In our most recent article, we talk to Deon Olivier about the changing landscape of banking and its consumers in an era of digital banking and customer experience (CX). Most importantly, we learn what the changes unravelling in the banking industry mean for bank loyalty programs. as well as what it takes for them to be successful.
About Deon Olivier
Before we explore the above questions, let’s say a few words about Deon first.
Deon has been an active member of the Loyalty Marketing community on both a client and agency level since 1999. He has significant experience in South Africa across a broad range of market verticals including airlines, retail banking (FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, Capitec), mobile telco, general retail, fashion retail, FMCG, hotels, leisure, and hospitality.
He works closely with his clients to conceptualise and refine loyalty strategy, conduct market research, business planning, innovative customer value proposition design, customer experience mapping, marketing development and related strategic and operational design required to bring customer loyalty programs to market.
As a recognised industry specialist, Deon has delivered bank loyalty program strategies on an international scale. Deon is a Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (the first in Africa) having completed the formal requirements set out by the US based Loyalty Academy (a division of The Wise Marketer Group).
-
Given Deon’s impressive profile and vast experience in the loyalty space, it was a no-brainer (and a great honour) to ask him to do this piece with us.
At a time when uncertainties prevail and brands may be equally unsure about how to approach implementing novel loyalty solutions, it’s more important than ever to look to the experts for their wisdom and practical advice on how to offer real value and foster a loyal customer base.
In this article, you will find both, the latest on the changing face of bank loyalty programs and its challenges, as well as actionable tips and examples of how to build a robust loyalty program that will improve your customer retention and help you create lifelong relationships using tried-and-tested loyalty mechanisms.
How is the banking industry changing?
The banking industry has, for centuries, withstood many of the changes occurring in the world; from wars, global financial crises, through to the advent of automation and AI. For a while, it seemed therefore that banking incumbents were completely immune to the effects of digital transformation and the rise of new financial services providers.
However, as technological advances, shifting demographics and new definitions of good customer experience give rise to the increasing popularity of financial technology (fintech), that notion is now being challenged.
And if approaches to fintech adoption may have once seemed lukewarm at best, the COVID-19 crisis proved to be a real turning point in this regard. As it stands, fintech app interaction increased by 73% following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Challenger banks such as Monzo and Revolut, especially, have made real waves in the banking sector, redefining customer experience and capturing the interest of Millennials and the digitally innate Gen Z, who not only see great appeal in these new digital banks but also view traditional financial institutions as increasingly redundant. This is key, given that Gen Z are proving to be the most financially savvy generation, while also surpassing surpassing Millennials as the world’s powerful consumers.
Given the above, as well as the levels of innovation arising in financial technology services, traditional banks are now facing a lot of pressure to keep up with the new entrants and reduce customer churn.
Sticking to what has worked for, well, centuries, is simply becoming untenable. As digital currencies are soaking up large amounts of money from the traditional monetary system, and banking revenue streams are being attacked by decentralized financial solutions such as embedded banking and digital lending, banks need to find innovative ways of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones.
Attracting and retaining customers with loyalty programs
One of the prevailing legacies of the pandemic is enhancing customer experience and instilling our collective belief in its importance. As we are now emerging from a period of great suffering and deprivation caused by the pandemic, many banks and other financial institutions are beginning to understand that simply giving people the services and products they need isn't enough to promote customer satisfaction and thus ensure customer loyalty.
As such, it is no longer enough to simply give people the services and products they need. Given that we are now emerging from a time of great suffering and deprivation afforded us by the pandemic, people’s expectations with regards to the experiences they receive have changed a great deal.
According to Forrester, a renowned customer research company, the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to a new type of customer - a “once purely rational, loyal customer who has been replaced by a less loyal, more emotional decision-maker” who has come to expect a more empathetic, personalized approach from the companies they do business with, including their bank or credit union. What reverberates through Forrester's research is that product itself is no longer enough - customers now also expect a product that sees them and their needs, and one which understands the individual customer's lifestyle.
Likewise, younger generations such as Millennials and Gen-Z are increasingly focused on authentic brand experiences and product personalization, whether from their favorite retailers or their chosen financial institution.
This new set of expectations coupled with the changing landscape of the financial services sector represent a “watershed moment in banking”, as Accenture puts it. As a result, banks need to find innovative ways of building meaningful, lasting relationships with their customers to compete with fintechs, who are renowned for providing seamless, highly personalized customer experiences and innovative loyalty programs.
