Search for “loyalty program benchmarks” and you’ll find plenty of impressive numbers. But take a closer look at where they come from. Many are published by companies selling loyalty software, based only on their own customer base, with little explanation of how the data was collected or calculated.

That doesn’t automatically make those numbers unreliable. It does mean you need more context before using them to set targets for your own program. A benchmark is only useful when you know who produced it, what was measured, and whether the comparison makes sense for your store.

That’s why I’ve selected seven numbers worth reviewing before you finalize your BFCM goals. They come from three clearly identified sources: an independent consumer survey from Deloitte in 2025, established retention research from Bain & Company cited by Harvard Business Review, and BON’s own first-party data.

Each benchmark is labeled by source, so you can see exactly what kind of evidence you’re working with and decide how much weight to give it.

TL;DR

• The average consumer is enrolled in 8 loyalty programs but actively participates in only 5, and 51% engage with just one (Deloitte, 2025 Consumer Loyalty Program Survey).
• 40% of consumers admit they sometimes forget to redeem. Redemption friction is normal, not a sign your program is broken (Deloitte, 2025).
• 72% say a loyalty program makes them more likely to spend with a preferred brand, and 56% say it directly increases their spending (Deloitte, 2025).
• Acquiring a new customer costs 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing one, and a 5-point gain in retention can lift profit 25% to 95% (Harvard Business Review, citing Bain & Company).
• BON’s own data across 10,500+ Shopify stores: sign-ups jump 132% over a typical week during BFCM weekend, and 81% of shoppers say a loyalty program shapes whether they buy again.

Why benchmark before Q4 instead of after

By September, many merchants are already finalizing their VIP tiers, choosing BFCM offers, and setting retention targets for the busiest quarter of the year. This is exactly when benchmarks are most useful. Once Q4 is over, they can explain what happened. Before Q4 begins, they can help you decide what a realistic target should look like.

Without that context, it’s easy to choose a number simply because it sounds ambitious. But a target with nothing meaningful to compare it against is still a guess, even when it sits inside a detailed campaign plan.

The challenge is finding benchmarks you can actually trust. Search results are full of loyalty platforms reporting on their own customers, often with limited information about the sample or methodology. That data can still be useful, but it shouldn’t automatically become the standard for every store.

That’s why this post separates each benchmark by source. You’ll see findings from an independent consumer survey, established retention research, and BON’s own first-party data clearly identified as such. This makes it easier to understand what each number represents before applying it to your program.

I’d also run this benchmark check alongside a BFCM customer data audit. Industry benchmarks give you context, while your own recency, frequency, monetary value, and loyalty data tell you what action to take. You need both before setting a target that your team can genuinely use.

The reality check: How many programs are you actually competing with?

The average US consumer is enrolled in about 8 loyalty programs but actively participates in only 5, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Consumer Loyalty Program Survey of 5,564 US adults, conducted September through October 2025. Active participation, not enrollment, is the number that matters.

More strikingly, 51% of consumers say they actually engage with just one loyalty program regularly. Heading into BFCM, the real goal is becoming someone’s one program, not just collecting sign-ups.

That’s the number that matters heading into BFCM. Your real goal isn’t simply to add another name to the membership list. It’s to become one of the few programs a customer remembers, uses, and returns to when every brand starts competing for their attention.

To check your own program, compare total enrollment with the number of members who have actually earned or redeemed points within a recent period. Ninety days is a practical starting point, although you may need a longer window if customers naturally buy from your store less often.

Just don’t compare that percentage directly with Deloitte’s eight-to-five figure. Deloitte measured how many programs each consumer joins and actively uses, while your calculation measures activity inside one specific program. Use the research as market context, then use your own active-member rate as the internal benchmark you track over time.

A wide gap between enrolled and active members doesn’t automatically mean your program is broken. It does show where the opportunity sits. Run an RFM audit next to that ratio to separate valuable members who need a timely reminder from customers who are unlikely to return. That gives you a much clearer BFCM audience than a single “active” label ever could.

What working looks like, in spend-lift numbers

What should a loyalty program actually change? According to Deloitte’s 2025 survey, 72% of consumers say a loyalty program makes them more likely to spend with their preferred brand, and 56% say it directly increases how much they spend. Another 80% of members say they get more from the brand because of the program.

The first two numbers tell you how members believe the program influences their spending. But heading into BFCM, I’d pay just as much attention to the third. A program can offer plenty of points and discounts, but if membership doesn’t feel valuable, customers have little reason to choose it over every other promotion in their inbox.

A short member survey before Q4 can help you find out where you stand. Ask customers whether the rewards feel worth earning, whether redemption is easy, and whether the program gives them a meaningful reason to return. Then compare those responses with actual behavior such as repeat purchases and reward redemptions.

