Gigs partners ShopBack to launch travel eSIM in Asia-Pacific

Gigs has entered Asia-Pacific through a partnership with ShopBack, adding a travel eSIM service to the ShopBack app.

The rollout marks Gigs' first major customer in the region and expands its presence beyond the US, Europe and Latin America.

Under the agreement, ShopBack users can find, activate and manage the eSIM within the app rather than being sent to an external website. The service is available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

Users download one eSIM and can use it in more than 160 countries, according to the companies. They can add data in the app, receive cashback on each purchase and share eSIMs with travel companions.

For ShopBack, the move adds a new service to an established category. Travel is already a core part of the rewards platform's business, and mobile connectivity gives it a way to stay involved in the customer journey after booking and on arrival at a destination.

Gigs provides software and related services that let consumer brands offer mobile plans and travel data under their own name. Its customers include Revolut, Klarna, OnePay, NETGEAR and Nubank, which together reach more than 850 million users, according to the company.

The company has raised US$100 million to date from investors including Ribbit Capital, Google and Y Combinator. It was founded in 2020 by Hermann Frank and Dennis Bauer.

Asia-Pacific has become a focus for technology groups offering financial and consumer services through mobile apps, particularly as large platforms try to keep more functions within a single product. The ShopBack deal gives Gigs an entry point into that market through a regional brand that operates across 13 markets and has also expanded into North America.

ShopBack processes more than half a million transactions a day and drives more than US$5.5 billion in annual sales for more than 20,000 online and in-store partners, according to the company. Alongside rewards and shopping offers, it also runs a payments product called ShopBack Pay.

Travel push

The launch reflects broader competition among consumer apps to bring booking, payments, insurance and connectivity into a single interface. Travel eSIMs have become a growing category as international travellers look for alternatives to physical SIM cards and roaming charges.

By integrating the service directly into its app, ShopBack avoids sending users through a separate sign-up process on another platform. That could reduce drop-off and keep spending activity within its ecosystem, particularly if customers continue buying data top-ups during trips.

For Gigs, the partnership also tests whether its model can translate to Asia-Pacific's mix of rewards apps, fintechs and so-called super-apps. It is targeting fintechs, multi-service apps, eCommerce platforms, travel platforms and airlines in the region.

Rafa Plantier, Vice President of Growth at Gigs, described the tie-up as an important step in Asia-Pacific.

"ShopBack is exactly the kind of partner that defines what Gigs is built for: a platform with massive scale, deep user trust and a genuine commitment to go further for its customers. Bringing embedded connectivity to one of Asia-Pacific's most active shopping platforms is a landmark moment for us, not just as our first major partnership in the region, but as validation that every great consumer product can and should include connectivity," Plantier said.

Regional expansion

The move comes as ShopBack looks to deepen its presence in services linked to travel spending. Rather than limiting its role to earning rewards on bookings and purchases, the platform is trying to add services that remain relevant throughout a trip.

Neetesh Pansare, Director of New Verticals at ShopBack, said the company sees mobile access as a practical extension of its travel offering.

"Travel is a key category for ShopBack, and connectivity is a fundamental part of that experience. We already help users get more out of every trip when they plan and book, and now we want that to carry through from the moment they land. Being connected should not be a luxury; it is essential. Not having to hunt down a local SIM or worry about roaming fees the moment you arrive is exactly what making every trip more rewarding looks like," Pansare said.