Research
Loyalty Program Trends for 2026: What's Changing in Customer Rewards
The trends shaping loyalty in 2026 — AI-native programs, paid-tier expansion, B2B loyalty, experiential rewards, sustainability, and platform consolidation.
Research
Loyalty Program Trends for 2026: What's Changing in Customer Rewards
The trends shaping loyalty in 2026 — AI-native programs, paid-tier expansion, B2B loyalty, experiential rewards, sustainability, and platform consolidation.
READ BY LOYALTY & CRM TEAMS AT
NORTHWIND · Veráno · ATLAS CO. · Mercer · OAKLINE · Hàlo
VERDICT INDEX
| PROGRAM | CATEGORY | ANNUAL FEE | VERDICT | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty Program Trends for 2026: What's Changing in Customer Rewards | Research | — | — | Feb 10 |
| The Loyalty Program Audit: How to Know If Your Program Needs a Redesign | Strategy | — | — | Jan 15 |
| How Mobile Apps Transformed Restaurant Loyalty Programs | Restaurant loyalty | — | — | Nov 5 |
| Retail Loyalty Program Design: A Framework for 2025 and Beyond | Retail loyalty | — | — | Oct 8 |
| How Consumers Feel About Loyalty Programs in 2025: A Research Synthesis | Research | — | — | Sep 11 |
| The Best Travel Loyalty Programs in 2025: A Complete Ranking | Travel loyalty | — | — | Aug 14 |
| Fast Casual Loyalty Programs: How the Top Chains Compare | Program reviews | — | — | Jul 10 |
| AI and Machine Learning in Retail Loyalty: What's Actually Possible in 2025 | Retail loyalty | — | — | Jun 10 |
| AI in Loyalty Strategy: A Practical Guide for 2025 | Strategy | — | — | May 8 |
| The Economics of Loyalty Programs: What the Numbers Actually Say for Brands | Research | — | — | Apr 17 |
LATEST REVIEWS
Strategy
The Loyalty Program Audit: How to Know If Your Program Needs a Redesign
A framework for auditing an existing loyalty program — the warning signs, the audit process, the redesign-vs-refresh decision, and the communication strategy.
Restaurant loyalty
How Mobile Apps Transformed Restaurant Loyalty Programs
From paper punch cards to AI-personalized offers — how the shift to mobile apps changed restaurant loyalty forever, and what comes next for operators and consumers.
Retail loyalty
Retail Loyalty Program Design: A Framework for 2025 and Beyond
A comprehensive framework for designing a retail loyalty program in 2025 — earn structure, reward portfolio, tier architecture, engagement, and technology stack.
Research
How Consumers Feel About Loyalty Programs in 2025: A Research Synthesis
What consumers actually want from loyalty programs in 2025 — satisfaction drivers, the value-privacy tradeoff, category differences, and the gap with operator assumptions.
Travel loyalty
The Best Travel Loyalty Programs in 2025: A Complete Ranking
A 2025 ranking of the best airline and hotel loyalty programs — methodology, category leaders, and how to build a travel loyalty portfolio that works.
ANALYSIS
Analysis
The Loyalty Program Audit: How to Know If Your Program Needs a Redesign
A framework for auditing an existing loyalty program — the warning signs, the audit process, the redesign-vs-refresh decision, and the communication strategy.
Analysis
AI in Loyalty Strategy: A Practical Guide for 2025
A practical guide to using AI in loyalty programs in 2025 — the use cases with real ROI, the prerequisites, the build-vs-buy framework, and the maturity model.
Analysis
The Real Cost of Running a Restaurant Loyalty Program
What restaurant operators and CFOs need to know about loyalty program costs — platform fees, liability accounting, breakage math, and a unit economics model for mid-size chains.