Research highlights universal takeaways and regional preferences in consumer loyalty drivers across North America, Middle East–Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia–Pacific.
The credit card loyalty program market is booming, with the majority of U.S. credit card holders now owning at least one card that offers a rewards program. A global survey by WillowTree, a TELUS International Company – rebranding to TELUS Digital Experience later in the third quarter (NYSE and TSX: TIXT) – reveals the driving forces behind increasing consumer interest in credit card loyalty programs, highlighting universal takeaways and distinct regional trends. Above all, the research underscores the need for financial brands to adopt advanced customer segmentation and tailored experience strategies for effective customer retention and growth.
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Global consumer survey reveals distinct regional preferences for loyalty point redemptions across five global regions. Graphic by WillowTree, a TELUS International Company.
“In a crowded marketplace, financial service brands, particularly those looking to launch a new global loyalty program, or expand existing programs to other countries, cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, deep market-specific research is crucial to understanding and meeting the diverse needs of customers across regions," said Tobias Dengel, President of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. "By creating shared infrastructure that enhances efficiency, while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to regional nuances, brands can develop truly personalized experiences. This research-baked approach is core to our commitment to human-centered design. When brands partner with experts who can harness data, AI, and automation, it not only strengthens customer loyalty but transforms these programs into dynamic tools for sustained business growth. A well-executed loyalty program provides insightful data on consumer behaviors and preferences, enabling brands to tailor their offerings and elevate engagement in every market.”
WillowTree’s survey included nearly 500 English-speaking loyalty credit card members from across five regions: North America, Middle East–Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia–Pacific. Respondents were asked about personal, cultural, and financial factors that may influence their perceptions and preferences regarding credit card loyalty programs. The research team then ranked consumer preferences based on the types of products and services where respondents prefer to redeem their loyalty points.
The research highlights that to launch personalized card offers that excite audiences in new markets, financial services companies need a data-backed resource that shows where consumer preferences overlap between international markets — and where they diverge.
Universal Takeaways
Emerging markets like China, India, and Southeast Asian nations, along with Latin America and parts of Africa, are spearheading global growth in credit card usage, and the U.S. now ranks 9th worldwide in terms of credit card ownership. The surge in global credit card growth is largely fueled by increased smartphone use, online shopping, and the availability of secure, convenient, and cashless payment methods.
Across all global regions surveyed, the study uncovered a few universally consistent insights that offer financial brands a coherent set of values around which to begin crafting a global loyalty program that transcends geography and resonates with audiences worldwide:
- A consumer’s perception of their financial stability will impact that consumer's approach to loyalty programs. A robust consumer data platform enabling segmentation by income and spending habits will help surface relevant loyalty offers and promotions.
- With this in mind, the most popular loyalty redemption choices are typically cash back and essential goods, which ranked highest in four of the five regions. Brands should prioritize and localize these reward categories and make them easy to redeem.
- Consumers worldwide trust and prefer to engage with loyalty programs via mobile apps rather than desktop or web-based experiences, underscoring the need for frictionless, personalized mobile experiences.
"To meet consumers' high expectations for how they interact with brands, we recommend that financial institutions develop mobile apps with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces. This includes advanced voice-enabled technology, which enables customers to engage with GenAI customer service tools as though they're in a natural conversation,” said Dengel. “In our collaborations with financial services brands, we prioritize a data-first approach. By integrating real-time data from customer interactions into our comprehensive digital CX strategy, we are able to craft personalized experiences that adeptly reflect regional preferences and cultural nuances, ensuring relevance across the globe."
Regional Trends: Differentiated Consumer Preferences Across Five Global Markets
Beyond the universally consistent findings above, the research revealed a host of regionally specific behaviors and preferences that can be used as predictors of brand loyalty and commitment, highlighting how data-driven customization is crucial.
