United States Loyalty Market Size & Forecast by Spend Value Across 100+ KPIs by Program Type, Channel Mix, Sector, Embedded Loyalty Penetration, and Platform Spend Segmentation - Databook Q1 2026 Update

The loyalty market in United States is expected to grow by 16.6% annually, reaching US$25.99 billion by 2026.

The loyalty market in the country has experienced robust growth during 2021-2025, achieving a CAGR of 18.6%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 14.2% from 2026 to 2030. By the end of 2030, the loyalty market is projected to expand from its 2025 value of US$22.30 billion to approximately US$44.25 billion.

Key Trends and Drivers Shaping Loyalty Programs in the United States

The US loyalty program market is evolving toward models that emphasize continuous value, omnichannel consistency, and personalized engagement. Loyalty is increasingly used as a structural element of customer relationships rather than a promotional overlay, with retailers and service providers aligning programs closely with broader commerce and fulfillment strategies. Over the coming years, loyalty in the United States is expected to remain a central mechanism for managing customer engagement in a competitive and mature consumer market.

Loyalty Is Shifting From Points Accumulation to Ongoing Value Exchange

In the United States, loyalty programs are increasingly structured around continuous value delivery rather than episodic points redemption. Retailers and service providers are emphasizing benefits such as access, convenience, and bundled services alongside traditional rewards. Amazon continues to position Prime as a loyalty construct built on shipping, content, and service access rather than transactional rewards, while Walmart has expanded Walmart+ as a membership-based engagement layer tied to retail, fuel, and fulfillment benefits.

The US retail and e-commerce environment is mature and highly competitive, with limited differentiation available through price alone. As consumers manage multiple brand relationships simultaneously, companies are prioritizing loyalty structures that embed themselves into everyday consumption patterns, reducing churn through ongoing utility rather than delayed rewards.

Value-based loyalty models are expected to become more prevalent, particularly among large retailers and platforms seeking predictable engagement. Traditional points-only programs are likely to remain, but with reduced strategic emphasis unless supported by broader value propositions.

Retailers Are Using Loyalty to Support Omnichannel Consistency

US loyalty programs are being used to align online and offline customer interactions under a single engagement framework. Large retailers such as Target link loyalty benefits across stores, apps, and fulfillment options, while grocery and specialty retailers increasingly connect in-store purchases to digital accounts for consistent recognition and engagement.

The US retail sector has normalized omnichannel behaviors, with consumers expecting continuity across physical stores, websites, and mobile apps. Loyalty programs provide a practical mechanism to unify identity and engagement across these touchpoints, particularly as buy-online-pickup-in-store and same-day delivery models expand.

Loyalty-driven omnichannel alignment is expected to remain a priority, especially for retailers with large store networks. Programs that fail to integrate physical and digital interactions risk becoming peripheral to the customer relationship.

Personalization Is Becoming Central to Loyalty Engagement

US loyalty programs are placing greater emphasis on individualized engagement, using customer behavior to tailor offers, communications, and program structures. Brands such as Starbucks continue to refine app-based loyalty engagement, adjusting incentives and messaging based on usage patterns rather than static tiers.

Advances in customer data platforms and analytics, combined with competitive pressure in retail and foodservice, have made personalized engagement a core expectation. At the same time, evolving privacy standards and consumer scrutiny are shaping how personalization is executed, favoring relevance over volume.

Personalization is expected to deepen, but within more transparent and controlled frameworks. Loyalty differentiation will rely increasingly on contextual relevance rather than frequency of promotions.

Coalition and Partnership-Based Loyalty Is Gaining Renewed Attention

US brands are revisiting partnership-led loyalty models to extend reach without fully owning customer acquisition. Financial institutions and travel-linked programs remain prominent, while retailers explore collaborations that allow points or benefits to be earned and redeemed across multiple brands. Programs linked to payment instruments and travel ecosystems continue to demonstrate the viability of shared loyalty value.

Rising customer acquisition costs and fragmented media environments have increased interest in shared engagement models. Partnerships allow brands to remain present across consumer journeys without building end-to-end loyalty infrastructure independently.

