Loyalty reward programs

[wdfifteen]

I don't pay much attention to loyalty programs, frequent flier miles, etc. It always seems like too much trouble. But the grocery chain Kroger hooked me on their program.
They told me all I have to do is buy food in their store and I earn "points" that get me a reduced price at their gas pump. That was the large print. So after a few weeks and several stops at the store I get gas, but I have no "points." I asked them WTF? and then they show me the small print. If you don't have 100 points or more at the end of the month your account resets to zero. So my reward for being loyal to the store that month was zero because I wasn't loyal enough.
I was right. It's too much trouble.
Plus I'm tired of being jerked around by companies that think playing games with fine print is clever. My local grocery offers honest, straight-up deals. Here's the price. You pay. We're both happy. That's the kind of place that deserves my loyalty.
End of rant.

[Rot 911]

The local grocery chain Gerbes started a loyalty program where if you sign up and use their scannable card you get the groceries at a lower price than us smucks that don't want to sign up. They started this about 10 years ago. That's the last time I ever went into their store. I prefer to shop where they don't make me jump through hoops just to buy something from them.

[oldschoollear]

Spend $100 a month and fill up during that month. Doesn't seem too hard. We shop at Kroger. Feeding a family of four ain't cheap, but it sure is nice getting $.60 off per gallon.

[widebody911]

I had to buy something last minute-need-it-right-now at a certain grocery store last week end. While I was there, I saw something else I wanted that was 'on sale' so I grabbed. When I got rung up, the price was significantly higher because I wasn't in the club. I told the cashier to just keep it. I should have just created a bogus account so I could get the 'savings' without having to give out all my info.

[GH85Carrera]

The store that is most convenient from me has a card. If you buy stuff you get points off the gas price at a local gas station that only sell E-10. No thanks even for free. I can buy 100% gas and I do.

[HardDrive]

I have one for groceries, and one for my local True Value hardware store. The rest can go pound sand. I find it damn irritating to be asked at every store if I have their rewards card.

[gacook]

I have one for Fry's and Safeway. Groceries are MUCH cheaper if you have the card.

Also have one for AutoZone. Anyone else asks, I tell 'em no thanks. Also don't give my email address to ANY store. My wife is a retail manager and email addresses is a huge "goal point" for them. At her last store, she was short on email addresses one day, so she plugged mine in. Started getting spam from them the next day. I was quite displeased with her for that.

[porsche4life]

I don't get much into rewards at retail stores, other than my REI dividend.

Now hotel and airline points? I play that game all day long. Using those programs when I travel for work means I don't have to pay for rooms on vacation. Very worth it to me.

[craigster59]

Both Ralphs and Vons here in So Cal have gas rebate points, up to 20 cents a gallon I think. When you pay at the pump, you either swipe your Club Card or key in the phone number associated with the card.

I was buying something awhile back that had some "deal" with the club card (which I didn't have) and an old friend was the cashier. I told him I didn't want to get another card and didn't want to wait around filling one out. He told me "Just punch in the area code where you live and then 555-1212. A lot of people input that when they apply for the card and corporate goes in every few months and clears out the points on the account".

Maybe try that at the pump or when you buy groceries, worth a shot.