Loyalty Programs Offer Rewards to Frequent Customers, Can You Save Money Using Them?

Loyalty Programs Offer Customers Rewards For Shopping, But Many Are Still Too Confused to Start Using The Rewards to Save.

 

In an attempt to keep customers coming back, many popular (and even some smaller) stores have introduced loyalty programs, which reward customers who are-as the name implies-loyal to the store when deciding where to spend their money in the future. Everything from groceries, gas and furniture to airline fares can be bought using a loyalty card and in many cases, the rewards are pretty significant.

 

Many of you have probably become familiar with loyalty programs, and a good portion of your key chains are probably loaded up with reward cards from every store known to man. If you’re like several people I know, the loyalty cards are probably just wasting space in your wallet, when you really should be using them to get rewards when you purchase items at your favorite stores.

 

In my own shopping experience, I’ve been able to use local loyalty programs to fill up my gas tank for a whopping .38 cents. This was made possible through Sunoco’s rewards program, which gives loyal customers “cents off per gallon” when we buy items such as water, snacks and coffee. Even though I rarely buy convenience store items, I was able to use the card enough to save a large amount on my fill up.

 

My experience using loyalty programs in my area have been largely positive, but I still find that many of the people I talk to either think it’s too much effort to swipe the loyalty card or they aren’t familiar enough with the rewards being offered to make proper use of the money saving potential offered through store loyalty programs.

 

So, in this post I’m going to answer a few questions that are holding you back from unleashing the saving power of loyalty and reward programs, such as the following..

 

  • How do loyalty programs save me money?
  • Do loyalty programs add a catch to the savings?
  • Can I use my loyalty rewards at multiple locations?
  • How to find the best loyalty programs in my area?
  • Do loyalty programs cost money to start saving?
  • What information is acceptable when signing up for loyalty or rewards programs?

 

If you’re looking for a way to make a little extra money, instead of saving, check this out.

In order to answer those questions regarding loyalty programs, I’ll take each question and tell you what I know or where to find out. So first, let’s start with the most important question. How do loyalty programs save me money?

 

 

Loyalty Programs Save You Money By Giving Rewards to Customers Who Make Frequent Shopping Trips.

 

The theory behind the loyalty programs is, if a store rewards shoppers for spending money, they are more likely to come back and spend more money. In order to make the programs useful, stores give shoppers who make a purchase with the loyalty card some sort of added discount on their next purchase.

 

A good example of the theory in practice is the one I mentioned earlier in this post, the Sunoco APlus Loyalty Program, which you can find more details on here. By offering customers a cents off per gallon reward, Sunoco accomplishes two things.

 

  • A). Sunoco is able to encourage customers to buy products inside the store, along with their gas.
  • B). Sunoco’s strategy all but guarantees that same customer will come back to redeem their rewards points, which means another fuel sale.

 

For you and I (the customer) it means we are able to buy things like drinks and coffee while saving money on gas at the same time. Many other stores use the same strategy with their loyalty programs as well, which gives us the chance to take advantage if we are willing to stay loyal (for the most part) to one store.

 

Other types of stores may structure their loyalty and reward programs differently, but for most it will be a similar approach. They keep us coming back to shop by offering us lower prices and we just slide the loyalty card at the end of our purchase. Pretty simple way to save more money, right?

 

And… On to the next one…

Do Loyalty Programs Add a Catch When Offering Savings?

 

In some cases, depending on the store, there may be a catch that you should be aware of. In the case of another store near me, Price Chopper, the rewards you earn on their Advantedge card expire after sixty days and the cents off per gallon of gas can only be used on a fill up to 20 gallons at one time.

 

In my opinion, a catch like that is more than tolerable. Loyalty programs won’t always have catches this simple, so it will definitely be a good idea to ask questions before signing up and even check the loyalty program reviews on the internet here.

 

As long as you do the research to find the best reward programs in your area, it shouldn’t be hard to find a retailer offering a sweet loyalty program. This should be the case even more often as more retailers and services adopt the customer loyalty program as a way to retain customers.

 

Another question people frequently ask me is, whether or not they can use the rewards earned at different retail locations.

