11.1 Introduction
There are currently a large number of different schemes designed to increase turnover and maintain customer loyalty. They do this by linking purchases from a business to a reward, or reduction in price on subsequent purchases, by the issue of points. They are seen as a marketing tool that offers retailers an opportunity to collect accurate customer data.
In some cases the reward may be provided by the original supplier. In other schemes they may be obtained from a third party who is contracted to provide the rewards for which they receive payment from the original supplier or from a scheme promoter.