# What is loyalty liability?

This is what you still owe your customers: every part-finished card and every unused voucher. It is a real commitment whether or not it shows up in your accounts. One of the best arguments for a digital programme is simply that it lets you see the number.

Source: https://fidella.app/glossary/liability
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30

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Every stamp you give out is a promise. Liability is the sum of the promises you
have not yet kept.

## The paper problem

With punch cards you have no idea what this number is. Cards in circulation are
invisible, so the obligation is real and unmeasured at the same time.

## What changes with a digital programme

The number becomes knowable. You can see how much is outstanding, how much is
close to a threshold, and what a promotion would add to the total before you run
it.

## Prepaid value is a different weight

Rewards a customer earned and value a customer paid for are not the same kind of
obligation. Anything prepaid deserves proper advice.