Editing Loyalty program (section)

===How customers provide their account numbers=== 
====Physical loyalty cards====
A loyalty program typically involves the operator of a particular program setting up an account for a customer of a business associated with the scheme, and then issue to the customer a '''loyalty card''' (variously called [[Cashback reward program|rewards card]], [[Cashback reward program|points card]], advantage card, club card, or some other name) which may be a [[plastic card|plastic]] or paper card, visually similar to a [[credit card]], that identifies the cardholder as a participant in the program. Cards may have a [[barcode]] or [[magstripe]] to more easily allow for scanning, although some are [[chip card]]s or [[proximity card]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is a Loyalty Program: Benefits, Types |url=https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/loyalty-program |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=SendPulse |language=en}}</ref> U.S. supermarkets often issue two copies of the card: one credit-card sized and one that fits on a keychain, in addition to providing access to the card via a mobile app, website.

====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>

====Phone number and other methods====
At a physical point of sale, presenting a physical or digital card is not necessary at many U.S. merchants, if the customer enters the phone number associated with the account on a terminal or tells it to a cashier who enters it into the register. When purchasing online, customers usually must log in to the account on the merchant's website. However, when purchasing airline tickets from online travel agencies, customers can usually enter their airline loyalty number into the agency website and the agency will pass it onto the airline.