bunq Accelerates Global Expansion with Premium Rewards Proposition Powered by Ascenda

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• USA - English

Neobank elevates customer value and deepens engagement through Ascenda's global rewards network

NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascenda, the loyalty company that powers growth for the world's leading financial institutions, today announced its new partnership with bunq, Europe's second-largest neobank. The collaboration elevates bunq's loyalty program, unlocking superior rewards that power its users' international lifestyle.

bunq's skyrocketing trajectory - marked by its recent 20 million user milestone and plans for US expansion - is underpinned by a relentless user focus. As "the first bank people love to use," bunq's success is built on making life easy by using tech to remove the hassle of money admin. The new partnership with Ascenda is marked by a shared vision for superior user experiences and technology-driven innovation.

Enabled by Ascenda's unrivaled loyalty ecosystem, bunq users across Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands can now use their points to access a new range of aspirational rewards, such as airline miles. The collaboration showcases how innovative financial institutions are embedding premium, high-value rewards directly into their core products. The expanded loyalty proposition strengthens bunq's appeal to new and existing customers, fueling customer acquisition and increasing stickiness.

"We're excited to bring one of our most-requested features to users: earning airline miles, just by using their bunq card. At bunq, we're all about making life easy. Our partnership with Ascenda helps us do exactly that: helping our users earn travel rewards from everyday spending to support their borderless lifestyle," said Tom Bilske, Head of New Products.

"Loyalty is no longer a simple add-on to financial products - it's a core engine for revenue and growth," said Josh Berwitz, Chief Commercial Officer of Ascenda. "This new partnership demonstrates how a disruptive leader can leverage differentiated customer value to win in the market. bunq is making everyday banking truly rewarding and we're thrilled to power their success."

About bunq

Founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Ali Niknam, bunq has brought lasting change to the European banking industry. By having its users at the heart of the business and building a product rooted in their wants and needs, bunq quickly scaled to become the second-largest neobank in the EU. Serving those with an international lifestyle across the European Economic Area, bunq makes life easy for location-independent people and businesses, starting from the way they manage money: how they spend, save, budget, and invest.

Pioneering many things considered impossible, bunq was the first bank to get a European banking permit in over 35 years, raised the largest series A round ever secured by a European fintech (€193 million), and was the first EU neobank to achieve structural profitability at the end of 2022. On its mission to build the first global neobank for digital nomads, in April 2025, bunq announced it's fast-tracking its entry in the US by applying for a broker-dealer license and planning to reapply for the full banking license later the same year.

About Ascenda 

Ascenda powers many of the world's most iconic financial services products, enabling high-value, personalized rewards experiences that drive profitable behavior. With over a decade of proven results, an unrivaled roster of top-tier global clients, and enterprise-grade technology, Ascenda is trusted by leading brands to deliver growth outcomes, eliminate complexity, and create extraordinary customer experiences. For more information, please visit ascenda.com

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