Coupled with the fact that, according to the Deloitte Employee Survey, establishing customer loyalty is trickier in the banking industry than in other industries, creating powerful customer programs to engage customers is ever so important for banks. Doing so has been shown to pay great dividends - for example:
- 70% of customers state that rewards from financial institutions influence their decisions (Collinson)
- 20% agree that they would be more likely to spend more if offered relevant and personalized rewards (Collinson)
- Harvard Business Review has found that referred clients will generate 15% more profits than non-referred ones
In a similar vein, a study by KPMG reported that 61% of customers found it “extremely important or very important” for banks to focus on coming up with more innovative ways of rewarding loyal customers.
As is clear from the numbers reported above, bank rewards programs are far more than a fun gimmick nowadays. On the contrary, loyalty programs speak to a brand’s stance and commitment to providing excellent customer experience, and exceeding customers’ ever-growing expectations.
Whether that’s through direct cash rewards, cashback, or interest rate boosters, it’s more important than ever to make the customer feel recognized and valued, and place them at the center of the business.
Below, we look at examples of banks who are doing just that through the use of reward schemes and innovative loyalty solutions.
The top 10 examples of loyalty programs in banking
1.Citibank's Citi ThankYou® Rewards
Originally founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later to become First National City Bank of Europe, Citibank is a global financial services company boasting a customer base of 100 million in 98 countries globally. Since its inception, the bank has expanded into 2,649 branches, with a reported revenue of $74 billion USD in 2019.
As the world’s largest financial organization, Citibank offers a plethora of products and services, such as various checking and savings accounts with no minimum deposit; different types of credit cards that tie into Citi’s rewards program; as well as personal and business loans, mortgages, IRAs, and lots more.
J.D. Power recognized Citibank as scoring highest in its customer satisfaction survey with regards to retail banking advice (February 2020).
Citibank’s bank loyalty program - Citi Thank You Ⓡ Rewards - is a points-based program allowing customers to earn points through a number of ways; for example, using a Citi credit card, banking with Citi using an enrolled checking account, as well as adding qualifying services and products to an existing Citi checking account. Examples include Auto Save, Mortgage, Home Equity Line/Loan, or Personal Loan.
The points collected by Citi’s customers can then be redeemed for cash back at up to 1 cent per point, which means that 10,000 points would equal $100 in cash. However, apart from cash back, Citi has an extensive portfolio of rewards that customer points can be used on. Customers can shop directly using the points at retailers such as Amazon, CVS, Best Buy, in addition to BP, Shell, and others.
Alternatively, the points can also be exchanged for gift cards and used at countless places, such as restaurants, hotels, airlines, and many retailers.
What makes Citibank's loyalty program especially unique is the level of freedom and flexibility customers have in choosing how to spend their points. Other than cashing them in for money or gift cards, the points can also be used to pay bills online, donate to charitable organizations, or even share points with other members of the banking giant’s loyalty scheme.
2. JP Morgan’s One Card
JPMorgan is the largest U.S. bank, by total assets, and a global financial services company, offering services such as consumer, investment and commercial banking; in addition to asset management for individual customers, businesses, institutions and governments.
It is also one of the largest and most respected investment banking institutions, alongside Goldman Sachs, enjoying rocketing stock performance for the past few years (shares up 148% as of November 2021).
Similarly to its competitor, Citibank, JP Morgan has a points-based bank loyalty rewards scheme called One Card. Its premise revolves around the use of a JP Morgan card, through the use of which consumers collect points.
Each reward point is equivalent to a dollar spent, and there are no limits to the amount of points a consumer can earn - neither do the points expire, as is often the case in the case of loyalty programs.
The points can be used in a variety of ways - cash credit, travel, gift cards, as well as merchandise. For big businesses, in particular, the option to reinvest the points into the business or rewarding employees can be a nice added perk.
The points are also very easy to manage, especially for those customers who typically spend (and earn) a lot. The program is fashioned with powerful controls to reduce the risk of fraud or misuse in addition to real-time reporting to make the points easy to keep track of.
That being said, it seems the program is particularly tailored to high-spending customers and corporations, given the types of benefits available, as well as the extra bonuses, e.g. 25,000 bonus points after spending $50,000 within 3 months of account opening.
3. Silicon Valley Bank’s SVB Rewards
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is a U.S. bank founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The bank was created specifically for the benefit of businesses, especially start-ups, 30,000 of which SVB has helped fund.
It is one of the country’s biggest banks and has been ranked #15 out of 100 in Forbes’ 13th annual analysis of America’s Best Banks (based on growth, profitability and credit quality).
