McDonald’s is entering the fast-growing retail media market with the McDonald’s Media Network, a new advertising platform being piloted across 450 company-owned US restaurants, as Marketing-Interactive reports. The network will give brands opportunities to reach customers across McDonald’s app, kiosks, digital menu boards, and restaurants, tapping into a huge owned-media ecosystem that includes more than 70 million daily customers globally and nearly 220 million active loyalty customers across 70 markets. Backed by years of investment in customer data, loyalty and digital infrastructure, McDonald’s sees the network as a new revenue stream for both the company and its franchisees, with ambitions to grow it into a $1-billion business across its system over time. While details around ad formats, pricing, and wider expansion have yet to be revealed, the move demonstrates how McDonald’s is looking beyond traditional marketing to monetize its first-party data and customer relationships—turning the digital touchpoints it already uses to sell meals into valuable media assets, according to Marketing-Interactive.  

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Lavazza Launches First U.S. Loyalty Program to Deepen Customer Engagement 

Lavazza is strengthening its direct relationship with U.S. coffee drinkers with the launch of My Lavazza, its first loyalty program in the country. The program allows members to earn points, called “Beans,” through purchases on LavazzaUSA.com, authorized retail partners, subscriptions, and brand engagement activities such as quizzes and surveys, with rewards including Lavazza discounts and digital gift cards. Built around three membership tiers—Enthusiast, Barista, and Maestro—My Lavazza also rewards subscription customers with accelerated earning opportunities and gives members access to special promotions, experiences, and monthly sweepstakes. The launch comes as Lavazza continues to expand its U.S. presence and invest in its digital customer relationships, using loyalty to connect experiences across retail, e-commerce, and other channels while encouraging greater engagement with the brand. 

Learn more here.

Cicis Pizza Celebrates National Pizza Month with Throwback Pricing and Value Deals 

Cicis Pizza is leaning into value and loyalty for National Pizza Month with two October promotions designed to drive both restaurant visits and at-home occasions. From October 1 through October 31, new Cicis Rewards members can access a $2.99 Adult Buffet—the same price the chain offered when it launched in 1985—by downloading the Cicis app and joining its rewards program. Cicis is also offering $5 medium one-topping pizzas for to-go orders, with a limit of five per order. By pairing nostalgic pricing with an incentive to join Cicis Rewards, the brand is using National Pizza Month not only to highlight affordability but also to encourage app adoption and build direct relationships with new customers. 

Learn more here.

Bite Club members also receive exclusive offers and opportunities to earn bonus points. Charleys is supporting the launch with “App-tober” incentives throughout October, encouraging customers to download and use the app. The coordinated rollout places loyalty, menu news, and brand marketing in the same customer journey across a system of more than 850 locations. 

Why it matters: 

• A 25-point starting threshold shortens the path to a reward and gives new members an earlier reason to return. 

• Launching the program with menu and campaign news makes loyalty part of the brand message instead of a separate promotion. 

• Earning across app, web, and store channels can support app adoption and give Charleys a more complete view of member activity. 

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Learn more here. 

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As annual fees on top-tier credit cards climb toward $800 or $900, a growing middle ground is emerging for consumers who want premium-style perks without paying the highest prices, as The Wall Street Journal reports. These “near-premium” cards, often carrying annual fees in the $300 to $400 range, are gaining traction among younger consumers who value travel rewards, dining benefits, airport lounge access, and other lifestyle perks but still weigh whether those benefits justify the cost. Card issuers and airlines are responding with products aimed squarely at this value-conscious audience, positioning cards from American Express, Capital One, and others as a step up from mainstream rewards cards without the commitment of an ultra-premium fee. The shift suggests that as luxury cards become more expensive, competition may increasingly center on consumers who want a taste of the premium experience at a more accessible price, according to The Wall Stret Journal.  

