In a nutshell, the proverbial earn-and-burn programs that have been a mainstay of commerce for decades no longer are satisfactory. Now, consumers want to earn and receive their rewards through a slew of different options and use cases — leading to points ubiquity.
"When they are tightening their budgets, consumers will use their points on everyday items...and they want merchants to speak to them about their daily, real-life needs."