and selected accommodation and dining experiences.
The launch comes as banks, airlines and payment companies increasingly compete for high-value customers by combining financial services with lifestyle benefits.
The partners are seeking to deepen customer loyalty by linking everyday card spending with travel and lifestyle rewards, rather than relying solely on traditional banking revenues such as interest income and transaction fees.
The initiative also reflects growing competition in Kenya’s premium banking and payments market, where financial institutions are seeking to differentiate their products through partnerships and value-added services.