It’s a fair bet that you’ve probably been in a loyalty program at some point in your life,
whether that’s a Holland & Barrett card you picked up solely to make your wallet look
healthier on the inside or some kind of elite travellers’ scheme designed to empty your
savings altogether.
Oddly enough, football, for all its claims to big business, isn’t well known for giving much
back to the fans, especially on the field.
Extra Value
There’s been quite the drive towards providing extra value for customers in all industries
recently. London careers service The Circular Board indicates that 77% of people in the UK
belong to one
loyalty scheme or another but a roughly similar amount of shoppers like
rewards for engaging with a brand, too.
This latter point might involve gifts of cashback but personalisation of the customer journey
can be just as effective as far as keeping hold of customers is concerned.
Of course, presents can also be an effective way to get people on board in the first place. In
entertainment, streaming services like Netflix and Prime make use of free trials but more
interactive media, such as casino gaming, tend to start with deposit bonuses or free turns on
slot machines. BonusFinder, in
their list of the best sites, notes that anything up to 500 spins
isn’t all that unusual as an introductory offer.
Arsenal
Expressions of gratitude within the Premier League are still a bit of a rarity. To put that
statement into perspective, Arsenal only released its loyalty program at the beginning
of the 2021/2022 season.
The scheme, based around the MyArsenal card, promised “money-can’t-buy Arsenal
experiences” that could be purchased with points. Inevitably, these points are collected by
spending money at the club.
Only Manchester City had a loyalty scheme before 2016, which goes some way to explain
why efforts to engage fans are in such an embryonic form in the Premier League.
Today, other than the Gunners and City, Spurs, Everton, and Chelsea all offer visible rewards
programs. In the Toffees' case, it’s Rewards4Football, which allows fans to collect points
when spending money at brands like Lucozade, Cazoo, and TGI Friday’s.
Chelsea offer a system based on ticket purchases and the value of an opponent. The less high-
profile the game, the more points fans receive, up to a maximum of five per match.
Season Tickets
One of the more disappointing aspects of loyalty schemes in the Premier League is that
season ticket holders generally don’t receive anything for attending games.
At Spurs, for example, season ticket holders can only accrue points by renewing or by
purchasing entry to matches excluded from their annual passes. Tottenham’s rewards
program is otherwise identical to Chelsea’s.
So, to answer the question in the title, no, it doesn’t always pay to get involved with your
favourite club beyond simple attendance.
However, as the Premier League’s collective loyalty package evolves, there may well be
something more interesting to sign up for on the horizon.