Wego launches ShopCash a deal discovery app for the MENA market

By Leandra Monteiro

Wego, an online travel marketplace across the MENA region has announced the launch of ShopCash, an online shopping cashback and deal discovery app for Middle East consumers. Available for download from the iOS App Store, Google Play Store and at shopcash.com

ShopCash users in the MENA region will be able to avail exclusive deals and discounts as well as earn instant cashback for online purchases. The cashback amount will automatically collect in the user’s digi wallet after every purchase. Users can withdraw this amount into their bank accounts or use it via pay-out methods. ShopCash users will also be able to redeem cashback for air tickets and hotel stays with Wego or for purchases or gift cards with other partner merchants.

“Nobody in the Middle East has done much travelling over the last year but because of social distancing measures we are all spending more time and money online than ever before,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director, MENA and India, Wego. “It’s been a tough year for many, and we know how gratifying it is to get something back. ShopCash gives you real money back into your account for the online purchases that you make. For every brand, for every deal, even on top of the merchant’s discount, so basically it’s a deal on another deal.”

“The response from the merchants that we’ve approached has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic,” commented Craig Hewett, Wego Co-Founder, Wego. “Everybody from global e-commerce giants to regional champions to local niche specialists have immediately seen the value of participating in ShopCash and I’m pleased to say that we have a long back-log of merchants to integrate in the weeks and months ahead.”

The merchants that are participating with ShopCash include Amazon, AliExpress, GearBest, iHerb, H&M, Mumzworld, Mothercare, Mamas & Papas, Banggood, Styli, Nike, Ounass, Pottery Barn, GAP, The Luxury Closet, SharafDG, Bath & Body Works. The company also aims to add new merchants on a weekly basis. For the merchants present on the ShopCash platform, this is an opportunity for them to acquire new customers and to drive sales volumes via a wide range of store, brand and product promotional activities run by the ShopCash merchandising team.

“We’ve carefully studied and taken inspiration from the cashback shopping rewards pioneers in other parts of the world including Rakuten (4755:JP), Paypal’s Honey (PYPL:US), ShopBack, Dosh and Cashrewards (CRW:AU).” said Kaushal Pilikuli, Product Director for ShopCash. “We’ve adapted the model for shoppers and merchants in the Middle East region starting with the largest e-commerce markets of KSA and UAE, but we plan to quickly expand the service into Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and across the rest of the MENA region. In the pipeline we have lots of new merchants, new payout methods, new deal types, new redemption methods and a long list of exciting new features.”

ShopCash will be a standalone brand and product but will also be tightly integrated into Wego’s mobile apps and websites and serve as the heart of the Wego loyalty program.