Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026: Marketers Are Spending More Than Half of Total Budgets on Loyalty

• 51.5% of total marketing budget is allocated to loyalty and CRM on average
• 83.0% of loyalty programme owners are satisfied with their loyalty programme
• 92.7% of programme owners reported a positive return, with an average ROI of 5.3X
• 59.8% of marketers who run loyalty programmes say they would shift promotion budget into loyalty (if they could)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Loyalty programmes enter a new Golden Age as budgets, satisfaction, and ROI hit record highs. Antavo, the AI-powered Loyalty Platform, has released its Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026, a survey of 3,000 marketers and 10,000 consumers globally that unpacks the trends shaping the evolving consumer loyalty landscape.

Data from this year’s report indicates that loyalty programmes have moved from the sidelines to the centre of marketing strategies. Marketers are allocating more than half of their total marketing budget (51.5%) to loyalty and CRM, driven by rising returns, stronger customer engagement, and a growing focus on long-term retention over short-term customer acquisition.

The findings point to a new era for loyalty, characterised by compounding ROI, increased brand confidence in loyalty programmes, and a shift away from promotions that rely solely on discounts toward more experiential, personalised, and data-driven rewards.

Attila Kecsmar, CEO and Co-founder at Antavo, commented: “Another year of rising satisfaction, ROI, and investment only goes to highlight the degree to which brands need to be laser-focused on their loyalty programmes. Those investing in loyalty have seen strong results, but brands can’t afford to rest on their laurels. A new era in loyalty is coming, and consumers want more from brands in the form of personalisation, new kinds of offers, and seamless experiences. The brands that leverage data, meet consumers where they are, and harness the power of AI will be the ones that build truly meaningful, increasingly profitable consumer relationships in 2026 and beyond.”

Loyalty means customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction means ROI

Loyalty programmes are proving their value more clearly than ever. ROI for loyalty programmes has increased for the third year in a row, reinforcing loyalty as one of the most reliable growth levers for marketers looking to build long-term revenue streams. The overwhelming majority (83.0%) of loyalty programme owners said they were satisfied with their programme’s performance, and 92.7% reported a positive return, with an average ROI of 5.3x.

Nearly 9 in 10 brands (89.4%) say their loyalty programme delivers value they would not otherwise capture, and 59.8% would shift even more budget from short-term promotions into loyalty if given the opportunity. Marketers also emphasised that technology choices matter: Platforms must empower teams while keeping total cost of ownership low.

Freebies, Frictionless Experiences, Friends and Family: Consumers want more than discounts

From the consumer perspective, loyalty programmes are increasingly influential: 31.3% of consumers reported being more likely to continue doing business with a brand that offers a good loyalty programme.

While savings remain a key motivator (for 70.8% of consumers), expectations are nonetheless expanding beyond simple discounts. Promotions continue to influence behaviour, with 68.6% of customers saying they shape shopping choices. They are not enough on their own, however. Discounts may attract attention, but meaningful loyalty requires ongoing value. Free products or services (46.3%) and personalised rewards (41.6%) were seen as indicators of more mature loyalty schemes that offer value beyond discounts.

AI can support loyalty, and loyalty can support AI

As third-party data declines and systems become more fragmented, loyalty data is emerging as one of the most valuable assets a brand can own. Over half (65.9%) of the consumers surveyed said loyalty programmes are now part of their everyday lives. This sustained interaction is generating a steady stream of structured, permissioned, first-party data. Only 3.4% of customers actively opt out of loyalty programmes, meaning disengagement doesn’t have to be permanent; the majority of dormant customers can be reached again with the right messaging.

With budgets rising and ROI consistently positive, loyalty data is emerging as one of the richest seams for both AI training and deployment. It provides consented insights tied directly to real outcomes such as repeat purchases, referrals, and reward redemption, making loyalty data one of the safest and most effective training grounds for AI pilots and broader deployments. Doing so eventually leading to higher quality, more responsive programmes, generating higher interest and more interactions.

The full Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026 is available [HERE]. It was sponsored by Bloomreach DataLab, EPAM, Digitas, and StratLX.

About Antavo

Antavo is revolutionising the customer loyalty landscape with its cutting-edge AI Loyalty Cloud. As the market's most powerful pure-play loyalty technology, Antavo's platform seamlessly combines advanced AI capabilities with effortless integration, setting a new industry standard.

Antavo is the leading provider of AI-powered customer loyalty technology, offering a comprehensive platform that streamlines the entire loyalty program lifecycle. Its solutions include a Promotion Engine to engage the full customer base, a Loyalty Planner that accelerates program planning by up to 10 times, and a flexible Loyalty Engine with an intuitive Workflows editor to bring any loyalty concept to life. Once a program is live, Antavo’s Optimizer transforms loyalty data into clear, actionable insights. At the core of all the solutions is Timi AI, an agentic AI that enhances and supports every step of the loyalty journey.

This excellence has not gone unnoticed. Antavo is recognised by industry leaders such as Forrester, Gartner, and IDC, and it’s the preferred choice for global brands, loyalty consultants, and system integrators worldwide. Antavo’s diverse client portfolio, including household names like KFC, Skims, C&A, Flying Tiger, Notino, Scandic Hotels, Kathmandu, Brightline, and Benefit Cosmetics, spans industries such as fashion, beauty, retail, travel, and hospitality, showcasing the platform's versatility and effectiveness.

Experience the future of customer loyalty with Antavo. Visit antavo.com to learn more.