AI and Gamification are Reshaping Loyalty Programs.
Smart Brands Adopt AI and Gamified Design to Unlock New Loyalty Value.
The New Architecture of Loyalty
Antavo’s Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025 is built on 2,600 professional survey responses, a global consumer panel of 10,000 members, and analysis of 230 million loyalty interactions, making it the largest data set of its kind. The findings capture a decisive turning point: loyalty programs are no longer just marketing add-ons; they are being rewired through AI and gamification.
Consumers themselves are signaling readiness. Nearly 40% globally say they are more likely to join a loyalty program if it leverages AI to help them maximize benefits. On the management side, two-thirds of program owners express confidence in deploying AI-powered “agents” to assist in strategy and operations. What emerges is a picture of loyalty entering a new cycle: technology-enabled, consumer-shaped, and efficiency-driven.
The Rise of AI-Driven Loyalty Programs
The 2025 report makes clear that AI adoption is no longer theoretical. Already, 37.1% of loyalty program owners report using AI to manage their systems, and another 49.5% plan to adopt it within two years. This is not hype, it is a structural shift toward algorithmic assistance in scope planning, ROI optimization, and customer support.
Critically, consumer acceptance is strong. The data shows that 39.6% of consumers are more inclined to join a program if AI supports their experience, whether through tailored offers, reward optimization, or real-time benefit maximization. That alignment of consumer openness and managerial intent sets the stage for accelerated adoption.
The report frames “agentic AI” as the next phase. Unlike generative AI that provides outputs, agentic AI acts like a colleague, accessing databases, self-learning, suggesting solutions, and even scoping adjustments to reward tiers. With 67.4% of owners comfortable deploying such systems, brands are preparing for loyalty management that is partially automated, freeing teams to focus on strategy and customer design.
Gamified Data Collection: Unlocking Richer Consumer Insights
Consumer trust hinges on the balance between value and data exchange. The report shows that 55.1% of consumers would share more personal data if the process was gamified, via quizzes, interactive tasks, or playful experiences. Responding to this signal, 75.7% of loyalty programs set to launch in the next two years plan to embed gamified data collection.
Gamification delivers two benefits simultaneously: it increases the volume and quality of data gathered, and it drives engagement by making participation rewarding in itself. Charlotte Tilbury’s loyalty program, highlighted in the report, shows how game-like design moves beyond transactional accumulation into emotional engagement. By building systems that reward playful discovery as much as purchases, brands are creating differentiated loyalty propositions that stand apart from generic earn-and-burn models.
Yet the lesson from the report is cautionary as well: gamification must be designed with transparency and fairness. Consumers recognize manipulation quickly. Programs that fail to deliver genuine benefit risk damaging trust, particularly as personalization expectations rise.
Early Adoption Imperative: Loyalty as a Disruption Lever
The report’s evidence is unambiguous: being early to adopt AI and gamification produces competitive advantage. Across 230 million loyalty interactions, Antavo found that new features such as customizable rewards or gamified tasks sharply increase engagement and retention rates.
This advantage is amplified in regions and sectors where loyalty innovation is uneven. For example, 76% of consumers say they would prefer shopping with brands that allow point pooling or account sharing, yet fewer than half of loyalty programs currently offer it. Similarly, while 81.2% of consumers favor reward customization, only 49.2% of programs provide it. The gap between consumer demand and market provision is a clear disruption opportunity for early movers.
Loyalty leaders are already reframing programs as platforms, dynamic systems that merge AI, gamification, and consumer empowerment. Those who adopt early can reset competitive baselines. Those who delay risk being locked out as consumer expectations shift permanently.
Recommendations for CEOs
Deploy AI as a Loyalty Engine: Integrate agentic AI into loyalty management to automate scope planning, ROI tracking, and customer support.
Gamify Data Collection at Scale: Make consumer data exchange engaging, transparent, and rewarding to secure higher-quality insights.
Act Now on Reward Customization: Bridge the demand gap; introduce personalization features before they become market standard.
Pilot Agentic AI for Strategic Tasks: Use AI “colleagues” to optimize tier design, communications, and campaign ROI.
Commit to Early Adoption: Treat AI and gamification as disruption levers, not incremental add-ons, competitive gaps widen quickly.
Bottom Line
The Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025 demonstrates that AI and gamification are no longer experiments, they are structural forces redefining how loyalty is conceived, managed, and experienced. Consumers are receptive, managers are ready, and the data shows material uplift in engagement and ROI.
But the decisive variable is timing. Brands that adopt early gain compounding advantages: richer insights, more efficient operations, and deeper emotional connection with consumers. Those that hesitate will face not only competitive catch-up costs but also consumer indifference, as expectations harden around personalization and playfulness as baseline features.
Loyalty is no longer about points and discounts. It is about intelligence and interaction, and the winners will be the brands that move first, move fast, and move with clarity.
