Customers of all kinds of businesses are now being treated to reward schemes that offer all kinds of free stuff and money off. Loyalty schemes have been around in one form or another for as long as modern marketing has existed, however with internet technology and advances in the way data can be collated and used, these days they are more innovative and rewarding than ever before.
Here are some of the most common types of loyalty scheme, and how you can take advantage of them to save money and get some fantastic treats!
Punch Cards
One of the most common loyalty schemes around, along with one of the oldest, are those punch cards you see in coffee shops, restaurants, sandwich shops and so on. The basic idea is that you take a card and the cashier stamps it every time you buy something. Once the card is full, you get something for free, such as a coffee or sandwich.
These reward systems may not save you a fortune, but if you buy a coffee every day, you could be getting a free one every week or two by going to the same coffee shop and remembering to give them your card. These schemes usually have no registration (though you may need to give basic information like your name and email address on the back of the card when you hand it in to get your free gift), and they essentially reward you for buying something you’d be buying anyway – the scheme simply encourages you to keep getting it from the same place.
Store Reward Cards
Supermarkets large and small along with many department stores and other popular chains offer their own reward schemes, where you accumulate points as you shop which get you specific benefits. This could be credit to spend in the same store, or preferential prices on specific items. Some supermarkets, for example, have points systems that allow you to save money on gas at the pump.
These are usually fast to register for, and once you have your reward card you may not only be saving points, but also paying less for products. Some chains like Kroger offer lower prices for almost everything in store to their loyalty card holders!
Air Mile Schemes
Credit card air mile schemes have been around for a long time now, and have changed very little in format, with only the range of available incentive travel gifts becoming greater as these schemes have evolved. Some credit cards, for example those branded with popular airlines, offer flexible points (known as ‘miles’ in most cases), which are worth different amounts depending on how in demand the thing you try and redeem them for is. This means if you want to use them for a flight outside of the busiest times of the year, you get extremely good value.
Other brands, for example Capital One, offer special fixed value points that are worth the same amount no matter when you want to use them. These offer far better value when you want to travel at peak times, like holidays, or on very popular routes.
About the Author:Today’s guest author, David Waters, heads the sales department of a prominent bank based in Georgia, US. He enjoys cooking and calling friends over for dinner and socializing in his spare time.