Its bank loyalty program, SVB Rewards, is designed for customers (businesses) who have applied for an “Elite Card”, i.e. the Silicon Valley Bank MasterCard World Elite Business Credit Card, and paid the fee required to participate in the program.
Similarly to the two programs above, the SVB Rewards program is centred around points collection. However, unlike Citibank's loyalty program, points can only be earned using the card and participation comes with a fee.
Points holders are offered a number of choices regarding redemption of their points, and are given a catalogue, which presents all of the available options. Among them are gift cards that can be used at restaurants, retailers, petrol stations, as well as charities. The catalogue also features prepaid cards that account holders can send to someone as a “bonus”.
Other options include merchandise, such as a Michael Kors watch, and a coffee maker; in addition to travel rewards and a TSA Precheck voucher.
The range of rewards in the SVB Rewards loyalty program is perfectly tailored to business owners and their employees, capturing their potential needs quite well.
4. Capital One Rewards
Founded in 1994, the American bank, Capital One is a relatively recent addition to the traditional banking space, with very few branches and all in the US. Nevertheless, it has made a name for itself specializing in credit cards, car financing options, and savings accounts.
Capital One offers accounts for businesses and individuals, on top of the option for parents to open a savings account for their children with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.
While the bank is best known for offering credit cards to those with “less-than-perfect credit”, their savings accounts are an attractive product in their own right, invariably offering high APYs.
The Capital One Rewars scheme is a multi-tiered program, offering a range of perks and benefits for its credit card users. The three tiers are:
- General Rewards: that is, rewards offered to those with a credit card and an account in good standing. Rewards for this type of customer range from cash back on dining, entertainment, grocery stores and other purchases.
- Travel Rewards: a set of rewards reserved for eligible card holders, i.e. those customers who have the Capital One Venture/Venture One travel rewards card. These card-holders can earn both cash back and travel miles.
- Cash Back Rewards: this rewards tier is reserved for those with the Quicksilver credit card. Rewards for this category include cash back on every purchase, which can then be redeemed in any way the customer likes.
The Capital One Rewards program seems perfectly suited to the average customer, as well as business owners getting in a lot of air miles and using their credit card often.
5. Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards
As the name suggests, Bank of America is an American bank. Founded in 1998 in San Francisco, it has grown to become the go-to bank for U.S. residents and businesses, serving one in two American households.
Boasting roughly 66 million individual and small enterprise clients in as many as 4,300 branches, it is reported to be the main lender for small businesses in the country.
Bank of America is the perfect choice of a bank for those who want to be able to bank in branch, find ATMs easily, and earn rewards and discounts while shopping.
Bank of America’s customer loyalty program, Preferred Rewards, is a multi-tier system designed to reward customers according to how much money they have with the bank. The three tiers are:
- Gold: those with a combined balance of $20-50K
- Platinum: $50-100K
- Platinum Honors: $100K-1 mln
Depending on the amount of money a customer has in their account, they will be privy to rewards in the form of money off for certain services and products. For example, someone in the ‘Gold’ tier would have their savings interest increase by 5%, receive 25% more points on their credit card, and will pay no fees at non-Bank of America ATMs.
Given that the tiers depend on a customer’s monthly balance as opposed to an cumulative balance, the Preferred Rewards program seems to be tailored towards those with deeper pockets and businesses, as opposed to the average consumer.
On the other hand, Bank of America offers cash back rewards and points for its credit card holders, which can - similarly to the programs above - be redeemed at restaurants, airlines and various retail outlets.
6. Wells Fargo Rewards
Wells Fargo has, in recent years, become one of America’s biggest banks, making the top 5 alongside others such as JP Morgan and Bank of America. The bank enjoys a customer base of 70 million, $1.97 trillion in assets, and a market share of $97 billion.
While Wells Fargo does serve a lot of individual customers and small businesses, a lot of its resources are also devoted to high-net worth individuals (HNWIs) in need of wealth management guidance and investment opportunities. As such, it is often associated with the elites, similarly to the banks mentioned above - which could be why the slogan of its rewards program is “Rewards that keep it real”.
Wells Fargo Rewards is available to all eligible Wells Fargo rewards-based credit card holders (see below).
Customers signed up for one of these special credit cards stand the chance of receiving a variety of rewards. From redeeming rewards back to account, redeeming for purchases and gift cards, or using the rewards towards airline and holiday expenditures, Wells Fargo’s customers have many options.
