Zillion, India’s largest multi-brand loyalty platform, has announced a game-changing collaboration. The Zillion partnership with PayU allows users to earn and redeem Zillion Coins across PayU’s extensive merchant network. This strategic alliance bridges digital payments with loyalty rewards, marking a pivotal moment in India’s fintech and loyalty landscape.
Now, customers making purchases on any PayU-enabled merchant platform can automatically earn Zillion Coins, transforming every qualified transaction into a rewarding experience. Even more, these coins can be used to offset purchase costs, not just at the original merchant but anywhere within Zillion’s wide partner network. With a reach across industries like retail, healthcare, entertainment, and travel, this ecosystem-wide integration dramatically enhances user convenience and brand engagement.
Leadership from both firms emphasized this move as a bold step toward the convergence of digital payments and loyalty systems. Kohinoor Biswas, Head of Consumer Business at Zillion, shared how this integration brings Zillion’s vision closer to becoming a holistic rewards destination. Nikhil Mehta from PayU highlighted how the partnership could drive higher conversions, stronger customer bonds, and better transaction values for merchants.
The Zillion partnership with PayU is more than a feature upgrade. It’s an industry-shaping move that empowers over 130 million reward-active consumers while helping merchants increase their bottom line. As India’s digital economy accelerates, this collaboration sets a new benchmark for personalized consumer experience.
In this report by The Startups News, we dive into Zillion’s background, business model, product offerings, and the significant outcomes expected from this fintech loyalty synergy.
1. Inside Zillion: Origin, Offerings, and Operation
1.1 Founders and Founding Story
Zillion is the flagship loyalty venture by the BharatPe Group, launched with a vision to redefine rewards for Indian consumers. It operates under the brand previously known as PAYBACK India, one of the country’s largest and oldest multi-brand loyalty programs. BharatPe acquired PAYBACK India in 2021 from American Express and ICICI Bank and later rebranded it to Zillion in May 2023.
With its revamped identity, Zillion transitioned into a full-fledged digital rewards ecosystem. The program was built by leveraging BharatPe’s fintech expertise and PAYBACK’s loyalty infrastructure, bringing the best of both worlds to Indian customers. Zillion’s leadership, led by Kohinoor Biswas, brings decades of experience in consumer engagement, retail, and digital strategy.
1.2 Business Model and Revenue Generation
Zillion operates on a B2B2C model. The company partners with major consumer brands across sectors such as retail, fuel, banking, payments, hospitality, and e-commerce. Customers earn Zillion Coins for every eligible transaction made at partner outlets, which can then be redeemed for discounts or services across Zillion’s network.
Revenue is generated through commissions from partner merchants, data analytics services, and loyalty campaign integrations. Zillion charges merchants for increased customer retention and transaction frequency driven through its platform. For consumers, Zillion remains free-to-use, driving high participation and usage.
1.3 Services and Ecosystem
Zillion’s core service is its loyalty rewards platform that enables earning and redeeming of Zillion Coins. It partners with hundreds of brands including HPCL, BookMyShow, Lenovo, and American Express. The recent Zillion partnership with PayU is a major step to widen its acceptance across millions of PayU-powered online merchants.
2. Strategic Alliance: Zillion partnership with PayU
2.1 What Does the Integration Bring?
The Zillion partnership with PayU enables automatic earning of Zillion Coins on all qualifying purchases made through PayU’s checkout interface. Customers no longer need to manually input any loyalty data—rewards get credited instantly. More importantly, redemption becomes seamless.
Users can now convert Zillion Coins into virtual currency at the point of checkout and use them as partial or full payment. This means real-time savings and increased utility of every Zillion Coin earned.
2.2 Why PayU?
PayU is one of India’s leading payment gateways, serving thousands of e-commerce players, large enterprises, and D2C startups. By partnering with PayU, Zillion gains access to a significantly larger consumer base and merchant ecosystem.
PayU’s checkout technology supports real-time APIs, which has made the loyalty integration smooth and responsive. According to internal estimates, this can potentially add over 30 million monthly active transactions to Zillion’s rewards network.
2.3 Leadership Insights
Kohinoor Biswas remarked, “Our partnership with PayU opens new doors in loyalty management. It allows us to bring Zillion to the forefront of every digital transaction.” He emphasized that the team will keep adding new partners and categories to ensure consistent delight for customers.
Nikhil Mehta of PayU added, “Digital commerce now lies at the crossroad of loyalty and payments. This partnership delivers both—value for users and performance for merchants.”
3. Industry Impact and Trends
3.1 Rise of Fintech-Driven Loyalty Programs
With the Zillion partnership with PayU, India witnesses the maturing of integrated fintech-loyalty systems. As more consumers expect personalized deals, digital-first loyalty programs are outperforming legacy couponing models.
Trends suggest that by 2026, over 65% of Indian online consumers will be influenced by reward systems during purchase decisions. Fintech enablers like PayU are now integrating loyalty APIs directly into their stack.
3.2 Benefits for Consumers and Merchants
For users, this means simplified reward management, instant redemption, and broader usage of loyalty points. For merchants, embedded loyalty within the payment flow leads to improved conversion rates, higher average order values, and stronger repeat customer metrics.
Zillion’s backend system also provides behavioral analytics, which brands can leverage to fine-tune their marketing.
4. Roadmap Ahead for Zillion and PayU
4.1 What to Expect Next
Following the Zillion partnership with PayU, the company plans to scale the loyalty checkout experience across more fintech gateways, including UPI-first platforms. The brand also aims to expand its offline merchant acceptance across Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
On PayU’s end, this partnership will serve as a test case for embedded loyalty across its other global markets including Latin America and Europe.
5. Learning for Startups and Entrepreneurs
5.1 Solve for Integration, Not Just Innovation
Zillion’s move wasn’t just about launching another feature. It focused on integrating loyalty into the daily payment experience. Startups should focus on building plug-and-play models that embed seamlessly into user journeys.
5.2 Partnerships Drive Scale
PayU gave Zillion instant scale and trust. Strategic tie-ups with distribution partners can be more impactful than marketing spend for early-stage ventures.
5.3 Data is the Real Reward
Zillion uses behavioral data to offer smarter rewards. Any startup today should invest in capturing and leveraging first-party data to enhance experience and retention.
About The Startups News
At The Startups News, we dive deep into India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, decoding trends like the Zillion partnership with PayU. Whether you’re tracking fintech innovations, loyalty solutions, or startup expansion strategies, our platform curates high-impact insights with unmatched depth. From covering major tech disruptions to exploring micro-markets and early-stage founders, we bring you the full spectrum of startup journalism. Stay ahead in the Indian tech and business landscape with The Startups News.