That gives you a much more honest assessment than assuming the program works simply because people have enrolled. For the broader business case, see the benefits of a well-designed loyalty program. If you need more context across adoption, ROI, and redemption, this collection of 71 loyalty program statistics brings together findings from multiple sources.

The redemption number nobody talks about

Customers don’t always ignore rewards because they aren’t interested. Sometimes, they simply forget those rewards exist.Deloitte’s 2025 survey found that 40% of consumers sometimes forget to redeem their loyalty rewards. That makes forgotten rewards a widespread behavior, not necessarily a sign that something is fundamentally wrong with your program.

So, if your redemption rate is lower than expected, start by checking whether members receive a clear reminder when a reward becomes available. An automated email sent as soon as someone crosses the redemption threshold can bring the value of the program back into view at exactly the right moment.

If reminders don’t improve redemption, look deeper. The reward may take too long to reach, feel too small to matter, or be difficult to apply at checkout. Low redemption is a signal to investigate, not proof that the entire program has failed.

This becomes especially important around BFCM. The event can bring in a large group of new members who earn points on their first purchase. If they never hear about those points again, many will quietly lose interest before making a second order in January.

A reward-available email helps close that gap. See the loyalty program emails to automate before BFCM for how this reminder fits into the rest of the member lifecycle.

The economics that make this worth getting right

Acquisition tends to receive most of the attention during BFCM, but the economics make a strong case for looking just as closely at retention.

Harvard Business Review notes that, depending on the study and industry, acquiring a new customer can cost five to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. The same article cites research by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company showing that a 5% increase in customer retention can raise profits by 25% to 95%.

Those ranges aren’t universal targets for every Shopify store. Acquisition costs, margins, and purchase cycles vary widely. But they highlight something merchants can easily overlook during BFCM: a customer who already knows your brand and has points or tier benefits waiting is starting much closer to another purchase than a first-time deal seeker.

That doesn’t mean choosing retention over acquisition. It means evaluating both with the same seriousness before deciding where your Q4 budget should go.

Start by comparing the repeat-purchase rate and average order value of loyalty members with those of non-members. Treat this as a diagnostic, since customers who enroll may already be more engaged. If members consistently return more often or spend more, you have a stronger case for investing in VIP access, bonus points, and personalized offers. If the difference is small, the program may need clearer value or better engagement.

The important part is running this check before BFCM, while the findings can still shape your budget, rather than after the results arrive.

What our own data shows

In our internal data, we found that loyalty sign-ups increase by 132% over a typical week during BFCM weekend. Our data also shows that 81% of shoppers say a loyalty program influences whether they purchase again. These are our own first-party findings, so we’re sharing them as additional context, not universal benchmarks for every store.

From working with more than 10,500 Shopify merchants, we generally recommend offering around 3% to 5% back in reward value per purchase. It’s a practical starting point, but your margins, average order value, purchase frequency, and expected redemption rate should determine the final number. Use our guidance alongside the independent research above and, most importantly, your own customer data.

FAQ

What is a good loyalty program engagement rate?

There is no universal published “good” number, but for context, the average consumer is enrolled in about 8 loyalty programs and actively uses only 5 (Deloitte, 2025). The real benchmark question is whether your members are in their active 5, not just their enrolled 8.

Is it normal for members to forget to redeem their rewards?

Yes. 40% of consumers admit they sometimes forget to redeem (Deloitte, 2025). A lower-than-hoped redemption rate is common and usually fixed with better reminders, not a sign the program itself is failing.

How much more does it cost to acquire a new customer than keep an existing one?

Estimates commonly cited by Harvard Business Review put it at 5 to 25 times more expensive to acquire than retain, which is part of why a BFCM plan that only chases new customers, without a retention benchmark, is leaving a cheaper lever unused.

Why does this post use different sources than most loyalty KPI articles?

Most loyalty benchmark content online is published by loyalty software vendors reporting on their own customers, with no independent verification. This post sources from an independent consumer survey (Deloitte) and established business research (Harvard Business Review, citing Bain & Company) instead, plus BON’s own numbers, clearly labeled as BON’s own.

Benchmarks are a starting point

The seven numbers above won’t tell you whether your loyalty program is good or bad. What they can do is show you where to look more closely. A high enrollment count means little if members aren’t active, and an attractive reward rate means little if customers never redeem.

Before finalizing your BFCM plan, place these benchmarks next to your own data. Check the gap between enrolled and active members, review redemption and repeat-purchase rates, compare members with non-members, and make sure your rewards still work with your margins. Then use what you find to decide which customers need recognition, which need a reminder, and which aren’t worth another paid send.

Because the real BFCM win isn’t how many members you enroll in November. It’s how many customers still see a reason to return once the discounts disappear.