Scratch to win
John Lewis occasionally give out 'golden tickets', which you need to scratch to reveal if you've won.
Design Examples
Loyalty Program Design: Real Examples That Work
See how companies like John Lewis, Zizzi and Peerlist design loyalty schemes, with annotated examples of variable rewards, streak perks, secret menus and framed savings.
Real world examples:
Updated: 26/10/2026, view all 1,496 examples
Examples on Built for Mars include
Zizzi uses a prize wheel to build suspense
Peerlist streak rewards improve the product
Bank of America makes hidden savings visible
A utility loyalty scheme
Octopus Energy will let you earn Octopoints for completing habit-forming actions (like submitting meter readings), which you can then redeem for credit.
Spinning the wheel of rewards
When joining Zizzi's members club, you get to spin a wheel to unlock a free gift.
Secret locations
Crumbl has a secret menu offered at specific branches, and the icons on the map represent the items available at those locations.
The streak loyalty pass
To help make maintaining a habit more comfortable, Sweepy lets you earn a free pass every X days, like a loyalty scheme.
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FAQs
Why do variable rewards work so well in loyalty schemes?
Not knowing the prize builds anticipation, so the reveal feels bigger than a fixed discount would. Asking people to physically interact, e.g., scratching a card or spinning a wheel, stretches that moment out. For example, John Lewis makes members scratch off 'golden tickets', and Zizzi gives new members a spin of a wheel for a free gift that brings them into the restaurant.
What makes a loyalty reward worth staying for?
Rewards that improve the product itself create a stronger retention loop than generic credit, because each milestone makes leaving more costly. This is what Peerlist does, offering Super Upvotes and custom domains at streak milestones. Profiles become more valuable as people invest in them, which is the Endowment Effect at work.
Can a loyalty scheme work for a utility or non-retail product?
Yes, when points are tied to the habits the business wants to encourage. For instance, Octopus Energy awards Octopoints for actions like submitting meter readings, then shows a live cash conversion when members redeem them for account credit. A chore becomes a small, rewarding moment.
How can a streak reward habits without punishing missed days?
Earned forgiveness protects the streak so a skipped day doesn't feel like failure. As an example, Sweepy gives users a wildcard every set number of streak days and lets them choose that number in settings. Giving people control reduces the frustration that often leads to churn.
How do you make members feel like insiders rather than customers?
Hidden or location-specific perks give people a reason to feel part of a club, which leans on Tribalism. For example, Crumbl's map shows secret menu items available only at certain branches, so fans travel between stores to try them. An ordinary visit becomes an insider discovery.
Why show members the value of benefits they've already used?
Many benefits, like waived fees, happen quietly and go unnoticed, so members underestimate what membership gives them. Putting a number on it reframes the tier as something that pays for itself. Bank of America does this by totalling Platinum members' year-to-date savings in dollars.