Walgreen Customers Can Now Pay With FIS Reward Points

Walgreens has joined the growing roster of firms using FIS‘s Premium Payback real-time rewards redemption network, a press release says.

Walgreens customers with eligible payment cards, starting this month, will now be able to access rewards programs to help pay for purchases they make in stores.

The release says the Walgreens customers will now be able to use the option of paying with “points” from the FIS program after they’ve dipped, swiped or tapped their card. At that point, a prompt will ask if the customer wants to apply a $10 credit per transaction based on the points they have available.

“Research shows that the ability to use card loyalty points to make purchases is becoming an increasingly important factor in consumer decisions on where to shop,” said Bruce Lowthers, president of Banking and Merchant Solutions at FIS, according to the release. “By integrating FIS Premium Payback into its in-store payments network, Walgreens is taking a bold step to bring new levels of savings and value to its customers and drive return shopping.”

In joining the program, Walgreens is among other popular companies like Paypal, Shell and BP utilizing FIS’s rewards.

Royal Cole, executive vice president, FI payment solutions at FIS, said there was a particularly strong contingent of younger shoppers propelling the digital shift with apps they were comfortable using. He told PYMNTS in a recent conversation that the main factors motivating that shift came down to choice and control, with a social element to things like dividing a dinner bill that new technology makes easier.

Cole noted that security would always be an important part of implementing such rewards apps. That means retailers will have to evolve, too, making loyalty programs part of the point-of-sale experience, and transparency and choice should be available in how customers use their points.

But he noted that digital payments are seeing a surge in things like digital grocery delivery with the pandemic.