Loyalty Cards

Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?


In Blown to Bits, Abelson, Ledeen, and Lewis provide valuable insight into the true cost of grocery loyalty cards-a loss of privacy by the card holder. I have never actually signed up for a loyalty card, but I've been with my mom when she has. She was given a brochure with the benefits, privacy policy, and user agreement to read over. These companies may be a bit cryptic about their partner companies which have access to the information, but they don't keep their right to the card holder's purchasing information a secret.It is the fault of the consumer if they don't read the information about the card.

Even after being informed about the implications of these cards, I still would probably sign up for one in the future. For me, purchasing privacy at a couple of my most frequented stores would be worth the discount. I'm not buying anything incriminating, and if it is a store I go to often, the savings do add up. Some have even been offering discounts for gasoline by using the card as well, and that really saves money. I would now definitely read the information accompanying the membership before signing up and would only sign up for the grocery store I go to most often. I've been to stores before where particular cashiers who I've had often made comments about changing brands or varieties on a particular item. To me, that feels more like someone is watching what I'm buying than companies having my purchases in a database and using them for advertising. I guess my relative indifference, as chapter two states, just shows that we live in an "exposed world" now (p. 39).

Besides only signing up for one store, to protect myself I would not sign up for a card if it asked me for a bank number, credit card number, or social security number. This information getting into the wrong hands could lead to identity theft, but I don't see that high of a risk in a store knowing my name and what brand of cereal I buy.

"I pledge" KMR