Learn more here: The Rise of the Almost-Premium Credit Card - WSJ  

U.S. Bank Expands Its Small Business Play with New Rewards Cards  

U.S. Bank is strengthening its small-business offerings with the launch of the Business Essentials Visa Card and Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature Card, both of which offer unlimited 2% cash back on eligible purchases and the potential for higher rewards when paired with qualifying business checking balances. Beyond rewards, the cards are designed to help business owners manage cash flow and everyday expenses through features including spend management tools, receipt capture, card controls, accounting software integrations, and fixed-fee payment plans for larger purchases. The launch underscores U.S. Bank’s push to connect business credit cards more closely with its broader banking services, while a new advertising campaign featuring entrepreneur and actress Jessica Alba will promote the cards to small business owners.  

Learn more here: U.S. Bank Launches New Credit Cards for Small Business Owners with Jessica Alba as Spokesperson  

Citi Launches Commerce Media Platform to Connect Brands with Consumers  

Citi has launched Citi Commerce Media, a new platform designed to help brands reach U.S. consumers at key moments in their purchase journey by drawing on insights from more than 70 million U.S. customers and 6.5 billion annual transactions across 700-plus spending categories. The platform combines first-party consumer insights, paid media solutions, and closed-loop measurement, enabling advertisers to identify high-intent audiences, reach consumers across Citi’s digital ecosystem, and measure campaign results against actual transaction outcomes. Citi says the platform has already shown early traction across retail, payments, technology, beauty and wellness, including up to 5x incremental return on ad spend for one online retailer, while its planned acquisition of commerce media and rewards platform Kard is expected to further expand its capabilities.  

Learn more here: Citi Unveils Citi Commerce Media to Deliver More Personalized Experiences for Customers and Brands  

For customers using J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, the experience is integrated into the Chase Mobile app and Chase.com, bringing rewards and investing into the same digital ecosystem. Once points are converted to cash, customers decide how to invest based on their goals and risk tolerance. The move reflects a broader effort by Chase and J.P. Morgan Wealth Management to make investing easier to access while giving customers another way to put everyday credit card rewards toward longer-term financial goals.

Why it matters:

· Instead of spending points on travel or purchases, cardmembers now have an option to direct their value toward an investment portfolio.

· Chase is making it possible for customers to manage more of their financial activity within one digital experience.

· Converting accumulated rewards into investable cash gives eligible customers another potential entry point into the markets without requiring those dollars to come directly from their regular cash flow.

Learn more here: Chase Expands Ultimate Rewards® with New “Invest Your Points” Feature

Further Reading: Chase Collabs With Disney for Inspire Visa Card & Elevated Rewards Program

Coffee may be one of the most powerful tools convenience and fuel retailers have for building repeat customer relationships. Because many consumers already buy coffee several times a week—or even every day—the opportunity isn’t simply to generate more demand, but to become the place customers consistently choose for that purchase, as Mobility Plaza reports. That makes seamless digital ordering, loyalty and personalization increasingly important, particularly as mobile and drive-thru transactions create more opportunities to recognize returning customers and tailor their experience. For convenience retailers, the economics make the category especially attractive: foodservice can deliver strong margins while encouraging frequent store visits, and longer dwell times associated with EV charging could make quality coffee even more valuable. Rapidly expanding coffee concepts also demonstrate that complicated rewards aren’t necessarily required; simple loyalty mechanics paired with convenient ordering and connected customer data can help turn an occasional coffee stop into a routine, according to Mobility Plaza. 

Learn more here.

ChatGPT’s Rise Signals a New Era for Brand Loyalty 

Brand loyalty is increasingly being shaped by usefulness, convenience, and personalization rather than name recognition alone. Brand Keys’ latest loyalty research highlights that shift, with ChatGPT appearing alongside established technology giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple among the highest-performing brands, as MediaPost reports. ChatGPT’s presence is particularly noteworthy because it suggests generative AI is becoming part of consumers’ everyday routines for finding information, solving problems, and supporting decisions. The broader trend extends beyond AI: consumers are gravitating toward brands that simplify payments, consolidate entertainment, create connected digital ecosystems, and deliver experiences tailored to individual needs. For retailers and consumer-facing businesses, the message is that loyalty increasingly depends on reducing friction and providing relevant value at the right moment—and technologies like ChatGPT are helping redefine how high consumers set that bar. 

