Editing Loyalty program (section)

====Digital loyalty cards====
As of 2024, most programs in the United States offer a digital version of the loyalty card, accessed via a mobile app, and often customers can scan a QR or bar code from the app at the physical point of sale. Some programs now offer digital cards only or only exceptionally, such as [[Marks and Spencer]]'s "Sparks" program in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] launched in 2020 which no longer issues physical cards except upon special request.<ref name="msuk">{{Cite news |last=Wood |first=Zoe |date=3 July 2024 |title=Sparks fly as M&S says no to a plastic loyalty card |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/jul/03/sparks-fly-as-ms-says-no-to-a-plastic-loyalty-card |access-date=3 July 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> American Airlines no longer sends membership kits to new members of its frequent flyer program.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leff |first=Gary |date=24 September 2020 |title=No More American Airlines Elite Membership Cards, But You Can Still Call For Employee Recognition Certs |url=https://viewfromthewing.com/no-more-american-airlines-elite-membership-cards-but-you-can-still-call-for-employee-recognition-certs/ |access-date=3 July 2024 |work=View from the Wing}}{{self-published source?|date=July 2024}}</ref>

Encouraging or forcing customers to use a mobile app to present their loyalty account number, although criticized for being unfriendly to people without smartphones including many elderly people,<ref name=msuk/> benefits the merchant in a number of ways. It lets them present special offers to the customer (or even push them via [[push notifications]]), tailor customer experience to the individual consumer, and understand customer behavior better, including their purchasing amounts and patterns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mottl |first=Judy |date=3 August 2023 |title=Tanger Outlets takes digital-first strategy in loyalty program revamp |url=https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/articles/tanger-outlets-takes-digital-first-strategy-in-loyalty-program-revamp/ |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Retail Customer Experience |language=en}}</ref>