37 Examples of Customer Incentives

John Spacey, March 15, 2023

Customer incentives are rewards for customer behavior such as making a purchase, referring a friend or writing a review. These differ from price promotions as they involve giving the customer something. The following are common examples of customer incentives.

Access to services such as a airport lounge	Cashback rewards
Complimentary upgrades	Consultations or advice
Coupons and promo codes	Discounts on purchases
Donation to a charity	Early access to new products
Early access to sales	Event access
Exclusive offers	Expedited delivery
Extended warranties or return policies	Free customization
Free gift wrapping	Free installation
Free samples	Free shipping and delivery
Free support services	Free training
Free trials	Free upgrades
Gamification elements such as achieving levels or badges	Gift cards
Gifts	Increased program status
Increased support levels	Loyalty reward programs
Personal attention e.g. a dedicated representative the customer can contact at any time	Premium versions of products and services e.g. upgrade to first class seat
Priority service e.g. a special counter for high status loyalty members	Rebates and mail-in offers
Redeemable points	Referral programs
Refund guarantees	Trade-in programs
Upgraded service levels e.g. higher storage limits for a cloud service

In the case of business services, it is often useful to try to give rewards directly to employees as opposed to the business itself. For example, an airline that often upgrades the seats of frequent business travelers, even when they are on a personal trip with their family.

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