Uber is among the first firms to take advantage of a new Visa platform designed to help merchants team up to deliver offers to cardholders online and through apps.
The Visa Commerce Network works by connecting transactions between two merchants, meaning that a hotel can provide its customers with offers from local restaurants and, with cardholder consent, track engagement and issue rewards.
The platform - based on technology acquired when Visa bought TrialPayDeals last year - recognises qualifying purchases at the point of sale so rewards can be applied to cardholder accounts, cutting out the use of coupons and redemption schemes.
Several major companies have already signed up for the service, including Uber, which in December gave Boston-based riders discounted trips when they used their Visa cards at their local Shake Shacks. Uber is now deploying the tech in 10 cities.
Laura Enoch, senior marketing manager, Shake Shack, says: "Guests could receive their perks without the need to change how they pay at the counter and because all of the rewards happened on the backend, it was a great activation without the need to train team members."