The rewards can also be shared with charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross, or a fellow Wells Fargo account holder.
Equally importantly, the program is easy to manage and keep track of through the Wells Fargo website.
7. First National Bank’s eBucks Rewards
South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) is one of the country’s “big five” banks. It is also part of FirstRand, the country’s largest financial services provider and a publicly listed company trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
The bank has a colorful history, and includes a lot of mergers and acquisitions which have failed due to financial crises as well as South Africa’s apartheid past. It wasn’t until 1998 when it was merged to form FirstRand Ltd that the bank was able to thrive.
Consequently, First National Bank has grown to include a number of commercial banks that it operates in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Ghana - with the Namibia and Ghana branches also appearing on their countries' stock exchanges.
The bank now successfully offers a range of financial products and services, from checking accounts for individuals and businesses, a variety of investment opportunities, loans, insurance, and lots more.
First National Bank's loyalty program called eBucks is just as impressive as the bank’s history and success against all odds. Very popular in South Africa across all customer segments, eBucks Rewards is the only loyalty scheme that has a dedicated rewards program for each of its segments. The bank operates on the understanding that customers are not all the same and therefore do not have the same financial abilities and needs.
As such, eBucks has designated programs driving specific behaviors, which are all uniquely relevant and achievable for members across the following segments: Silver, Gold, Premier, Private Clients, Private Wealth, and RMB Private Bank.
Customers are segmented into one of the six groups according to monthly account deposits, average monthly balance, account activity and overall standing (i.e. not in arrears or overdrawn), and online banking usage.
In order to move up reward levels, account holders need to collect points. This is done through carrying an x number of transactions per month. For example:
- 500 points for four ‘Tap to Pay’ transactions;
- 1500 points for spending 100 rand or more (€59) on the FNB Connect SIM card (the bank’s own phone plans);
- 500 points for using the Virtual Card to pay for two streaming services, and 1000 for four;
- 500 points for having at least one Savings and Investments account and maintaining a monthly balance of at least R60,000-119,999 (€3.5 - 7K)
Customers are therefore rewarded for making use of many of the bank’s products and services. Of course, the more money you spend, the more points you make and end up in one of the six segments accordingly.
As part of the eBucks loyalty program, the members are promised to receive up to 3 times their monthly account fees in value. Some of the rewards offered as part of the program are:
- Using eBucks to pay account fees
- X% off at select retailers, Apple products and many more
- Extra GB in data for the FNB phone plan users
- X% off selected flights, car hire and airport lounge stays
- X% off streaming platform costs
The exact amounts and discount percentages are determined by the rewards account segment. However, the idea is for everyone to get back 3 times what they pay as part of their banking experiences regardless of actual spend.
What makes the program so innovative is how comprehensive and thought out it is, as well as fair to all those who take part. Each member is rewarded correspondingly to how much money they put in, and no one is at a disadvantage.
8. Warba Bank’s Pocket
Founded in 2010 in Kuwait City, Warba Bank was created in response to the economic crisis facing Kuwait. The bank set out to be a major digital-first Islamic retail and corporate bank in the country, to which end Warba Bank became part of the Islamic Banks Register at the Central Bank of Kuwait.
Warba Bank’s mission has been to provide cutting-edge financial solutions and experiences to its customers and afford its shareholders competitive levels of profitability. Despite only having been formed 12 years ago, the Kuwaiti bank has taken the Middle Eastern banking sector by storm, competing both regionally and internationally, and providing a vast range of financial products and services.
Warba Bank’s loyalty engine called Pocket was created as part of Open Loyalty’s collaboration with the banking innovator (read case study here). Beyond many of the technical specifications provided by Warba Bank, the goal of the program was quite simple: delivering value and great customer experience for end users and facilitating an authentic connection between the consumers and the brand.
The client also wanted to increase the use of the mobile app and encourage customers to conduct more online payment card transactions.
Ultimately, the loyalty engine was designed as a points-based reward system. As such, members receive points for doing the following:
- Paying bills using the mobile banking app (in return, customers receive 1% of the bill amount in points, and 2% in the cases where the payment was scheduled in advance)
- Using the Warba Bank credit card and opting for points instead of cashback
- Inviting friends to join Warba Bank, i.e. referrals (6 points for sending the invite and 1500 points if the referral becomes a customer)
- Transferring salary to their Warba Bank account
The points called as part of Pocket can consequently be cashed in for things such as:
- Digital vouchers and gift cards;
- Benefits provided by The Entertainer program (integrated with the Pocket app) like buy-one-get-one-free offers and discounts eligible for use at numerous restaurants, sports venues, hotels and others;
- Air miles that can be used with Kuwait Airlines, Warba Bank’s partner;
- Sharing with friends and family - points can be transferred to other Warba Bank customers;
- Mobile phone top-ups.
