CIBC First Caribbean International Bank (CIBC/FCIB) has partnered with Mastercard and JetBlue for the launch of two new credit cards that award points for free travel to cardholders in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.

In revealing the co-branded credit cards, JetBlue and JetBlue Select Mastercard credit cards, on Monday, December 4, CIBC/FCIB Jamaica’s director of retail banking, Owen Francis, said that the partnership with JetBlue and Mastercard “comes at a time when economic recovery in the Caribbean continues on an upward trend propelled by tourism, the single largest driver of economic activity”.

Francis referred to projections by the World Travel and Tourism Council which indicate that this growth will continue at least for the medium term. “So, there is still much cause for optimism and this partnership is a reflection of that upbeat outlook,” he said.

According to Jennifer Fuller, CIBC/FCIB Jamaica’s director of enterprise payments, cards and merchant services, the growth in regional travel and tourism is matched by increasing demand for digital payment solutions and a shift away from cash payments.

To meet this demand, Fuller said CIBC/FCIB is “reinventing our online card services to offer more dynamic, easy and instant capabilities and management solutions”.

She explained that the JetBlue Card and JetBlue Select credit cards will first be offered as digital cards to select clients through the bank’s LoanStore App, which will provide “instant access to funds and instant use for online transactions”. The physical cards will be offered at a later date in 2024.

Importantly, Fuller said cardholders of the JetBlue Card and JetBlue Select Mastercard credit cards will be able to earn TrueBlue points on their first spend, on their anniversary and everyday purchases. Additionally, they will benefit from exclusive offers such as no annual fees, no points expiration, no blackout dates to travel on JetBlue Airlines along with free first-checked bag.

“Whether a digital card or vignette, these latest additions to CIBC FirstCaribbean’s suite of credit cards will collectively expand our cards portfolio and with the current favourable market conditions, the appealing value propositions and a strong partnership, the JetBlue cards by CIBC FirstCaribbean are well positioned for success in the markets we operate,” she said.