Loyalty Cards: “Boon For Buyers” or a “Wrench In Your Wallet”?

Welcome to the “Blog From The Fog”

Have you got any “Loyalty Cards” in your wallet or purse? You know the ones; the stores that offer you better deals if you carry their cards. The ones that give you points, discounts, rewards and all the benefits of being a card holder. The initial feeling, when you get this card in your hand, is, “Wow, I am going to get some great deals with this. I shop here anyways and now I am going save money just for having this card. Nice.”

That is the start, but then you get more and more. Your wallet gets overloaded with them. You can’t find your ID, your payment cards or even your family photos (for those, like me, that are old enough to even remember that people used to carry pictures in their wallets.). Then there is the situation when you have decided to thin your wallet or purse to ease going out to an event.  You are in the store, looking at a price that is unbelievable. It is, though, only for card holders, to which you are, only, you have not brought yours with you. Now you are having to (eek!) pay the regular price?! Oh there are some companies that let you use a phone number or some numeric code to get your deserved prices. Others say “oh just bring your receipt back with your card and we will refund your money.” Helpful, right? Sure. They would like nothing else than getting you into their business again.

Then there is the other key benefit to loyalty cards. The businesses that offer these loyalty cards get fantastic buyer data. Names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, purchase history, shopping times, purchase days and all the other data to assist them.  It really helps the businesses in picking times to market certain products, prices, offerings and shopping hours to best manage you, the buyer, to their benefit. This a great benefit to loyalty cards, right? Oh did I forget to mention that these are the benefits to the business, not the consumer.

Now it is important to note that this is not a diatribe meant to rag on loyalty cards. As a marketing consultant, we love the concept (from the side of the business) and as a consumer, we like the savings opportunities, but as a consumer there are so many issues that frustrate me with loyalty cards that I wish there was a better way to serve both parties.

What do you think about Loyalty cards? Do you use them? Which ones do you like the most and why? Which ones just get your backs up with frustration? How would you change them so they would still help the businesses, yet offer all the deals that the you want from them?

Thanks for your feedback. I love seeing people’s input to my blogs

Rick Cleghorn