iMobile's Hotel Booking boosts Customer Retention with Rewards

ICICI Bank, one of India’s leading private banks, is known for its smart digital banking ecosystem and diverse range of services. Its mobile banking app, iMobile, goes beyond traditional banking, offering features like recharges, bill payments, shopping, e-gift cards, and bookings for buses and flights—creating a seamless digital marketplace.

Understanding that flights and hotels go hand-in-hand when planning a trip, ICICI has integrated hotel booking services into the iMobile app. This allows customers to effortlessly manage both aspects of their journey in a single, convenient digital ecosystem platform.

Let’s explore how ICICI Bank’s hotel booking service is enhancing customer engagement and boosting retention on the iMobile app.

Native Customer Journey

Customers can easily complete the entire hotel booking process within the bank’s app, without any redirection to an external website or the need to switch apps to enter details. This provides a faster and more seamless booking experience, fostering a sense of trust and security as customers feel confident handling transactions within the familiar and trusted ICICI ecosystem.

Earn and Redeem Reward Points

One of the standout features of ICICI’s hotel booking service is its Rewards Program.

Earn Points: Customers earn reward points not only on hotel bookings but also on other app activities like recharges, gift card purchases, flight bookings, and more. Usually, customers prefer booking flights in advance, and the reward points earned through flight bookings serve as an incentive to complete their hotel booking on the ICICI app rather than switching to another platform, boosting customer retention.

Redeem Points: These points can be redeemed for additional savings on future hotel stays, flight bookings, or other purchases on the app.

This feature adds significant value to customers by offering savings and enhancing their travel experience with every transaction, while also helping ICICI build a robust marketplace with a personalized ecosystem for its users, ensuring greater engagement with the digital ecosystem.

Smart Filters

ICICI app enhances the hotel booking experience with filters like “Show Nearby Hotels,” “Find hotels for tonight”, “Include Breakfast”, “Free WIFI”,  and “Free Cancellation,” empowering customers to personalize their bookings to match their preferences. 

Additionally, the app ensures complete transparency by highlighting key services offered by each hotel, such as bar facilities, spa treatments, laundry services, banquet halls, etc. This attention to detail enables users to make informed choices, ensuring their stay aligns perfectly with their requirements. 

With these features, the app functions as a comprehensive ecosystem-based marketplace, offering more than just traditional banking services.

Secure Payments Without OTP  

The payment process is fast and simple:  

• Direct Account Debit: The hotel booking amount is debited directly from the customer’s savings account or preferred payment method, eliminating the need to repeatedly enter payment details
• No OTP or MPIN: Unlike other platforms, the iMobile app eliminates the need for OTPs or MPINs, ensuring a smooth and convenient payment process within the lifestyle ecosystem
• Multiple Payment Options: Customers can choose to pay via any of the options available on the iMobile app, ensuring flexibility and convenience within the banking ecosystem.

Exclusive Discounts

ICICI’s offers exclusive discounts to its travel customers. These deals are easily accessible within the app, ensuring that users don’t have to spend time hunting for the best prices. Whether the iMobile user is looking for a luxury stay or a budget-friendly option, ICICI ensures value for money.

Dedicated Customer Support

ICICI Bank’s customer support is a valuable benefit for customers, especially when it comes to managing bookings or resolving issues. With direct access to assistance, customers can quickly address any questions or problems they may have, from booking changes to payment issues. This strengthens the relationship between the user and the banking ecosystem.

Secure Tech Architecture

The entire booking process is supported by strong and robust technology that is ISO 27001 certified, a globally recognized standard for information security. This certification indicates that the bank has strong systems in place to protect sensitive information from risks like unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks. The seamless and secure technology aligns with the vision of ICICI beyond banking, offering customers a digital ecosystem platform that is both secure and reliable.

Summary

ICICI Bank’s iMobile app enhances customer engagement and loyalty by integrating hotel bookings into its lifestyle platform, alongside flights, recharges, bill payments, and more. With features like reward points that encourage repeat use, personalized filters and seamless payments, the app offers a trusted, convenient, and rewarding travel planning experience—all in one place.

Whether it’s booking a flight or planning a hotel stay, the iMobile app ensures users have everything they need, making travel not only easier but also more rewarding. ICICI continues to innovate within the digital marketplace strategy, building an ecosystem-based marketplace that adds value to its customer’s lives.

About Nuclei

Nuclei specializes in building purpose-driven ecosystems, collaborating with 25+ global banks and telecoms to design tailored solutions. With expertise in creating ecosystem-based marketplaces, Nuclei delivers comprehensive and customized ecosystems for diverse customer segments, including retail, business, corporate, expats, senior citizens, CXOs, and UHNIs, ensuring a seamless and personalized marketplace experience for its partners.

‍