This week, host Lee-Ann Johnstone dives deep into one of affiliate marketing’s most misunderstood yet powerful tools with James Bannerman, VP of Global Sales at The Reward Collection. While many affiliate managers view card-linked offers (CLO) as just another publisher type, this episode reveals how CLO can strategically unlock value across every stage of the customer journey – from acquisition to retention. James shares insider insights from working with over 900 brands and managing a network of 700+ million customers globally, demonstrating how the right approach to card-linked offers can drive incremental growth without cannibalising existing affiliate performance.
Talking points include:
- Strategic implementation of card-linked offers across different customer lifecycle stages
- How to avoid cannibalisation while maximising incremental value from existing programs
- Real-world case studies and tactical approaches for different verticals and business models
The Four Pillars of Card-Linked Offer Strategy
Rather than treating card-linked offers as a simple acquisition play, successful brands are leveraging four distinct strategic approaches. Net new customer acquisition targets users who haven’t purchased in the last 12 months, while lapsed customer re-engagement focuses on those who bought within 12 months but not in the last six. The existing customer strategy aims to increase spend frequency, average order value, and customer lifetime value – with data showing 28% average increases in spend and customers staying 12 months longer. Perhaps most powerful is competitor targeting, where brands can acquire customers directly from rivals by leveraging purchase history data from banking partners.
Building Alongside, Not Against Your Affiliate Program
The key to successful card-linked offer integration lies in strategic coexistence with existing affiliate channels rather than competition. By tracking via merchant ID instead of traditional affiliate links, CLO operates in parallel to current programs, plugging into major networks like: Impact, CJ, and Everflow. This approach allows brands to maintain their existing affiliate relationships while accessing an entirely different audience demographic through banking partnerships with institutions like Bank of America, PNC, and Amex. The result is expanded reach without channel conflict, creating additional revenue streams that complement rather than cannibalise existing performance.
Tactical Implementation for Maximum ROI
Success with card-linked offers requires granular strategic thinking around offer structure and audience targeting. Brands can implement minimum spend thresholds above average order values to ensure incremental lift, create maximum spend caps to avoid low-margin products, or structure tiered offers that incentivise specific behaviours like subscription upgrades. The Morrison’s case study demonstrates this perfectly – by setting minimum spends just below average basket values, they drove incremental purchases while maintaining profitability. This level of tactical precision, combined with budget caps and audience segmentation, allows brands to control costs while maximising strategic outcomes.
Listen to find out more about:
- How to structure minimum and maximum spend thresholds to drive incremental behaviour without overpaying.
- Why card-linked offers work particularly well for targeting competitor customers and seasonal strategies.
- The specific data and infrastructure requirements needed before implementing CLO in your affiliate program.
Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:
[04:11] What are card-linked offers and how do they actually work in practice
[07:15] The four strategic approaches: net new, lapsed, existing, and competitor customer targeting
[14:04] Morrison’s case study: Using tactical spend thresholds to drive incremental basket value
Our thanks go to Everflow as this season’s sponsor. Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look, here.
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