# What is a loyalty programme?

A loyalty programme gives customers something for coming back. They build up credit as they buy, and once they have enough, they get a reward. Having a clear rule is what makes it a programme rather than an occasional favour.

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

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Almost every business gives something away to keep customers. A loyalty
programme is what you have when that giving becomes a rule instead of a
judgement call.

## Why the structure matters

An owner who occasionally comps a coffee for a regular is being generous. It
costs the same as a programme and buys much less, because the customer cannot
plan around it. A programme is legible: the customer knows what earns credit,
knows what the credit is worth, and can count. That countability is most of the
behaviour change.

## The three decisions

Every programme, however it is dressed up, comes down to what earns credit, how
much credit a reward costs, and what the reward is. Everything else is
presentation.