At Apple’s announcement of its Apple Pay mobile payments initiative on Sept. 9, something was missing: an accompanying loyalty rewards plan that some Apple observers had heard the company was developing. But despite Apple’s silence, chatter about an Apple rewards program is still growing, Yahoo Finance reported.
However, a current job posting at Apple seeks to hire a product manager responsible for “shaping the future of loyalty programs” who will “recommend and develop initiatives to sustain and evolve our loyalty programs, while maintaining fiscal responsibility,” according to Bank Innovation.
An Apple rewards program might offer discounts with participating retailers or points good for discounts at Apple’s iTunes. Apple has said it isn’t collecting transactional data from Apple Pay, but rewards could work through partnerships with retailers or credit card issuers.
Such a program, if it included desirable rewards, could help Apple’s mobile payments offering succeed after all prior efforts have floundered.
“It’s a technique worth trying,” said Jennifer Kent, a senior analyst at market researcher Parks Associates. “Mobile payments have had a difficult time getting traction with consumers.”
