"Entirely beyond our control": Transat suspends BonBon program until further notice

Transat has notified travel advisors that it has suspended its BonBon rewards program until further notice.

The suspension is due to the recent termination of a contract between Digital Commerce Bank (DCBank) and TruCash, a third-party entity – and subsidiary of TCA Group Of Companies – that has supplied Transat’s cash incentive program since 2009.

The move also relates to persistent technical issues with the BonBon card.

As PAX has previously reported, ongoing technical issues with Transat’s travel agent loyalty program have caused frustration within the trade community for several months now.

Travel advisors earn rewards on all Transat bookings, including travel packages, coach tours, cruises, flights, accommodations and car rentals.

These rewards, in the form of dollars, are then loaded directly onto BonBon TruCash Visa cards.

But for some time now, advisors haven’t been able to access their money due to their Visa cards being suddenly blocked.

The issue isn’t universal. According to trade forums on social media, several members have reported being able to use their cards after several months of unsuccessful attempts. Others, however, say the problem is ongoing.

What’s more, some advisors have told PAX that they haven’t been able to call in and unblock their cards.

The situation has become even more frustrating as agents were paying monthly fees for a service they could not use, in addition to receiving T4 statements for income they had no access to.

“Beyond our control”

In its latest advisory, Transat said the “situation is entirely beyond our control.”

The company stated that members received emailed instructions from DCBank on July 24 on how to access their accumulated funds.

This includes options such as transferring the funds or receiving a cheque issued by DCBank.

In its email, DCBank said it will provide members with a new DCBank-branded prepaid Mastercard, with access to additional benefits, such as a virtual card, access to Interac e-transfer and bill payments.

DCBank noted members will no longer be able to conduct transactions as of September 30, 2025. "The current balance of your card is $0 and effectively immediately, you will not be able to add more funds to your card," the bank writes.

Transat says any new cards issued by DCBank are not new BonBon cards, adding that, for now, “it is no longer possible to earn BonBon rewards for new bookings.”

Participants that have money already in their account, and who want to retrieve their funds, must follow instructions that were emailed to them by DCBank, says Transat.

However, some members, as per online forums, say they did not receive the instructions. Others, it appears, did receive an email, but deleted it due to concerns about its legitimacy.

Among those who received and retained the email, some report having difficulty understanding and/or following the instructions.

“We encourage you to carefully check your inbox as well as your junk mail folder around the date of July 24th. As DCBank is managing the communication and the fund transfer, we unfortunately cannot resend that email,” Transat says.

Agents with questions are being advised to contact clientsupport@dcbank.ca or call 1-844-836-6040

Over the past few months, TruCash has taken some steps to mitigate the problem, from sending new cards to agencies to freezing the $1 monthly fee members pay to participate in the program.

It isn’t clear just how many travel advisors are impacted by the issue.

“It’s not across the board,” Julie Sareault, commercial director at Transat, told PAX back in April. “We have some in Ontario, some in Quebec, whereas in Atlantic Canada, we haven’t heard much about it.”

In a statement to PAX on Tuesday (Aug. 5), Marie-Christine Pouliot, manager of public relations at Transat, confirmed the suspension, adding: "We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our valued partners and remain committed to providing all relevant updates as soon as they become available." 

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