DriveWealth already lets global brands add investing options to loyalty rewards tool kits, like topping customer credit card swipes with fractional shares of their stock. Now, we’re seeing retail giants like Walmart and John Lewis launch new fintech products.

API brokerage platform DriveWealth lets global brands add investing options to loyalty rewards toolkits, such as topping every customer credit card swipe with fractional shares of their stock.

The democratization of the digital economy and transparency are key to us, and we want to reward our customers for their loyalty. If clients see that a company is on their side, they will be more inclined to do business with them. Throughout the pandemic, consumers have had a higher tendency to pay for digital purchases using a debit card versus a credit card.

DriveWealth already lets global brands add investing options to loyalty rewards toolkits, like topping every customer credit card swipe with fractional shares of their stock: “Customers can invest in a fee-based portfolio based on their broader consumption behavior, such as earning stock back from spending money at Starbucks or on Amazon,” CEO Bob Cortright said in an interview with Insider Intelligence

New initiatives like Bitcoin rewards on Cash Card purchases and the integration of Square Loyalty—Square’s point-of-sale rewards program—into Cash App most likely led users to open the app more often. Cash App users drummed up higher transaction inflows. Dorsey also noted that Cash App inflows in March increased 55% month-over-month.

Both firms have experienced tremendous growth during the pandemic and may now be looking for opportunities to continue that trajectory and solidify customer loyalty post-pandemic:. A rewards credit card can help Instacart fend off growing competition. The online grocery sector grew 54% year over year (YoY) in 2020 in the US, according to eMarketer forecasts from Insider Intelligence.

And loyalty marketing can encompass just about any touchpoint, since the purchase journey is cyclical. Our third report discusses marketers’ efforts in loyalty marketing, including loyalty programs and other tactics used for keeping repeat customers engaged and happy. Executing data-driven customer experiences is far from seamless or perfect.

In a January 2019 study by retail management platform iVend Retail, 58.7% of internet users worldwide cited earning rewards or loyalty points as one the most valued aspects of the retail shopping experience. That answer came in second to "quick and easy checkout.". However, not all demographics are participating in loyalty programs at the same rate.

Other top responses, like earning rewards or loyalty points, trailed smooth checkout by significant margins. A September 2018 survey conducted by private software company Qualtrics looked at the variety of reasons that US consumers are driven away from in-store shopping.

More shoppers are utilizing omnichannel offerings to simplify their shopping experiences. For brands and retailers, offering consumers an obvious in-app value exchange can lead to downloads and encourage loyalty.

Originally built to attribute compensation on last click, affiliate technology is evolving toward more sophisticated monetization, such as a pay-for-outcome model that rewards influencers for their role in the consumer journey.

To maximize earnings potential, these players could introduce perks toward purchases that match crypto spending patterns—for instance, adding rewards on grocery or streaming purchases made using crypto. This might help build customer loyalty and let the firms stake a claim in the crypto market. Providers not yet in the space may want to join sooner rather than later to keep up with consumer interests.