Learn more here.

The Next Era of Loyalty Goes Beyond Points and Rewards 

As points, tiers and discounts become standard features of loyalty programs, brands are looking for new ways to earn customers’ attention beyond the transaction. One emerging approach is to create apps, services, and experiences that support activities customers already care about, allowing a brand to become useful even when someone isn’t making a purchase, as CX Dive reports. Platforms such as Dick’s Sporting Goods’ GameChanger, and Nike Run Club illustrate the opportunity: they help people participate in sports, track activities, and connect with existing communities while giving the brands a richer understanding of customer interests and behaviors. Traditional rewards programs will remain valuable, but combining purchase data with insights from these broader interactions can provide a more complete view of the customer. For brands considering this strategy, success starts with understanding what their most important customers actually value and finding an authentic way to make their lives easier—not simply inventing another reason to earn points, according to CX Dive. 

Learn more here.

The collaboration gives Pizza Hut a new way to connect with consumers beyond the restaurant while reinforcing a literacy effort that has been associated with the brand for more than 40 years. Consumers can apply to receive a Little Hut Library for free and bring the book exchange to their own neighborhood, extending the campaign directly into communities. By combining its red-roof imagery, BOOK IT! legacy and pizza rewards with Little Free Library’s community-based book-sharing model, Pizza Hut is turning familiar brand assets into an experience designed to encourage reading, sharing, and neighborhood engagement. 

Why it matters: 

• The campaign gives Pizza Hut a new way to build on the recognition and nostalgia surrounding BOOK IT!, which dates back to 1984. 

• Rather than relying solely on traditional promotions, Pizza Hut is putting a physical brand experience directly into neighborhoods. 

• Pairing the red roof and Personal Pan Pizza rewards with accessible books reinforces Pizza Hut’s longstanding association with reading while giving the campaign a tangible local presence. 

Learn more here.

Further reading: From Guesswork to AI: How Braze and Pizza Hut Reinvented Customer Win-Back Campaigns

The new Direct Delivery option allows customers to order through Huey Magoo’s website or app while receiving in-restaurant pricing. Members can earn and redeem Magoo’s Rewards points on delivery orders and access offers available through the brand’s owned digital channels. That creates a more consistent rewards experience across restaurant and delivery occasions while giving customers another reason to order directly from the brand. 

The expansion builds on Magoo’s Rewards, which launched in 2025 as the brand grew nationally. By connecting loyalty benefits with direct ordering and delivery, Huey Magoo’s is making the program more useful across the customer journey rather than limiting rewards to traditional restaurant visits. 

Learn more here.

Why It Matters 

• Extending earn-and-redeem functionality to delivery makes Magoo’s Rewards more useful across more customer occasions. 

• In-restaurant pricing and member offers give customers a clearer incentive to use Huey Magoo’s owned digital channels. 

• The anniversary BOGO creates immediate engagement while direct delivery adds longer-term value to the loyalty proposition. 

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TripGift has launched its next-generation Travel Value Platform, expanding the ways organizations can use travel and experiences to reward, engage, and incentivize customers, partners, and employees worldwide. Bringing together eight proprietary travel gift brands, its Travel Value API, Purpose-Bound Promotional Vouchers, and a global travel redemption platform, TripGift enables travel value to be purchased in 103 currencies and redeemed across more than 180 countries. Recipients can access more than 2.9 million travel and lifestyle booking options spanning accommodations, airlines, mobility, tours, activities, and live events, while organizations can integrate flexible, programmable travel value directly into loyalty, incentive, reward, and promotional programs through TripGift’s API-first technology. 

Learn more here.

Starboard and Azamara Cruises Launch First-of-its-Kind Shopping Rewards Program 

Starboard and Azamara Cruises have launched Azamara Shopping Rewards, a new program designed to extend the value of onboard shopping beyond the cruise itself. Powered by Open Network Exchange (ONE), the first-of-its-kind program allows Azamara guests to earn rewards on eligible retail purchases made onboard and redeem their points through the Azamara Shopping Rewards Ecommerce Marketplace. Rewards span premium merchandise, wine and luggage, culinary experiences, concert tickets, flights, hotels, and other travel and lifestyle offerings, creating another way for guests to engage with Azamara both at sea and after their voyage. 