Coalition-based loyalty is expected to expand selectively, particularly where partners can align on customer segments and redemption relevance. However, execution complexity is likely to limit widespread adoption beyond well-defined ecosystems.

Subscription-Led Loyalty Is Extending Beyond Digital-Native Brands

Subscription-style loyalty models are increasingly adopted by traditional US retailers and service providers. Beyond e-commerce, sectors such as grocery, fuel, and hospitality are using paid loyalty structures to reinforce frequency and share of wallet.

US consumers are familiar with subscription relationships across media, software, and retail. For businesses, subscription-led loyalty offers clearer engagement economics and supports long-term planning amid fluctuating consumer demand. Subscription-based loyalty is expected to continue expanding, though brands will need to balance pricing, benefits, and renewal friction to sustain participation.

Competitive Landscape of Loyalty Programs in the United States

The United States loyalty program market is characterized by high competitive intensity, brand-led ownership, and continuous evolution in execution models. Large retailers, platforms, and financial institutions anchor the landscape, while technology providers shape how loyalty is delivered and scaled. Regulatory scrutiny around data and subscriptions is influencing program governance, but not dampening competitive activity. Over the next few years, loyalty competition in the US is expected to remain focused on engagement depth, integration, and operational effectiveness rather than structural consolidation.

• Competition Is Intensifying Around Customer Ownership and Engagement Depth

The US loyalty program market is highly competitive and fragmented, with participation spanning retailers, financial institutions, travel providers, restaurants, and technology platforms. Unlike ecosystem-dominated markets, competition in the United States is defined by brand-level ownership of customer relationships, with loyalty programs acting as a primary engagement lever rather than a supporting feature. Most large consumer-facing companies operate proprietary loyalty programs, making loyalty a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator.
As a result, competitive intensity is driven less by program presence and more by how effectively loyalty programs influence frequency, channel preference, and spend concentration. Companies are competing on program structure, benefit relevance, and integration with broader customer experiences.

• Large Retailers and Platforms Anchor the Competitive Landscape

Large retailers and consumer platforms continue to set the pace for loyalty innovation. Amazon anchors the market through Prime, positioning loyalty as an access and convenience construct rather than a rewards mechanism. Walmart competes through Walmart+, integrating loyalty with fulfillment, fuel discounts, and in-store benefits.
In mass and specialty retail, Target leverages Target Circle to link pricing, promotions, and omnichannel engagement, while Starbucks continues to operate one of the most embedded app-led loyalty ecosystems in US foodservice. In travel and payments, American Express and Chase maintain strong loyalty positioning through card-linked rewards and partner ecosystems.

• New Entrants Are Competing as Technology Enablers Rather Than Consumer Brands

Emerging players and competitive roles

New entrants in the US loyalty market are primarily technology and infrastructure providers rather than consumer-facing program operators. Companies such as Braze, Salesforce, and Klaviyo are competing to become the engagement layer underpinning loyalty execution across retail, ecommerce, and direct-to-consumer brands.
These players differentiate through data integration, orchestration, and personalization capabilities, enabling brands to evolve loyalty programs without outsourcing customer ownership. Their competitive positioning is tied to enterprise adoption rather than consumer recognition.

• Partnership Activity Is Expanding Loyalty Reach Across Ecosystems

Recent partnerships and collaboration trends

Partnership-led loyalty expansion remains an important competitive tool in the United States. Retailers, airlines, hotels, and financial institutions continue to form cross-industry partnerships that allow rewards to be earned and redeemed across multiple brands. Card-linked loyalty partnerships between retailers and payment networks remain prevalent, supporting shared value creation without full program consolidation.
In parallel, retailers are partnering with last-mile delivery, fuel, and service providers to extend loyalty relevance beyond core retail transactions. These collaborations are typically structured as commercial partnerships rather than equity-based combinations.

