UK-based shopping centre developer, operator and owner intu has partnered with MBNA to create a new credit card.

The new credit card is part of intu's strategy to build its national consumer-facing brand by offering a wide range of benefits to its credit cardholders, which include exclusive offers with retail and leisure brands in its centres.

intu digital and commercial director Trevor Pereira said: “Thanks to intu's nationwide scale and consumer-facing brand, we've been able to team up with the UK's leading credit card experts, MBNA, to create a sector-first commercial agreement that will form an integral part of our ongoing brand-building strategy and help all our retailers to flourish.

“Our combined expertise in retailing, customer experience, payments and rewards has enabled us to create something very special for millions of shoppers around the UK."

“Our combined expertise in retailing, customer experience, payments and rewards has enabled us to create something very special for millions of shoppers around the UK.

“With the new intu credit card, we'll be extending our customer-first approach straight to the wallets of our customers, providing them with moments of delight through our value-added benefits and rewards, which we have developed though the relationships we have in retail and leisure.”

The deal between intu and MBNA is claimed to be the first of its kind between a credit card provider and a shopping centre owner in the UK. This new partnership will offer a new platform for MBNA and explore new opportunities.

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MBNA commercial and payments executive Michael Donald said: "While many other credit card providers have been downgrading their loyalty and reward programmes or exiting this market completely, MBNA has worked with intu to take a completely fresh approach for customers.”

Reports suggest that nearly 35 million customers visit intu's UK shopping centres every year, which include intu Trafford Centre at Manchester, intu Lakeside at Essex, intu Metrocentre at Newcastle, and intu Victoria Centre at Nottingham.