The leading loyalty reference used by loyalty professionals everywhere. Now expanded and updated with over 250 global case studies.
Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide (3rd Edition) is the most comprehensive book on loyalty program theory and practice available. It combines academic research, loyalty psychology, and global industry expertise to deliver a complete, global view of every aspect of loyalty programs.
Loyalty programs have become the most important marketing discipline of the 21st Century. As first-party data grows scarce and AI reshapes how people buy, a well-designed loyalty program enables brands to know their customers, keep them, and grow their value over time.
Whether you are designing a program from scratch, managing one that needs to generate a better return on investment, or developing a business case for your board, this book will provide you with the expert guidance you need.
Inside, you will find the tools to:
- Design a best-practice program, using proven frameworks
- Implement the right technology, rewards and benefits, and member experience
- Operate and evolve with commercial modelling, analytics, and ROI measurement
- Future-proof your program for AI, agentic commerce, and a privacy-first world
From loyalty psychology and program design through to fraud, governance, and commercial modelling, it is the complete guide.
Praise for Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide
- "The one book in this space that treats loyalty as the complex, cross-functional discipline it actually is, rather than a simple rewards mechanic."
- - Fabio Martini, Global Marketing Director, ASICS
- "Factual, methodical, and grounded in a deep understanding of how loyalty programs actually work."
- - Max Byloff, CEO of Loyalty, Comarch
- "A refreshingly complete view of what loyalty strategy should be."
- - Kate Lisko, Senior Product Manager, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Author Philip Shelper is CEO and Founder of Loyalty & Reward Co, the world's only global pure-play loyalty consultancy. He has consulted to over 160 brands worldwide and previously held loyalty roles at Qantas Frequent Flyer and Vodafone. Phil is a member of several hundred loyalty programs and an obsessive researcher of loyalty psychology and loyalty history, all of which he draws on to understand what makes a program succeed.
Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide (3rd Edition) was co-created by the expert Loyalty & Reward Co team, including Stacey Lyons, Scott Harrison, Ryan De Boer, David Schneider, Federico Couret, and Hunter Murray, with contributions from Michael Smith and Sam Panzer.
Review :
"Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide is the reference I come back to whenever I need to
ground a strategic conversation in real data and frameworks. After several years building and
scaling membership programs across global sports and consumer brands, I still continue to find
new angles in it. It's the one book in this space that treats loyalty as the complex, cross-functional
discipline it actually is, rather than a simple rewards mechanic. Essential reading for anyone
serious about the field."
Fabio Martini, Global Marketing Director, ASICS
"This essential standard work stands apart in a field too often crowded with repetition, opinion
and vague advice. It is factual, methodical and grounded in a deep understanding of how loyalty
programs actually work. Rather than filling pages with fashionable language, it offers structured
thinking, practical frameworks and evidence-based insights that professionals can apply. This
combination of analytical rigour and real-world relevance makes it an essential reference for
anyone designing, operating or improving a loyalty program."
Max Byloff, CEO of Loyalty, Comarch
"Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide offers a refreshingly complete view of what loyalty
strategy should be. The book is clear-eyed about the commercial goal, driving incremental
revenue, retention and customer lifetime value, while never losing sight of the people behind the
numbers. The strongest programs do not simply give away points or discounts, they understand
what members genuinely value and create experiences that feel relevant, rewarding and worth
returning for. I've applied the book's principles in both my MBA studies and my work building
loyalty and technology products, and they have become an important reference point in how I
evaluate ideas and make product decisions."
Kate Lisko, Senior Product Manager, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