• M&A Activity Is Focused on Capability Acquisition Rather Than Scale

Recent merger and acquisition dynamics

Merger and acquisition activity in the US loyalty market over the past 12 months has focused primarily on acquiring capabilities in data, personalization, and customer engagement rather than consolidating loyalty brands. Acquisitions by enterprise software and marketing technology providers have been aimed at strengthening orchestration, analytics, and real-time engagement features that support loyalty execution.
There has been limited acquisition activity involving large consumer loyalty programs, reflecting the strategic preference for organic development and brand-controlled evolution.

• Regulatory Developments Are Influencing Loyalty Design and Governance

Recent regulatory developments in the United States have centered on data privacy, consumer protection, and transparency. Ongoing enforcement of state-level privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and subsequent amendments has influenced how loyalty programs collect, store, and use customer data. Regulators have continued to scrutinize consent practices, data-sharing arrangements, and the use of personal data in targeted engagement. Additionally, increased attention to subscription disclosures and auto-renewal practices has affected paid loyalty and membership programs, requiring clearer communication and cancellation processes.

Competition Is Expected to Remain High but Structurally Stable

The US loyalty market is expected to remain highly competitive but structurally stable. Most large brands will continue to operate proprietary programs, with competition focused on improving relevance, integration, and customer experience rather than market consolidation. Technology providers are expected to play a larger role in shaping execution standards, while partnerships will continue to supplement core programs.
Differentiation is likely to depend on how effectively loyalty programs integrate with broader commerce, fulfillment, and service ecosystems.

This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the loyalty industry in United States, offering comprehensive coverage of both overall and alternative lending markets. It covers more than 100+ KPIs, including spend value on loyalty schemes, loyalty breakage rate, and penetration rate.

The report provides in-depth segmentation across the loyalty ecosystem, capturing loyalty spend value and breaking it down by core market dimensions. It classifies loyalty activity by program models (such as points, cashback, tiered, subscription, coalition, and gamified formats), membership structures, and execution channels (in-store, online, and mobile app), alongside embedded loyalty use cases integrated into payments, commerce, and platform ecosystems. The analysis further segments the market by industry verticals and assesses technology enablement, including AI-driven personalisation and emerging blockchain-led program mechanics. In addition, the dataset captures consumer demographics, enrolment pathways, and key program economics such as value accumulation, redemption, and breakage. Collectively, these datasets provide a comprehensive and quantifiable view of market size, structure, engagement behaviour, and value realisation dynamics within the loyalty market.

The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view of emerging business and investment market opportunities.

Report Scope

This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the loyalty market in United States, with comprehensive coverage across retail-sector context, loyalty spend dynamics, and loyalty platform economics. Below is a summary of key market segments:

United States Retail Sector Market Context

• United States Retail Industry Market Size, 2021-2030
• United States Ecommerce Market Size, 2021-2030
• United States POS Market Size Trend Analysis, 2021-2030

United States Loyalty Spend Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• United States Loyalty Spend Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics, 2021-2030
• United States Loyalty Spend on Schemes by Value Accumulated and Value Redemption Rate, 2025
• United States Loyalty Spend Share by Functional Domains, 2021-2030
• United States Loyalty Spend by Loyalty Schemes, 2021-2030
• United States Loyalty Spend by Loyalty Platforms, 2021-2030

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Loyalty Program Type

• Point-based Loyalty Program
• Tiered Loyalty Program
• Mission-driven Loyalty Program
• Spend-based Loyalty Program
• Gaming Loyalty Program
• Free Perks Loyalty Program
• Subscription Loyalty Program
• Community Loyalty Program
• Refer a Friend Loyalty Program
• Paid Loyalty Program
• Cashback Loyalty Program

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Channel

• In-Store
• Online
• Mobile

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Business Model

• Seller Driven
• Payment Instrument Driven
• Other Segment

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Key Sectors

• Retail
• Financial Services
• Healthcare & Wellness
• Restaurants & Food Delivery
• Travel & Hospitality (Cabs, Hotels, Airlines)
• Telecoms
• Media & Entertainment
• Other