 

Can I Use My Rewards at Multiple Locations, Or Does Each Store Offer It’s Own Loyalty Program?

 

While most retailers have independent loyalty programs, it’s becoming more common to see brands working together as partners to give the best rewards program to its customers. The Advantedge program is a good example of two retailers teaming up to offer a convenient way to knock money off their purchase.

 

Also, every retailer I’m aware of allows redemption of rewards points at multiple locations around the country. As long as you’re shopping at that specific retailers store, there should be no problem cashing in or accumulating your rewards.

 

Allowing us to use our reward points at any location is very handy, and as a matter of fact, I’ve had first hand experience with it. After I had earned a good amount of loyalty rewards, I was able to redeem them on my way back from Massachusetts for a full tank of gas that cost me less than twenty dollars. Being able to use the rewards where you want is just another reason loyalty programs are such an awesome way to save money!

 

Now that you know a little bit about retail loyalty programs, you’re gonna need to know how to find the best rewards in your area.

 

How Can I Find The Best Loyalty Programs at Stores In My Area?

 

Finding the best loyalty programs for your needs is something that can be done with very minimal effort. Usually the stores that give rewards are free about advertising the savings all over the place. Check your local fliers and the customer service desk at your favorite stores if you’re not sure whether a rewards program exists.

 

If you haven’t already heard about a stores frequent shopper benefits, you can start by checking out this top ten list of retail loyalty programs. If the store you are looking for isn’t included in the list of loyalty programs, try checking out the retailers website.

 

In most cases, if a loyalty program is available in the store you shop at the most, you will have at least heard of it or witnessed another customer using it. Go ahead and sign up for the program, and then slide the card or give your phone number for every purchase no matter what. You wouldn’t wanna miss out on savings because you forgot the card, would you?

 

Wait just a minute. You’re telling me to sign up for a loyalty program, but I’m gonna need a couple more answers first.

 

Of course! You wanna know if it cost money to sign up for loyalty programs, right? I can answer that pretty quickly.

Does It Cost Money to Sign Up For Store Loyalty Programs?

 

Almost every reward program being offered by retailers is free to sign up and free to use. Think about it. Why would customers pay to spend their own money at a specific store instead of another one? Charging customers to earn rewards would be counterproductive for the consumer and would likely be a very unpopular practice.

 

Every retail rewards program I’ve used has been completely free and I wouldn’t use it if it wasnt. Not when there are so many other retailers to choose from that offer free loyalty programs. If you have to pay to get a discount, is it even a discount? Be weary if a store tries charging you to be a part of it’s loyalty program.

 

Note: Memberships are entirely different and retailers often charge a membership fee to take part. An example of this type of program would be BJ’s membership. 

 

Okay, so loyalty programs should be free, and I’m ready to sign up. I have to ask one more important question though.

 

What Information Do I Need to Sign Up For a Stores Loyalty Program.

 

Before telling you what information is needed to sign up for loyalty programs, I should point out another aspect of said programs.

 

By signing customers up for rewards programs, stores are also giving themselves a way to promote their product or service through email and other forms of marketing.

 

Since this a big reason retailers are able to offer discounts through loyalty programs, it’s likely they will request your email address and probably your physical address. Other basic info such as your name and phone number will need to be provided as well. Nothing sensitive like a social security or bank account number should be required to take part in a rewards program.

 

As long as the store is reputable and you are familiar with the brand, giving up your name, email and phone number is completely acceptable. Giving away sensitive material like your SSN or bank account information should never be taken lightly and most retailers would never ask for such information.

 

If you do find yourself being asked for sensitive information on the application, be skeptical. It should not be necessary to provide your social security number or banking information when signing up to a stores loyalty program.

 

Now You Know How to Use Store Loyalty Programs, So Start Getting Rewards!

 

Now that you know a little more about loyalty programs and how to use them to save more money, it’s time to start earning rewards when you buy items. The sooner you start using rewards programs to earn discounts, the better. Your wallet will be glad you finally realized the benefits of using loyalty programs.

 

 

If you like this guide to using loyalty programs, do me a favor and share it so others can start using rewards to save a little more money!