The Pocket loyalty program is innovative in the way it is presented. The interface is very attractive and user-friendly; the terms and conditions clearly stated; points easy to collect so long as the account holder regularly uses their account; and the range of prizes varied enough to appeal to most people.
Warba Bank’s loyalty app cements the bank’s reputation for innovation, and attests to their commitment to offering seamless, authentic customer experiences.
9. Discovery Bank’s Vitality Rewards
Discovery Bank is another South African bank. Operating completely as a digital bank, it allows customers to open their bank account quickly and hassle free. Its MO centres around providing seamless, highly functional banking - something that has not been seen in the country before.
Apart from the above, Discovery Bank also invests heavily into facial recognition and KYC (know your customer), which helps prevent fraud, money laundering and corruption without compromising the features that make Discovery Bank attractive to its customer base.
Discovery Bank also has its very own customer loyalty program called Vitality Rewards, offering a highly original approach to rewarding customers.
The currency used by the loyalty program is called “Discovery Miles”, and these can be collected whenever a customer uses their credit card responsibly and on things that promote health and wellbeing, such as gym memberships, health stores, and sustainable rides.
In return, customers get paid back in Discovery Miles and Vitality Active Rewards. Discovery Miles can be used for Uber rides, fuel, flights and holidays; whereas, Vitality Active Rewards can be used at participating gyms, healthy food stores and other retailers.
The closer customers get to achieving their health, drive, and money goals, the more rewards they receive - for example:
- 25% off back on monthly gym fees at participating gyms, which can be boosted up to 100% with Vitality Health
- Save up to 40% on a return international flight, which can be boosted up to 75% with Vitality Health
- Up to 20% back in Discovery Miles on Uber rides
…and lots more.
The cashback from the above can either be used on subsequent purchases, paid directly back into a customer’s corresponding rewards account, as well as shared with friends, or donated to charitable organizations.
Discovery Bank loyalty program is highly unique, and very much in line with consumers’ shifting values. In particular, the bank seems to respond to the post-pandemic uptick in value-based purchasing and the younger generations’ penchant for all things sustainable and authentic. This is both a powerful retention strategy, as well as a great way of connecting with new customers.
10. Revolut Rewards
Revolut is another digital-only bank, and also a trailblazer in the challenger bank space. Hailing from London, the fintech unicorn has been around since 2015, and has made real waves in the banking industry.
Boasting a slogan that presents itself as “one app for all things money”, Revolut has been consistently living up to its promise. Year after year, the neobank has been increasing its range of products and offerings, and showing us that banking doesn’t have to be something we dread. Given its “unicorn” status; a customer base of 18+ mln personal users and 500k business users around the globe, it’s fair to say that Revolut has succeeded.
Similarly to other banks we list in this article, Revolut has its very own customer loyalty program. As part of it, the company offers things such as:
- Discounts on restaurants, retailers, events and many more
- Cashback on purchases at a wide range of retailers, restaurants etc. refunded into the account right away
- 10% cashback on gift cards sent through the app
While Revolut's products and offerings can be deemed revolutionary in terms of the financial services industry, its loyalty program is very similar to those offered by banking incumbents. Its advantage, however, is that the rewards are very easy to keep track of within the app and the system itself is quite simple.
What are the most important steps while implementing a new banking loyalty program?
Now that you've seen some great examples of bank loyalty programs in practice, below you'll find some a few key pieces of advice to make sure you get off to a good start in designing yours.
- Listen to the market - start by asking what your customers want, need, desire - and continue to listen throughout the loyalty program lifecycle.
- Develop a robust commercial model, and manage variances very carefully (the real work starts when the program launches).
- Treat different customers differently - one size does not fit all.
- Ensure management/EXCO support. They are the team that not only approve the pre-launch and launch costs and investment, but also need to be shown that the program is working every year going forward in order to continue receiving funding to keep the program relevant.
- Ensure staff/frontline/channel to market support - without which the program will struggle to excel.
- Where necessary, add non-competing partners that supplement and enhance the proposition. Also make sure that their role and operational elements are very well defined.
–
Get more inspirations from the Top 100 Loyalty Programs report or see what’s the future of the loyalty programs at Loyalty Trends 2022 research.
