Expedia will give Bitcoin back on travel purchases

Leading online travel platform Expedia has partnered with BTC rewards application Lolli to give Bitcoin back on travel purchases for Lolli users.

Expedia and Bitcoin go all the way back to 2014

When Expedia started accepting Bitcoin payments back in 2014, it became a pioneer in the space. Excitement buzzed throughout the community. Such a big brand name taking payments in BTC was a prime example of widespread cryptocurrency usage.

In a statement at the time, Expedia’s global vice president Michael Gulmann said the company was “in a unique position” to “solve travel planning and booking for our customers and partners alike by adopting the latest payment technologies”.

However, unfortunately, after four years of allowing customers to pay in cryptocurrency, in July 2018, Expedia withdrew this option as a payment method.

Apparently, the company had experienced some problems with customer complaints, cryptocurrency volatility, transaction times, and a change in its partner Coinbase’s custodial merchant service.

However, while the company has still not reintegrated support for Bitcoin payments, it seems as if it still has some sympathies with its cryptocurrency users.

Expedia will give Bitcoin back in partnership with Lolli

In an announcement yesterday, BTC rewards application Lolli stated: “We’re thrilled to announce a partnership with Expedia.”

While this is a small step in the right direction, the new partnership doesn’t allow all Expedia clients to get rewards back in BTC. They must be Lolli users first. Moreover, Lolli is also only available in the United States at the current time. Here’s how it works.

To start earning rewards in BTC when shopping online, users must download the Lolli extension on their browser. This will notify them when they are shopping on a site that partners with the company and allows them to earn BTC back when checking out using Lolli.

According to the press release, Lolli users can earn up to 5% in Bitcoin back on their travel purchases with Expedia, including flights, hotels, cruises, and more.

Partner marketing manager at Expedia John Cianciarulo said: “We are excited to be partnering with Lolli, who has proven to be a leader in the Bitcoin rewards space by their vast pool of online retailers which represent some of the top brands in the world.

“To be able to offer cashback but in Bitcoin for our customers is a great opportunity for Expedia, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without working with Lolli.”

More about the Lolli app

Founded in 2018, Lolli has now partnered with more than 750 leading e-commerce retailers including Groupon, Walmart, Hotels.com, GAP, Safeway, and Macy’s. The rewards company aims to make Bitcoin more accessible to everyone through shopping online.

CEO and co-founder of Lolli Alex Adelman said: “Our users love earning Bitcoin when they travel, and Expedia has been a highly requested partner since we launched. This year, Expedia is projected to generate billions in bookings.

“Rewarding travellers with Bitcoin is an incredible way to distribute an enormous amount of Bitcoin and make it more accessible to all.”