You’ve invested in a loyalty program and introduced the rewards, but the results aren’t meeting expectations.
It’s a common challenge and often a sign that the program structure isn’t aligned with your goals. The good news is that choosing the right loyalty program type can change that.
In B2B, loyalty structures are designed to influence behaviour and drive growth. They’re strategic tools to boost sales performance, improve ROI on trade spend and strengthen partner relationships in measurable, commercially meaningful ways.
But not every structure suits every strategy. To be effective, your loyalty program needs to reflect your partners’ motivations and align with your business objectives. That starts with choosing the right model.
There are three core structures used in B2B loyalty programs: points-based, value-based and tiered. Each has a different focus and each influences behaviour in different ways.
Choosing the right type depends on your goals, partner mix and the kinds of actions you want to incentivise.
How it works:
A loyalty points system rewards your customers and trade partners for a wide range of behaviours, rather than purchases and sales alone. This can include activities such as registering deals, completing product training, attending events, or submitting feedback.
With a points-based loyalty program, partners accumulate points over time and they can redeem them for rewards such as merchandise, rebates, premium product access or exclusive experiences.
Best for:
Pitfalls:
Real-world example:
HP’s SuperPower Booster rewards partners for selling across its full portfolio. Each category includes performance accelerators, allowing partners to earn up to 40% more. This loyalty points system drives engagement and recognises strategic behaviours, such as cross-selling.
While points-based models drive broad engagement, value-based programs reward deeper alignment with your brand’s purpose.
How it works:
These programs recognise partners who actively promote your brand’s values, such as sustainability or social responsibility, fostering connections that reflect your brand’s long-term vision rather than just immediate performance.
Best for:
Pitfalls:
Real-world example:
While not a formal loyalty program, Dulux Powder Coatings’ partnership with Transmutation demonstrates a value-led approach to partner engagement. By collaborating on a circular solution for powder waste and involving channel partners, Dulux reinforces its environmental values in a way that fosters loyalty and differentiation.
Where value-based programs build emotional loyalty, tiered structures create clear growth pathways through performance rewards.
Best for:
Pitfalls:
Real-world example:
As a leading industry body, Master Electricians Australia (MEA) provides a tiered membership program designed to uphold professional standards and foster a culture of excellence across the electrical sector. This program rewards electrical contractors for their commitment to continuous development. As members engage with the association’s resources and training, they unlock access to more exclusive benefits, which makes their dedication to professional growth directly translate into greater industry value.
Each loyalty program type serves a different purpose. The right one depends on your channel makeup and what behaviours you want to influence.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Type | Best For | Drives |
| Points-based | Broad engagement across partner tiers | Activity, training, deal registration |
| Value-based | Aligning with brand purpose | Advocacy and ethical partnerships |
| Tiered | Rewarding growth and performance | Loyalty, aspiration and progression |
In many B2B environments, a single model often isn’t enough. That’s why many B2B organisations are moving away from rigid loyalty program types in favour of hybrid models.
This approach offers greater flexibility, allowing businesses to reward both short-term actions and long-term performance or strategic alignment.
Hybrid loyalty programs are useful in complex channel ecosystems, where different partner types require different incentives to keep them engaged and invested.
At 212F, we design hybrid loyalty programs that flex to fit your channel structure, partner mix and commercial goals, maximising impact across every touchpoint.
Before you change course, it’s worth taking a step back to assess what’s working, what’s not and where your current structure may be falling short.
Use the following prompts to evaluate whether your structure is performing or quietly falling short:
A more strategic loyalty structure starts with asking the right questions. The answers will point you toward smarter design decisions and better outcomes.
Choosing the right loyalty program type means building a model that delivers measurable outcomes for your business. The key is to align your loyalty strategy with clear business objectives, including sales growth, partner engagement, brand alignment and ROI.
The most effective programs align your partners’ success with your own. When partners know how to win, feel motivated and see real rewards, they shift from intermediaries to advocates.
As the largest independent B2B loyalty agency in Australia and New Zealand, 212f has delivered more than $175 million in rewards, incentives and experiences across complex partner ecosystems.
Whether you’re building a program from the ground up or refining an existing structure, we help you focus on the behaviours that matter, designing loyalty strategies that engage, perform and scale with your business.
A points-based loyalty program rewards specific behaviours with points that partners can accumulate and redeem for rewards. Tiered rewards group partners into levels based on performance or strategic value, each unlocking a different set of benefits.
Loyalty program tiers are especially effective when you want to create clear growth paths, prioritise strategic partners and reinforce long-term loyalty. However, a loyalty points system may be better for driving broad engagement or influencing specific behaviours across a large base.
If your current loyalty structure isn’t driving the behaviours that matter, it’s time to re-evaluate. The most effective programs constantly evolve to reflect the needs of your trade partners and the demands of your market. If partners aren’t progressing, redeeming rewards, or sticking around after signing up, your program may not feel relevant or valuable to them.
