Money for shopping, purchases that pay off and STAR points every time you buy something — you can have all of these with BT’s STAR credit cards. STAR is the flagship customer programme of Banca Transilvania. Launched 10 years ago, it has helped change shopping behaviour: more and more by phone, either in full or in instalments, and in a new currency too — STAR points 😊.

STAR means loyalty points on every purchase or shopping in instalments, with BT credit cards. When customers choose to pay in full at STAR partner merchants, they get back a percentage of the purchase value (up to 10%) on their card as STAR points, which can be used for other purchases across the STAR network, since 1 point equals 1 leu. To make every purchase pay off, when a customer opts to pay in full, BT awards 0.3% in STAR points for everything bought in Romania, at both partner and non‑partner merchants, and 0.1% for shopping abroad. And when customers choose to pay in up to 24 instalments, buying becomes easier and the financial pressure eases. A major step in the programme was the launch of the BT Pay app, through which STAR cards are available in digital form and you can pay contactless with your phone. Last but not least, a STAR card gives access to a credit line of up to 5x monthly income.

A conversation with Gabriela Nistor, Deputy CEO, Retail Banking, and Oana Ilas, Executive Director, Retail Products Management & Development, Banca Transilvania — the programme’s champions and part of its success:

⭐ How did the idea to launch a loyalty programme for BT cardholders come about?

The actual idea took shape at a conference abroad. What followed was a (short 😊) period of research, ideas and debate, when we sketched out, with enthusiasm and courage, the programme’s first steps. STAR was launched at the right time for us, even though similar programmes already existed on the Romanian market. The idea was grounded in two ambitions for the bank: to become the best in credit cards and to have the best customer loyalty programme.

BT ranked third in credit cards at the time, and we knew that such a programme would also help us grow the business because it gives a fresh impetus, enhancing the added value of these cards. Fortunately, the ground had been prepared, as the bank had been issuing credit cards since 2003, and BT’s portfolio was approaching 150,000 credit cards, out of nearly 1.8 million.

⭐Why STAR as a brand?

We look back on that stage fondly. The name was chosen by democratic vote 😊 within the teams involved in creating the programme, who were emotionally attached to the idea. There was a long list of suggestions, and the most fitting option won for what we saw from the start: that it would be a flagship programme, a star. The programme is about Make a wish! because STAR gets you quickly to what you want and, beyond that, it means rewarding shopping because everything you buy with STAR cards turns into more shopping.

⭐ STAR today, in numbers. How has it driven the bank’s growth in cards?

We’re happy to say that over half a million Romanians use our credit cards — the STAR cards — and that we now have the most representative loyalty programme for credit cards in Romania, with a network of 17,000 partner stores, physical and online. Ten years ago we had 700, across complementary sectors, so the start was solid too — customers had a meaningful range to choose from right away. The STAR programme doesn’t add value only for STAR cardholders, but equally for merchants using BT’s payment acceptance solutions, who can easily join the programme and thus access a representative customer base. To keep such an ecosystem alive, execution is critical. If the value offered to customers and partner merchants isn’t constantly refreshed, the programme dilutes. So our actions are complementary, from attracting new customers and merchants into the ecosystem to continuously launching new features and offers.

The effort is considerable, day in, day out. We’ve run more than 2,500 campaigns so far with partner merchants, and ongoing communication and education are essential. For example, just last year customers used over 12 million points for purchases — the equivalent of 12 million lei spent on shopping.

Our ambitions don’t stop here: we want to take the STAR programme to the next level, with an ever-stronger focus on online transactions and benefits, in a fully digital environment.

⭐What has been the biggest change STAR has brought to customers’ lives?

STAR changed payment behaviour, first and foremost. It effectively flipped the balance in favour of merchant payments versus ATM cash withdrawals. Today, 96% of transactions with credit cards are purchases, compared with 48% in 2011. Then, because the programme means paying in instalments and earning points, it has helped customers manage their budgets better. For example, the ability to buy in up to 24 instalments, including for higher‑value items, without paying interest to the bank, has opened access to products — plans that might otherwise have been postponed are now put into practice — and the customer isn’t burdened by a larger purchase paid for all at once.

Another big shift in behaviour was the strong push towards paying by phone, via BT Pay. We can also say the programme taught our customers to use a new “currency”, STAR, which brings free purchases. The fact that every purchase earns STAR points on the card is highly appreciated — everyone likes that. For the programme’s partner merchants, STAR means visibility, higher sales and customer loyalty.

⭐ + BT Pay = ❤

One of the biggest changes to the programme certainly came 3 years ago with the launch of the BT Pay app. STAR cards are now digital too, and you always have them with you. On top of that, money can be managed far, far better: you have access to information on balance, transactions, instalment payments and card details — all very useful for online shopping. Monthly repayments on the associated credit line are also very easy to make, even automatically if customers choose that.

⭐The STAR team, full of stars

Like any project, STAR wouldn’t have been possible without the team. It brings together people from many areas of the bank: cards, payment acceptance, Contact Center, IT, operations, marketing & communication, as well as colleagues in branches and agencies. Everyone has contributed to what STAR has become. We’re a puzzle — each of us different, but complementary.

We’re often asked what we think makes the difference in this programme, and we always answer with the same conviction and pride: THE TEAM. The STAR team is unique — highly cohesive, stable, motivated and brimming with contagious energy. The core that set off on this journey is still here, after 10 years, in the same line‑up. The team is the driving force behind STAR’s success — without a doubt.

⭐If you could do something differently in the programme, what would it be?

To have had all the shopping cards under the STAR umbrella from the very beginning. We made that move later, and the rebranding was complex and costly, as it involved replacing the cards, new campaigns and coordinating promotion with partner merchants.

What do we think earns this programme 5⭐? 

In fact, each of the programme’s stakeholders deserves 5 stars; to each we could say

You’re a star: customers, merchants and the team. In short, they’ve all made the programme what it is today.