The Affinion Group
Before Affinion Group’s inception in 2005, the firm operated as CUC International, Benefit Consultants, Comp-U-Card, and Cendant. At present, the group has for its subsidiaries Progeny Marketing Innovations, Affinion International, Trilegiant Corporation (TLG), Affinion Security Center, and Affinion Loyalty Group. The company is managed by Apollo Management LP and its assets came from Cendant Corporation, now known as Avis Budget Group.
Affinion offers loyalty programs, insurance, memberships, and package insurance as part of its functions as an affinity marketer. It is a discount supplier of shopping, dental, health, club buying, consumer protection, and travel assistances based on membership.
In tracing the Affinion Group’s history, it is important to note that Comp-U-Card first provided membership goods via the establishment of Comp-U-Card of America, Inc. (CUC) in 1973. From 1985 to 1986, Comp-U-Card of America obtained Financial Institution Services Inc. and Madison Financial Corporation’s the package and insurance enrichment products. CUC later bought National Card Control Inc. And in 1997, CUC collaborated with HFS Incorporated and created Cendant Corporation. Their products were re-branded as Cendant International Membership Services. In 2001, the products were once again re-branded, this time as Trilegiant Loyalty Solutions.
In 2004, Trilegiant Corporation updated its organizational structure to incorporate separately-developed products. After one year, Trilegiant and Cendant sealed a purchase arrangement that saw Affinion buy Cendant’s equity interests of what is now known as Affinion Group, LLC.
In 2007’s second quarter, the business obtained the ID/data theft protection assistance called CardCops, backing its already-established ID theft and credit tracking products.
In 2008, the company put up the Affinion Security Center, which offers customers and firms reliable solutions, consultancy assistances and products for data breach and ID theft incidents.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinion_Group