North America: Prefer Redeeming Points in their Communities
In the U.S. and Canada, consumers show a strong preference for loyalty programs that offer easy point redemption and clear visibility of accrued benefits. Higher-tier, aspirational rewards like luxury vacations, exclusive events, or once-in-a-lifetime experiences motivate North American members to accumulate points over time. Consumers also value rewards they can redeem at local businesses or services within their communities. North American consumers are an outlier in that this is the only region where consumers have a marked preference for redeeming points for fashion and apparel.
Middle East–Africa: Looking for Alignment with Personal Spending
Consumers in these regions exhibit a high level of “uncertainty avoidance,” so credit card companies must be extremely transparent (and provide step-by-step guidance) on how consumers’ regular spending can accumulate points. They prefer loyalty programs that align with their personal spending habits and provide transparency and clear communication about how to earn and redeem points. Consumers in this region perceive the value of their money as more unstable from week to week and they least frequently spend points on unique experiences, such as concerts. Similar to their counterparts in South America, consumers here are interested in earning and redeeming points on big-ticket, high-price items.
South America: Appreciate Saving on Essentials
Consumers in this area enjoy loyalty programs that help them reduce spending and offer cash back on everyday essentials like groceries and utilities. In places like Brazil, where installment payments are popular, loyalty programs that provide bonus rewards or discounts for clearing installment balances are valued. Additionally, respondents in this region uniquely prioritize earning and using their points at bars and restaurants.
Europe: Seeking Clarity and Convenience
Consumers in this region exhibit a more relaxed attitude towards uncertainty and prefer only a moderate level of guidance rather than overly detailed instructions when attempting to redeem points. Despite having the least optimistic long-term financial outlook among all regions, consumers still prioritize loyalty programs that help them save money and easily redeem points. European respondents were also the only ones in the survey who prioritized earning and redeeming points on food delivery.
Asia–Pacific: Cultural Nuance Highly Valued
Consumers here are the only respondents in the survey who prioritize using loyalty points for travel above all other rewards. Additionally, culturally tailored promotions have a significant impact, particularly in India, where 32% of respondents report that their religious beliefs shape their credit card usage. This influence may be reflected in a preference for avoiding debt or choosing purchases that align with their spiritual values. Consumers here are also more likely to redeem loyalty points for unique experiences, such as concerts, in comparison to other regions.
Leveraging Loyalty Programs as a Continuous Data Source for Personalization
With extensive customer data, financial organizations are in an advantageous position to capture and leverage consumer data to deliver highly personalized experiences. This helps to make each customer transaction feel tailored to their individuality. And this ongoing data stream can sustain personalization efforts, ensuring financial loyalty programs adapt and grow as customer behaviors and preferences change.
“By incorporating data from customers and grouping them based on behaviors and characteristics, we can deliver highly effective one-to-one messaging,” added Dengel. “Our ultimate goal is to deliver personalized content at an individual level, and to continually refine that content based on user interactions. This is how we can help financial brands achieve personalization at scale, and ensure loyalty programs delight customers for years to come.”
For full survey insights, download the report: Global Credit Card Rewards Programs: How Consumer Loyalty Preferences Differ by Region
WillowTree, a TELUS International Company – rebranding to TELUS Digital Experience later in the third quarter (NYSE and TSX: TIXT) – offers comprehensive support in developing impactful loyalty programs by analyzing customer behavior and industry trends to develop structured, personalized strategies that boost engagement and revenue. The company’s integrated campaign teams are able to deliver real-time, personalized experiences through data-driven automation at every stage of the customer journey, ensuring that financial services brands can provide exceptional and consistent customer experiences. Learn how WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, helps financial services companies maximize loyalty and rewards ROI with loyalty strategy and customer experience consulting.
About TELUS International
TELUS International, rebranding to TELUS Digital Experience later in the third quarter (NYSE & TSX: TIXT), designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company’s services support the full lifecycle of its clients’ digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International’s integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, ecommerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and others.
TELUS International’s unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. Since 2007, the company has positively impacted the lives of more than 1.2 million citizens around the world, building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events and charitable giving. Five TELUS International Community Boards have provided $5.6 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2011. Learn more at: telusinternational.com.
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