Sector × Channel Views: Loyalty Schemes Spend by Key Sectors and Channels

• Online Loyalty Spend by Sector, 2021-2030
• In-store Loyalty Spend by Sector, 2021-2030
• Mobile App Loyalty Spend by Sector, 2021-2030

United States Retail Sector Deep-Dive: Loyalty Schemes Spend by Retail Segment

• Diversified Retailers
• Department Stores
• Specialty Stores
• Supermarket and Convenience Store
• Other

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Accessibility

• Card Based Access
• Digital Access

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Consumer Type

• B2B Consumers
• B2C Consumers

United States Loyalty Schemes Spend Segmentation by Membership Type

• Free
• Free + Premium
• Premium

United States Loyalty Spend Split by Embedded vs. Non-Embedded Loyalty

• Embedded Loyalty Programs
• Non-Embedded Loyalty Programs

United States Loyalty Spend Split by Use of AI / Blockchain

• AI Driven Loyalty Program
• Blockchain Driven Loyalty Program

United States Loyalty Platform Spend Segmentation by Software Use Case

• Analytics and AI Driven
• Management Platform

United States Loyalty Platform Spend Segmentation by Vendor / Solution Partner

• In-house
• Third-Party Vendor

United States Loyalty Platform Spend Segmentation by Deployment

• Cloud
• On-Premise

United States Loyalty Platform Spend Segmentation by Offering

• Software
• Services
• Custom Built Platform vs. Off the Shelf Platform

United States Consumer Demographics & Behaviour (Loyalty Spend Share), 2025

• Age Group
• Income Level
• Gender

United States Loyalty Program KPIs, Behavioral Metrics & Embedded, 2025

• Primary Loyalty Motivation Split Analysis
• Loyalty Program Breakage Rate Analysis
• Loyalty Program Enrollment Channel Mix Analysis
• Embedded Loyalty Penetration by Channel

Reasons to Buy

• Comprehensive Market Intelligence: Gain a comprehensive view of the loyalty market by quantifying total loyalty spend value and its composition across loyalty schemes and loyalty platforms, supported by retail context indicators to benchmark market scale, structure, and growth dynamics.
• Granular Loyalty Spend Coverage: Analyze loyalty spend value across loyalty schemes and loyalty platforms, supported by structured segmentation across program types (e.g., point-based, tiered, cashback, subscription, community, gaming, mission-driven, paid, and referral-led formats).
• Channel and Sector-Level Execution Insights: Evaluate how loyalty spend is distributed across in-store, online, and mobile channels, and across key verticals including Retail, Financial Services, Healthcare & Wellness, Restaurants & Food Delivery, Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, and Media & Entertainment, with dedicated sector × channel views.
• Program Structure and Participation Mix: Understand how loyalty schemes differ by business model (seller-driven vs. payment-instrument-driven), accessibility (card-based vs. digital), consumer type (B2B vs. B2C), and membership type (free, premium, and free+premium), enabling more precise program design and competitive benchmarking.
• Embedded Loyalty and Emerging Mechanisms Tracking: Assess the evolution of embedded vs. non-embedded loyalty and track spend splits linked to program enablement, including AI-driven and blockchain-driven loyalty program spend where captured in the dataset.
• Platform Spend and Vendor/Deployment Benchmarking: Benchmark loyalty platform economics by software use case (analytics/AI-driven vs. management platforms), solution partner model (in-house vs. third-party), deployment (cloud vs. on-premise), and offering mix (software vs. services; custom-built vs. off-the-shelf).
• Consumer Demographics and Program KPI Lens: Access loyalty spend share by age, income, and gender, alongside decision-critical program KPIs such as loyalty penetration (% of retail sales under loyalty), primary motivation split, breakage rate, enrollment channel mix, and embedded loyalty penetration by channel.
• Decision-Ready Databook Format with 100+ KPIs: Leverage a structured dataset with historical and forecast coverage through 2030, designed for direct integration into market models, strategic planning, and executive presentations by retailers, platforms, payment providers, technology vendors, and investors.