Should You Really Be Joining All Of Those Restaurant Loyalty Programs?

These days you can hardly visit any type of business without being encouraged to sign up for a card or app touted as an exclusive “loyalty program.”

So is it worth it? Let’s take a look.

Companies are cutting back

As you might have noticed, inflation is still taking its toll on prices across the board, especially at restaurants. For that reason, businesses that once offered rewards based on the amount of money loyal customers spent found themselves doling out more free stuff than ever before.

To combat this trend, a number of popular programs scaled back generosity a bit.

• Starbucks increased the number of stars needed to redeem for free drinks.
• Dunkin’ more than doubled the amount you’ll have to spend to get a free latte.
• Chipotle customers now have to spend $162.50 to get a free burrito.

Needless to say, many folks were upset by the changes.

Pay attention to your privacy

The news is filled with stories about hackers accessing personal data, and you almost always have to give up some of your identifying information to sign up for loyalty programs. For folks like Lizzy Laufters, it’s worth the trade-off if companies provide valuable incentives.

She said: “I am downloading the restaurant apps and giving them my information. I value my privacy, so the rewards are what they are giving me in return.”

Go in with eyes wide open

Before signing up, make sure you realize that companies wouldn’t offer loyalty programs if they didn’t benefit them directly. But you can also benefit from the perks if you choose the right ones and make sure you’re not spending more than you otherwise would just for the thrill of getting something for free.

If you’re wondering which programs to join, here’s a list of recommendations.

Zachary Coulter March 2nd, 2023

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