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Commerce-tech company seQura has launched a “smart shopping” app, replacing expiring loyalty points with cashback in Bitcoin.
For decades, consumer loyalty has been a one-sided deal. Shoppers accumulate digital points in closed ecosystems, often tied to a single brand, only to watch them expire or be devalued without notice. This model creates what many in the e-commerce world call “artificial retention,” a system built on coupons and temporary discounts rather than genuine, long-term value for the customer.
Commerce-tech company seQura aims to challenge this model by introducing a different approach to rewards. Timed just before the Black Friday shopping season, the company has launched its new seQura app, debuting in Spain. The platform introduces a “smart shopping” model that replaces expiring points with Bitcoin (BTC) as the cashback reward.
Cashback in Bitcoin
SeQura’s Bitcoin-only loyalty program allows users to earn up to 15% cashback in Bitcoin when shopping at over 500 partner brands, including major retailers like AliExpress, MediaMarkt and Druni.
Cashback is sent directly to the user’s own wallet, granting them full ownership over an asset that, unlike traditional loyalty points, does not expire. Transfers are executed by an authorized crypto-asset service provider, keeping the process fully regulatory compliant and hands-off from seQura. SeQura emphasizes that this is a zero-risk reward for the shopper, as they are not purchasing the Bitcoin but rather receiving it as part of their normal shopping activity.
Combining payments, protection and AI
The Bitcoin loyalty program is one component of what seQura calls the “smart shopping” experience, which combines rewards with payment flexibility and financial control in a single application.
“Bitcoin loyalty changes the equation,” says a seQura spokesperson: “It offers a universal, non-expiring, transparent reward that fluctuates over time and finally aligns incentives between consumers and merchants.”
The app extends seQura’s existing flexible payment options to over 5,000 merchants. Users can split a payment into three interest-free installments, pay over a longer period of up to 18 installments or pay at once with their usual card. Serving as a central control hub, the new application enables users to manage all their purchases, with options to modify payment plans or delay a payment after the transaction.
The app’s launch on Nov. 11 follows a series of November updates that introduced a new user interface and free buyer protection soon, which covers purchases up to €500 for 30 days against payment and return incidents.
An AI shopping assistant is also planned for a beta launch in mid-to-late November. The assistant is designed to help users find products based on specific criteria, such as finding an item that has both a cashback offer and a specific installment plan available.
Roadmap and strategic focus
The next milestone for the platform will be the launch of a travel vertical, “SQ travel,” on Dec. 1, which will feature a major partnership with lastminute.com to enable flexible payments and cashback on travel bookings.
Looking further ahead, seQura plans to integrate the Lightning Network. The integration is intended to enable instant, low-fee Bitcoin transfers, which is particularly important for distributing smaller cashback amounts efficiently.
The launch of the seQura App marks a strategic pivot for the company, shifting from its former identity as a primarily flexible payments provider to a “smart shopping technology” company.
By combining flexible consumer payments with a Bitcoin-based loyalty model, seQura is testing a new approach to e-commerce. The goal is to build sustainable user engagement based on asset ownership rather than temporary closed-loop discounts. The success of this model could signal a broader industry shift, moving the focus of consumer loyalty from platform-specific points to non-expiring assets.
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