Learn more here.

PNC Bank Launches Workplace Advantage to Strengthen Employee Financial Wellness 

PNC Bank has launched PNC Workplace Advantage, a new workplace banking program designed to help employers strengthen their benefits offerings while supporting employees’ financial confidence and well-being. Available to companies with 100 or more employees, the program combines enhanced banking rewards with personalized financial guidance, virtual or onsite banking access, live seminars, and on-demand financial education. As part of PNC’s broader Financial Wellness Solutions platform, Workplace Advantage is designed to integrate into existing benefits strategies without adding significant administrative complexity, while giving employees practical tools and resources to help manage their financial lives. 

Learn more here.

Each pop-up will feature a dedicated margarita bar, Halloween-themed décor, interactive elements and opportunities to win Chipotle prizes. Guests age 21 and older can purchase the classic margarita for $6. The drink uses five ingredients: tequila, triple sec, citrus juice, agave nectar and a fresh lime wedge. Dallas will also feature a frozen version tied to the city’s connection to the frozen margarita. 

The tour also serves as a lead-in to Chipotle’s annual Boorito Halloween promotion. The campaign reflects how the brand is turning sustained customer requests and nostalgia into an in-person experience designed to create renewed engagement around a product customers continued discussing long after it left the menu. 

Why It Matters 

• Chipotle is turning social listening into action by reviving a product customers repeatedly asked to see return. 

• The limited-city format creates scarcity and an experiential reason for customers to engage with the brand beyond a transaction. 

• Connecting the tour to Boorito extends the campaign into an established annual tradition and gives Chipotle multiple October engagement moments. 

Learn more here. 

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CAVA is making loyalty a bigger part of its growth strategy as it expands its restaurant footprint and looks for new ways to keep guests engaged, as Zacks reports. The fast-casual chain reported that its loyalty membership grew faster than its restaurant count during the second quarter of 2026, while same-restaurant sales rose 9% and traffic increased 5.3%. New digital experiences such as Flavor Passport, combined with menu innovation, are giving CAVA additional opportunities to encourage discovery and repeat visits. The company also saw encouraging engagement around its Pomegranate Glazed Salmon, which helped attract new customers and increased visit frequency among loyalty members who purchased it. As CAVA scales, its growing first-party customer base could become an increasingly important tool for driving personalized offers, strengthening relationships, and supporting restaurant traffic, according to Zacks. 

Learn more here.

McDonald’s Looks to Personalization and New Perks to Strengthen Loyalty 

McDonald’s is evolving MyMcDonald’s Rewards as it looks to encourage more frequent visits from active members while reconnecting with customers who use the program less often, as CX Dive reports. With nearly 220 million active loyalty members who visit 2.5 times as frequently as nonmembers, the company sees significant room to deepen engagement by tailoring benefits to different customer groups. Plans include a tiered loyalty structure that could give frequent guests faster points earning, early access to select products, and exclusive experiences, while more occasional customers may receive personalized rewards based on their dining habits. McDonald’s is also broadening the program beyond restaurant offers, with planned partnerships that include perks such as Uber ride credits and Disney+ subscriptions, signaling a move toward making its loyalty ecosystem relevant even between restaurant visits, according to CX Dive. 

Learn more here.

Bareburger Rolls Out New Loyalty Program and Digital Ordering Experience 

Bareburger is upgrading its digital guest experience with a new mobile app, first-party ordering platform, and loyalty program designed to turn customer insights into more personalized engagement. Powered by Thanx and integrated with the restaurant brand’s Toast point-of-sale system, the platform brings ordering, loyalty, and marketing together while giving Bareburger a more unified view of customer activity across its company-owned and franchised locations. The technology will allow the brand to tailor rewards based on how individual guests engage—including their ordering preferences—and better connect promotions with resulting sales. The launch reflects Bareburger’s broader push to strengthen repeat business and build deeper customer relationships as it grows. 

Learn more here.