Looking for a better way to serve customers is an on-going mission at Changi Airport Group. In the Covid-19 year of 2020 where travel was curtailed, CAG took the opportunity to examine how it can enhance its service offerings to bring more value to its fans and customers despite the current pandemic, and emerge a stronger player in the local retail scene in a post-Covid-19 world.

Leveraging what digital integration can bring, Changi’s latest innovation is the Changi Pay e-wallet. Designed to be a one-stop platform for Changi’s shoppers whether they are shopping in Singapore or overseas, offline or online, Changi Pay is an e-wallet which brings users many benefits. It not only enables users to make payments through credit cards, they also earn Changi rewards points on top of their credit card benefits, download vouchers and discounts, book play session tickets, and more. Conveniently located in the iChangi app, it makes shopping and travel (in the future) seamless, contactless and convenient for users.

The e-wallet is currently being tested by CAG staff as part of a pilot phase. Changi Journeys looks at some of these benefits for customers. 

Users can activate vouchers from participating outlets at Changi Airport and Jewel when making their purchases

First, users can store their credit cards, Changi-issued e-vouchers, discounts and deals from outlets at Changi Airport and Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) and use them for their purchases when at Changi. This allows shoppers to choose from the various modes of payment, as well as apply discounts and vouchers, in a single platform, through the convenience of their mobile phones during their shopping and dining sprees.

Second, when shoppers shop at Changi and Jewel Changi Airport, Changi Rewards (CR) points by the airport’s loyalty programme are automatically credited into their accounts without them having to scan their physical CR card or even e-CR card.

Thirdly, Changi Pay will soon be accepted in iShopChangi (iSC), Changi Airport’s e-shopping site offering duty-free items. This payment mode is displayed alongside the credit card, Alipay and WeChatpay options, providing shoppers even more ways to make their purchases. Here, shoppers can stack iSC vouchers from Changi Pay on top of the promo codes from iShopChangi, increasing the discounts they can get for their purchases. 

In the longer run, Changi Pay can be used as a foreign exchange wallet, allowing users to pay for their purchases in a foreign currency, whether they are in-store physically, or making cross-border purchases online.  Other functions to be integrated include the Changi Eats food delivery service which allows customers to order from five restaurants in a single order; the Changi Car Pass, which automatically credits complimentary parking coupons into users’ accounts; and Changi Play Pass which allows shoppers to book a play session at Changi’s thematic events.

When asked what inspired the creation of the Changi Pay e-wallet, Gwyn Sin, CAG’s General Manager of Airside Concessions explained, “It is important to us that customers continue to enjoy great value when they shop, dine and play at Changi and Jewel. As our Changi ecosystem grows, we want to provide a single convenient payment channel for our customers, learn about their preferences so that we can serve them better, and eventually grow a sticky digital relationship with them. We envision that everyone who passes through Changi will use Changi Pay when they are shopping and dining locally and when overseas.” 

When the first phase of Changi Pay is launched in the second quarter of 2021, public users can simply refresh their iChangi app to access Changi Pay and enjoy welcome vouchers and discounts by outlets at Changi Airport and Jewel.