Rewards are an important value-add for card holders, and it is paramount for issuers to provide an easy-to-use credit card reward redemption interface with abundant features, useful reward program information, help resources and tools. Corporate Insight’s recent report assesses the online credit card reward redemption experience of 11 leading card issuers, evaluating the redemption history, calculators, program information and help resources offered on each platform as well as interface design. To establish best practices related to reward interface features, Corporate Insight conducted user experience tests to evaluate the true card holder redemption journey.
Credit card reward redemption platforms benefit from seamless web design, interactive calculators and comprehensive reward history
Nearly all firms (73%) provide unified interfaces for redeeming rewards, offering a predictable format with an easily navigable design. Firms successfully display reward balances throughout the interfaces, generally including this value on each page or section, a highly valued feature according to respondents in our comparative user tests. Users also expressed a desire to see their reward balance in a dollar amount for each available redemption option.
While only one firm provides a standalone, interactive calculator with a value indication for each redemption option, six (55%) offer some calculation or indication of value within individual redemption journeys. Each firm includes redemption history, and nearly all (91%) also provide reward-earning activity, two features important to user test respondents. Lastly, firms succeed in providing and communicating abundant reward program information and help resources.
Best practices for a streamlined credit card reward redemption experience
Certain best practices emerged in the course of our research and testing on credit card reward redemption interfaces. Card issuers offering online reward platforms should strive to:
- Provide extensive credit card reward redemption interface features, comprehensive program information and straightforward navigation
- Ensure that reward interfaces are well-organized with clear structure and connectivity to the main authenticated site
- Offer dedicated reward site dashboards that summarize the reward program with redemption options and cash equivalents
- Use dedicated calculators or credit card reward redemption tools to indicate balance values
- Provide distinct redemption history and reward-earning activity feeds
- Prioritize reward program information, card earning rates and other card benefits within the reward interfaces
Subscribers can retrieve the full credit card reward redemption report from our client portal. For access, or for more competitive intelligence on the customer experience that credit card issuers provide to card holders and prospects, check out Corporate Insight’s Credit Card Monitor service offerings.
