Can membership cards truly benefit from these benefits?

Nowadays, almost every merchant has its own membership system, and all kinds of membership cards are everywhere. It's worth noting that after all kinds of membership cards fill wallets—from supermarkets and shopping malls to restaurants and gyms—what benefits do we ultimately get, and what exactly are merchants trying to get by issuing cards?
Almost every merchant implements a membership system, resulting in all kinds of membership cards everywhere. In a wallet that is full, besides bank cards, you'll find more than a dozen cards like supermarket membership cards, meal cards, fitness cards, and all sorts of other cards. Scarcity makes things valuable, but when membership cards are everywhere, will they still attract customers?

Currently, most malls issue membership cards, but due to the low threshold, cards originally owned by a small group of loyal consumers have evolved into "all-staff cards." Nowadays, most consumers have multiple membership cards from different malls in their wallets.

It is reported that the main requirement for applying for a membership card is a minimum spending ranging from several hundred to over a thousand yuan in the mall on the same day. When it comes to using membership cards, consumers only need to provide their card number to the cashier to enjoy discounts, without identity verification, making membership cards essentially public cards.

For a mall, behind a membership card is a witness to the history of member consumption, and also signals limitless purchasing potential. How to win more VIP members has become a strategy many businesses are pondering.

The dozen or so membership cards in my wallet are now almost all dormant and rarely used. "Membership card discounts aren't significant, usually up to 85% off, but now the price war in malls is getting fiercer. New products are 10% off, and by the end of the season, storewide discounts of 50 to 60% are common. During promotions, membership cards won't enjoy more discounts." Because membership cards have become negligible, Zhao Lili often prefers to "remain invisible" among ordinary customers.

It gradually became a tool for discounts and promotions
For consumers, the shopping discounts on membership cards are the biggest attraction. Many merchants have stated that consumers can enjoy about 10% off when shopping with membership cards.

However, I found that some merchants' membership cards do not enjoy discounts and only receive shopping points, which can be exchanged for corresponding gifts at year-end. Some malls, during promotions, mark certain discounted products as not eligible for points.

"Currently, exchanging membership card points as gifts is a common way for merchants to give back to consumers. Most malls require points to be redeemed once a year." Zhang Zhenxiang, General Manager and Chief Marketing Management Consulting Expert of Shijiazhuang Zhongding Marketing Consulting Co., Ltd., said he has also applied for membership cards from multiple merchants. Generally, "spend 100 yuan to earn 1 point," and consumers often spend tens of thousands of yuan, while the points gifts are often small items like water cups or small appliances. "The return rate is disproportionate, resulting in very low usage rates for many membership cards."

Malls mostly use membership cards as a means of discounting and promotion. Additionally, due to severe business homogenization, it is difficult for malls to offer consumers personalized and user-friendly products and services, greatly weakening the effectiveness of membership promotions.