Nine in 10 Brits (90 per cent) now belong to at least one loyalty scheme, according to new research from American Express, with reward habits becoming embedded in everyday shopping – as consumers redeemed an estimated £4.43 billion* in rewards over the past year.
American Express’ first Rewards Report 2026 explores how the UK’s rewards landscape is evolving, from how consumers earn and redeem rewards to the role they now play in everyday financial decision-making.
Based on a survey of 4,000 UK adults, the report reveals that the average Brit belongs to 12 different schemes. Supermarkets (87 per cent) and high street retailers (66 per cent) are the most popular, followed by food and drink chains (50 per cent), reward or cashback credit cards (44 per cent), and schemes for local traders, travel providers and third-party cashback sites.
Dan Edelman, General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express, said: “American Express has been rewarding Cardmembers for decades, so we’ve seen first-hand how expectations of rewards have evolved. What’s striking from our research is just how firmly rewards are now embedded in everyday life. Consumers are using them not only to make their money go further, but to access benefits and experiences that add value beyond the transaction.
“For retailers, that makes loyalty much more than a promotional tool. The opportunity is to make them flexible, relevant and genuinely valuable – giving customers compelling reasons to choose a brand and come back to it.”
Rewards become an everyday money-saving tool
Brits are increasingly using rewards to manage their household finances. Four in 10 (40 per cent) use rewards to lower the cost of everyday spending, while 37 per cent use them to get better value from their planned purchases. One in five (21 per cent) think of their rewards as an extra savings pot or rainy-day fund that they can draw on when needed.
The findings suggest that rewards are factored into consumers’ everyday spending habits. Loyalty programme members surveyed estimate they earn rewards on more than a third (35 per cent) of their spending, with nearly half (46 per cent) saying that earning and redeeming rewards is embedded into their daily lives.
Loyalty programme rewards go beyond everyday savings
Across the full range of loyalty programmes included in the research, members who redeem rewards estimate they saved an average of £132.30 over the past 12 months. The top 5 per cent of those who redeem rewards estimate that they saved £797.50 on average.
However, this figure does not include the highly valued wider perks and benefits received by 53 per cent of loyalty programme members, such as travel upgrades or access to exclusive events, lounges or members-only areas.
More than a third (35 per cent) of members surveyed agree that reward programmes are more valuable when they offer additional benefits or perks, with 32 per cent saying that these additional perks and benefits allow them to unlock experiences they could not usually have. A quarter (26 per cent) even say their perks and benefits give them a chance to have ‘once in a lifetime experiences’.
As well as the financial value, reward programmes help consumers feel more positive about how they manage their money. Three quarters (74 per cent) of Brits say they are satisfied they are making the most of their reward programmes.
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