This lesser known loyalty program allows you to save money on duty-free purchases (from 5% to 10% off!) and to get extra benefits like lounge access, free taxi transfers to or from the various airports, money-off vouchers, discounts at airport cafes, taxis, hotels, etc. We reviewed the main benefits and elite levels of the program. 

DUFRY is a global travel retailer with HQ in Swiss Basel, which dates back to 1865 and nowadays includes various brands. You might recognize some of them:

DUFRY (various locations)

World Duty Free (Western Europe, Americas, Middle East, Asia)

Nuance (Europe, Asia, North America)

Hellenic Duty Free (Greece)

Colombian Emerald (Carribean, Central America, Norwegian Cruise Line vessels)

Duty Free Uruguay (Uruguay)

Hudson (US & Canada)

Duty Free Shop Argentina (Argentina)

RegStaer (Russia)

Red by DUFRY

DUFRY has its own loyalty program called Red by DUFRY. The program operates via the mobile phone app (Android and iOS) and straight after registration gives you 5% off purchases at duty-free shops! So you can get real benefits right away.

The program is already live in Spain, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Greece, and Switzerland. According to Andrea Belardini, DUFRY’s Divisional CEO Asia, Middle East and Australia, by the end of 2018, the company is planning to roll out its loyalty program to 25 more countries and to recruit 700,000 users!

 

Earning status points

Red by Dufry has it’s own status points. With every purchase, you are earning 5 points for each 1 USD spent. In a case of euro, a number of points earned will depend on the USD/EUR exchange rate for that day.

Elite levels and benefits

There are three elite levels at Red by DUFRY:

Silver – 5% off, given to all members when they register for the program.

Gold – 7% off – can be achieved when you collect 2,000 points i.e. 400$ spend.

Platinum – 10% off – can be achieved when you collect 5,000 points i.e. 1,000$ spend. This level has a unique benefit: free airport transfer for Platinum level holders with Cabify Executive in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla, and Malaga! (The service is limited to one way for each Platinum member per month. The maximum distance is 50km and must have origin or destination as an airport of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla or Malaga. Need to be booked via email reserva.red@wdfg.com or via telephone +34 917 377 030.)

You will be upgraded to a new level immediately, as soon as you earn the required number of points. But remember that it can take up to 7 days to credit your account with the points earned at the time of purchase. If your points are not credited past that period of time, contact customer support and they will sort it out for you. I had an email exchange with the CS of DUFRY and was pleasantly impressed by their professionalism.

Validity of points

The points are valid for 2 years, so in theory, it means that you have two years to reach the elite levels, but don’t quote me on that.

 

Other benefits

The program is offering tons of other benefits, among them: free entrance to VIP lounges, discounts in various shops and restaurants (depending on location).

These are the benefits currently listed for Barcelona’s El Prat airport:

• Free VIP lounge when you spend over 150 euros at Duty Free stores. Available at Barcelona-El Prat, Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas, Bilbao, Valencia and Seville airports.
• 20% off at the Coffee Republic at Terminal 1 of El Prat.
• 20% off at Dehesa Sta. Maria restaurant at Terminal 1 of El Prat.
• 5% off Air Europa flights with code UX6DUFR. Valid until 31/12/2017 with some exceptions (not valid between the following dates: 24/06 – 05/09, 03/12 – 09/12 and 16/12 – 31/12). Discount applied on base rate and not on extras and surcharges.
• 20% off on chauffeur-driven car from Cabify
• Various discounts (10-15% off with hotels, restaurants, other car rental services).

 

How it works:

Red by DUFRY is a virtual loyalty program – it means that there is no physical loyalty card, instead, you need to download the app and register. Here is what you need to do:

1. Sign up for the Red by DUFRY loyalty program here.
2. Download the Red by DUFRY app from AppStore or GooglePlay.
3. Log in to the app with your registered email and password.
4. The app will generate a unique QR code for you.
5. You will be automatically enrolled to the Silver level which gives you instant 5% off all purchases.
6. When making purchases at the Dufry store, show QR code in your Red By DUFRY app to the cashier. Make sure you show the code before you pay because the final amount will be adjusted. Since the program is being rolled out, some cashiers might not be fully aware of the program and will probably ask their managers for help (it happened to me a few times). Therefore be patient and budget in some extra time.

 

My point of view:

Red by DUFRY is a must-have loyalty program, which gives you real-money benefits straight after quick registration – 5% off all your purchases at DUFRY stores! In my opinion, it’s a very good benefit for the lowest loyalty level, something many other loyalty programs fail to deliver. Given the fact that the program is expanding to various other countries and considering the wide reach of the program (63 countries!), it’s a very useful way to save money when shopping at the airport. I almost always get a bottle of wine at the duty-free as a present for my friends, because I don’t want to risk it in the hold luggage, or simply because I travel with cabin bag only. So for me, Red by DUFRY is a must-have app which gives me extra euros off every purchase. And this is not a money off voucher – it’s a real discount there and then.

When reaching highest elite level – Platinum, you not only going to save 10% on duty-free purchases but also will get free taxi transfers! This is a unique benefit which makes the program extra valuable.

 

Let me know your opinion and experience with Red by DUFRY in the comments below.