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Revolut To Take On Amex With Launch Of Points-based Credit Cards

Revolut is setting its sights on a new battleground — the lucrative world of rewards credit cards — in a direct challenge to giants like American Express and Barclaycard. The UK-based fintech, now with over 50 million users worldwide, is quietly working on a suite of credit cards powered by its proprietary RevPoints system.

According to insiders familiar with the project, the upcoming cards will be tailored to Revolut’s various subscription tiers, offering users a fresh way to rack up and spend rewards. It marks another ambitious step in Revolut’s rapid expansion beyond digital banking — a strategy that already includes trading, crypto, insurance, and soon, mortgages and private banking.

Cracking The Loyalty Game

Revolut introduced RevPoints last July, letting users earn points on debit card purchases. So far, points can be redeemed for gift cards from big names like Apple and Amazon, or converted 1:1 into airline miles. But with a new credit card in play, Revolut appears ready to scale that system into a full-fledged loyalty ecosystem.

The move brings Revolut into an arena long dominated by legacy players. American Express and Barclaycard rule the rewards space in the UK with established ecosystems like Amex points and Avios. Fintech disruption here has been slower than in other areas — Yonder, one of the few challengers, has just 30,000 users and focuses on perks with local businesses rather than flight deals.

Revolut’s global reach and brand recognition give it an edge in taking this challenge mainstream. The key question now: is how it will differentiate in a crowded, loyalty-heavy market.

What’s Next For The Superapp

The credit card is just one piece of a bigger puzzle. In January, Sifted revealed that Revolut is developing a premium private banking service aimed at high-net-worth individuals, complete with investment tools and personalized wealth advice. Also in the pipeline: an AI-powered money assistant and a mortgage offering, both expected to launch later this year.

With its reward card ambitions, Revolut isn’t just adding another product — it’s signaling a broader intention to rival traditional banks on every front, including where they’ve historically held the advantage: customer loyalty.

Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.

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