In search of loyalty: how Ukrainian companies “program” customers with discounts and bonuses
11 July 2025 15:17
INTERVIEW
Loyalty is highly valued. Another thing is that in some places it is paid for with high positions and lucrative contracts, while in others it is paid for with discounts and balloon bonuses, special and personalized offers, and other pleasant things for the buyer and client. These should become an argument to show loyalty to a particular company.
The main task of loyalty programs is to turn one-time customers into loyal supporters of a particular brand, encouraging them to maintain long-term relationships with the company. This is achieved by creating a reward system that motivates customers to come back again and again. Ideally, the program should build not only economic but also emotional loyalty.
The peculiarities of various loyalty programs in Ukraine were studied by Devlight, an IT company that has been developing mobile applications for over 9 years and whose clients include Vodafone, Nova Poshta, Fishka, Sense Bank, DOC.UA, OKWINE, Portmone, NOVUS, VARUS, BROCARD, Ukrnafta, and others.
What exactly did the study find out, how do loyalty programs launched by domestic businesses work and in what cases do they fail, "Komersant Ukrainian" asked Gennadiy Akimov, Head of Marketing at Devlight, about the results of the study.
According to your research, how successfully do loyalty programs fulfill their function of encouraging customers to maintain long-term relationships with the company?
We can say that loyalty programs successfully fulfill this function. In the study, 56% of consumers confirmed that they changed their purchasing habits under the influence of the programs, and 73.4% of them made a purchase in another store/institution that offered a loyalty program, 50.4% bought more goods to get additional bonuses/reach a certain threshold in the loyalty program.
The most successful loyalty programs in Ukraine demonstrate deep integration into customers’ daily lives through mobile technologies, gamification, and personalized offers.
It’s time, as they used to say, to give positive examples and mention those who are ahead in the competition for customer loyalty.
Among the leaders in this market segment is the Fishka coalition loyalty program, which brings together 27 major partners and is one of the largest in the country with more than 10 million customers. It offers not only discounts, but also gaming projects, such as FISHKOGRAY, the Vlasnyi Rakhunok program from Silpo, which has evolved from simple point accumulation to a comprehensive system with personalized offers.
Other large chains are also actively developing their loyalty systems: NOVUS offers accumulative bonuses and personalized offers through its mobile app, while VARUS attracts customers with the VARUS PERFECT program, which also focuses on bonuses and individual discounts. These programs successfully utilize the mechanics of accumulating points that can be spent on subsequent purchases, offering personalized discounts and special offers.
In the banking sector, Monobank stands out for its cashback program, which allows customers to choose categories for cashback each month and participate in joint promotions with leading retailers, encouraging active card usage. These programs are successful because of their ability to create added value beyond simple discounts.
But what about global brands and their innovations in the fight for customer loyalty?
The most successful loyalty programs tend to create holistic ecosystems that are deeply integrated into consumers’ lifestyles and offer much more than just rewards for purchases. Amazon Prime is a prime example of a paid loyalty program that has transformed the market by offering a huge range of benefits – from free and fast delivery to access to streaming services (Prime Video, Prime Music) and exclusive sales. This model creates such a high value that participation in the program becomes an obvious choice for customers, which significantly increases their frequency of purchases and average check.
The Starbucks Rewards program is considered a benchmark in the food service industry due to its multi-level system of “stars”, gamification and seamless integration with the mobile application, which allows you to receive personalized offers.
What primarily encourages consumers to participate in a loyalty program and what most often pushes them away?
Consumers are primarily motivated to participate in a loyalty program by the possibility of receiving instant benefits. This factor was cited by 71.7% of respondents, emphasizing the importance of an immediate discount on a product or a gift to the current order. Other significant incentives are planning a large purchase (35.1%) and the understanding that purchases in this company will be frequent (31.7%).
Most often, customers are put off by the limited validity of bonuses that expire (55.8%), an unclear system of accumulating and converting points (45.1%), and a long and complicated registration process (51.9%). Consumers don’t want to spend time filling out questionnaires or understanding confusing rules, especially if they don’t see an obvious and immediate benefit.
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How counterproductive are “bonus games” that limit the consumer’s use of them?
Such “bonus games” are extremely dangerous. Practices such as the inability to redeem all accumulated bonuses or their rapid “burning” are perceived as manipulation and an attempt to deceive. This activates a powerful psychological effect of “loss aversion”, when the negative emotional effect of losing earned bonuses is much stronger than the pleasure of accumulating them. This destroys trust in the brand and can turn a loyal customer into an active critic.
“Sufficiency of reward” – to what extent is this factor decisive for the consumer when using a loyalty program?
The importance of “sufficient” reward is critical. From the consumer’s point of view, it should be tangible, transparent and flexible. The study shows that a tangible bonus amount of UAH 50 or more that can be actually used is considered to be sufficient. Transparency means easy conversion of points into money (ideally, 1 point = 1 UAH), and flexibility means the ability to spend the accumulated points on any product, not a narrow category. Fixed and predictable rewards, such as stable cashback, are most valued, with 68% of respondents preferring it.
Has there been any imbalance between what consumers would like to receive and what the company is ready to provide?
The imbalance between consumer expectations and company offers is very acute. Consumers want simplicity and honesty, but sometimes they get complicated rules, hidden conditions, and bonuses that quickly “burn out”. They expect personalized care, but they receive mass mailings with irrelevant promotions.
