Mastercard and OCTO Launch Strategic Partnership to Promote Safer Driving Through Innovative Loyalty Programs
Mastercard and OCTO, Safe Driving a global leader in telematics and advanced data analytics for the automotive and insurance sectors, have announced a groundbreaking partnership designed to transform how insurance companies engage with their customers. Through the integration of Mastercard’s SessionM loyalty platform with OCTO’s proprietary driving behavior scoring technology, the collaboration introduces a new model of incentivized, responsible driving—offering mutual benefits for both drivers and insurers.
Revolutionizing the Insurance Ecosystem with Data-Driven Engagement
At the core of this partnership lies the ambition to reimagine the traditionally transactional relationship between insurance companies and policyholders. By leveraging real-time behavioral insights and an intelligent rewards infrastructure, Mastercard and OCTO aim to deepen customer engagement, promote road safety, and contribute to broader sustainability objectives.
The initiative integrates Mastercard’s SessionM platform—designed to support businesses in building data-rich, personalized loyalty and engagement programs—with OCTO’s telematics expertise. OCTO’s patented scoring models analyze driving behaviors using either physical devices such as black boxes installed in vehicles, or via app-based digital solutions. These tools track factors such as speed, acceleration, braking patterns, and overall driving consistency to assign a unique driver score.
This behavioral score becomes the basis for unlocking a variety of rewards and incentives. Drivers demonstrating safe and responsible behaviors can access tangible benefits such as discounts on auto, home, and travel insurance, as well as personalized loyalty rewards. In essence, the safer one drives, the more one earns.
Creating a Win-Win for Drivers and Insurers
The dual objective of this partnership is to empower drivers with positive reinforcement while simultaneously delivering strategic advantages to insurers. For consumers, this means direct financial and lifestyle benefits tied to their everyday driving habits. For insurance providers, it opens the door to stronger brand loyalty, lower claims ratios, and better risk management.
In a sector where customer retention has historically been challenging, this engagement model introduces a compelling reason for policyholders to maintain an ongoing relationship with their insurer. By making insurance a more interactive and value-driven experience, Mastercard and OCTO are enabling insurers to build trust and emotional loyalty, going beyond the standard premium and claims-based interaction.
Additionally, by continuously analyzing driver data and providing personalized feedback and incentives, insurers gain the ability to proactively manage portfolio risk. Safer drivers result in fewer accidents, leading to lower claim costs and more stable underwriting practices. The result is a powerful blend of risk mitigation, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
Driving Sustainability Through Smarter Mobility
Beyond commercial and operational gains, the partnership also addresses important environmental and social imperatives. Encouraging responsible driving behavior has a direct impact on public safety and accident reduction, but it also contributes to lower vehicle emissions through smoother, more efficient driving.
Luca Corti, Country Manager for Italy at Mastercard, emphasized the broader impact of the initiative, stating:
“We are excited to collaborate with OCTO, putting technology at the service of safer and more conscious mobility. Through our innovative solutions, we enable data-driven loyalty models that reward positive behavior and strengthen the relationship between businesses and customers. This partnership confirms Mastercard’s commitment to driving the evolution of key sectors of the economy, helping to create increasingly connected and value-rich ecosystems.”
Empowering Insurers with Scalable Technology
OCTO’s CEO, Corrado Sciolla, echoed Corti’s sentiments and highlighted the strategic nature of the collaboration:
“The partnership with Mastercard strengthens our commitment to smarter and more sustainable mobility. Together, we are offering insurance companies a new, more proactive and engaging way to interact with their customers, by providing an effective tool to reward positive behavior. This helps drivers improve road safety, reduce accidents, and lower emissions. In a context where companies are increasingly focused on social and environmental goals, OCTO confirms its role as a strategic partner for responsible innovation in the entire insurance sector and in telematics applied to mobility.”
OCTO brings to the table years of experience in analyzing mobility data for risk assessment, claims automation, and driver coaching. Its solutions are used by major insurance companies worldwide and have been instrumental in evolving usage-based insurance (UBI) models. Now, with the added dimension of SessionM’s loyalty engine, insurers can turn these insights into action—rewarding good behavior in near real-time.
SessionM: Loyalty at Global Scale
SessionM, a Mastercard company, is one of the world’s leading loyalty and customer engagement platforms. With more than 1,400 client companies across industries and a team of over 900 specialists, the platform is built to support large-scale, complex loyalty ecosystems.
The collaboration with OCTO will allow insurers to deploy SessionM’s capabilities across various customer touchpoints—from mobile apps and emails to call centers and in-car interfaces. The platform is designed for high-performance and scalability, handling over 350 billion loyalty points, processing 3 billion API calls annually, and delivering more than 1.3 billion marketing impressions each year.
This infrastructure provides insurance companies with the flexibility to build highly personalized, data-driven engagement programs that go beyond generic promotions. With behavior-based insights from OCTO, loyalty rewards can be precisely tailored to each driver’s profile and preferences, creating a continuous feedback loop that encourages better habits and stronger brand affinity.
A Model for Connected Loyalty
This partnership marks a significant evolution in how mobility data and customer engagement are connected. In a time when insurers are under increasing pressure to provide value beyond claims coverage, this model offers a path to differentiation and long-term success.
Moreover, as the automotive industry shifts toward electrification, shared mobility, and connected vehicles, the importance of telematics and data-driven insights will only grow. Mastercard and OCTO are positioning themselves at the forefront of this transformation—bridging the gap between customer behavior, business performance, and societal impact.
By embedding responsible driving into a dynamic and rewarding loyalty framework, Mastercard and OCTO are not only redefining insurance engagement—they are helping to build a safer, smarter, and more sustainable future for mobility.