The reason for this imbalance is the difference in priorities. The client wants to maximize their benefits, while the company often focuses on minimizing its own costs. As a result, programs are developed from the perspective of “accounting” rather than “psychology”. “Burnt-out” bonuses mean savings for the company, but for the client it is a sense of deception that destroys trust and offsets all the potential benefits of the program.
Striking a balance between the benefits for the company and the real value for the customer is key to building long-term trust.
What keeps a consumer engaged and loyal to a particular brand?
This is the result of a combination of factors, where each plays a role at different stages of interaction. The foundation of retention is simplicity and clarity. If the program is complicated, requires extra effort, or has non-transparent rules, our research shows that 50.8% of respondents forget about the existence of such a program, and 13.6% do not want to waste time looking for a card or application.
When the basic need for simplicity is met, multifunctionality comes to the fore. Modern consumers expect the mobile app of a loyalty program to be not just a “wallet for bonuses” but a full-fledged ecosystem: with a product catalog, online ordering, purchase history, etc.
Creativity embodied in gamification is also a powerful retention factor, but only if it makes sense. 62% of respondents consider game mechanics to be important. However, “wheels of luck” where nothing falls out or challenges without clear and significant rewards only cause frustration. Creativity that offers a real, tangible benefit, such as a guaranteed cash bonus or a valuable physical gift, is effective.
Gaming practices in loyalty programs – how widespread is this trend?
Gaming practices, or gamification, is a very widespread and influential trend. According to the study, 51% of Ukrainian consumers already have experience using loyalty programs with gaming elements, and 62.2% consider them an important part of the program. This indicates that gamification has turned from a novelty to an expected component. The most attractive mechanics are the possibility of random rewards (e.g., Wheel of Fortune), short-term challenges, and a system of levels (Silver, Gold, etc.).
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What companies successfully use such practices?
Among the companies that are embracing the gaming trend, consumers most often mention Silpo, Monobank, PrivatBank, FUIB, Eva.ua, and Sense Bank. Successful practices are those that offer a clear and tangible benefit, such as a guaranteed physical prize for completing tasks or a cash bonus. Instead, “imitation gamification”, where rewards are unclear or unvalued, only causes disappointment.
International experience also confirms this trend. Starbucks skillfully uses the system of “stars” and levels, Nike Run Club motivates users through a system of virtual badges for achievements, and Xbox Rewards allows you to convert game achievements into real rewards.
Ukrainian companies are increasingly willing to implement gamification in mobile applications. For example, we at Devlight are currently finalizing the development of gamification programs for two large retailers. And such requests are growing more and more every month.
What are the most widespread and effective tools for attracting consumers to participate in loyalty programs?
The most effective engagement tools appeal to direct rational benefits. The absolute leader is the possibility of instant benefits (discount or gift “here and now”), which motivates 71.7% of consumers to join the program. Also highly effective are accumulative bonuses for future purchases (the most attractive condition for 68.3% in retail) and cashback (56.2% in retail).
Interestingly, the most effective trigger for initial registration is not a digital channel, but a personal offer from a sales assistant (59%). This indicates that the “human factor” remains critical to overcome initial customer doubts.
The most common channels of interaction with loyalty programs are a mobile application (used by 65.5% of respondents), authorization by phone number (52.6%), and a physical plastic card (20.9%).
the “human factor” also matters when it comes to “personalization of offers”. How to achieve it?
There are several ways to achieve effective personalization. First, by analyzing purchase history to offer discounts on relevant products (43% of respondents want this). Secondly, by segmenting the audience by various criteria (age, income, behavior), as different groups respond differently to certain incentives. Thirdly, through the introduction of trigger scenarios that automatically respond to user actions, such as prolonged inactivity or viewing a product without making a purchase.
How widespread is the use of AI tools here?
The use of AI tools is a key trend for taking personalization to the next level. For example, Starbucks uses an AI platform to create individualized rewards, which led to a 13% increase in the number of active members.
Amazon generates about 35% of sales through its machine learning-based recommendation engine. AI allows to move from reactive analysis (what the customer has bought) to forecasting (what they will want to buy), making the individualized approach scalable and cost-effective.
What else does international experience in organizing loyalty programs suggest? What should Ukrainian companies pay attention to?
Modern international loyalty programs have evolved from simple discount cards to complex ecosystems that put the customer and his or her experience at the center. The key global trends are hyper-personalization based on data analysis (Big Data), omnichannel for a seamless experience between online and offline, and deep gamification to increase emotional engagement.
Ukrainian companies are actively adapting these global practices, albeit with varying degrees of depth. Silpo chain with its Vlasnyi Rakhunok program successfully combines several trends: deep personalization through individual offers, gamification elements (collectible promotions, in-app games), and a developed omnichannel model. All interactions are integrated into a single mobile application, making the program convenient and efficient.
Other Ukrainian loyalty programs may focus on more traditional, transactional models. For example, OKKO’s Fishka coalition program successfully implements the classic model of accumulating and redeeming points across a wide network of partners, focusing on universality.
Despite the significant progress, the Ukrainian market still has room to grow. The key difference from global leaders is the lack of focus on emotional loyalty. Most programs remain at the buy-and-receive level, without trying to build communities or communicate brand values. This gap is both a challenge and a window of opportunity for companies ready to offer customers more than just another discount.
Sergiy Vasylevych
