In the increasingly competitive ASEAN banking landscape, loyalty is no longer guaranteed—it’s earned daily. Customers today expect more than just points—they want rewards they can use, experiences they enjoy, and recognition that feels personal. 

So, how are banks responding? 

The Shift from Traditional Points to Real-Time Value & Experiences 

Legacy reward programs were once simple: spend money, earn points, redeem for gifts. But they’re fast becoming irrelevant. Why? 

• Points expire before customers can use them 

• Redemption options are limited or complicated 

• Value feels disconnected from lifestyle needs 

Today’s consumers want instant gratification, personalization, and seamless omnichannel redemption—especially in dynamic, mobile-first ASEAN markets. 

What Modern Loyalty Should Look Like 

Here’s what top-performing loyalty programs across the region are now prioritizing: 

1. Universal Points: Allowing customers to earn and redeem points across platforms, merchants, and even cards.
2. Adding experiences to their CVP: Going beyond points redemption to more experiential benefits such as travel, golf, lifestyle & dining privileges.
3. Localized Offers: Tapping into dining, wellness, fitness, and entertainment benefits that feel culturally relevant.
4. Flexible “Burn” Options: Letting customers use points for everything—from flights to groceries, and even gold or crypto.
5. Personalization via AI/Analytics: Delivering tailored offers that align with customer behavior and preferences.
6. Always-On Engagement: Moving beyond annual campaigns to real-time engagement strategies tied to spending patterns. 

Enter Thriwe: Loyalty-as-a-Platform for the Modern Bank 

One company making this new model possible is Thriwe, a loyalty-tech platform trusted by global banks and networks like Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diner’s, Union Pay, HSBC, DBS, SCB etc. 

• They’ve built a plug-and-play ecosystem that helps banks: 

• Enhance their CVP across a range of benefits with local, regional and global experience touchpoints 

• Integrate benefits like golf, padel tennis, wellness, concierge, travel, dining 

• Aggregate points from multiple sources (cards, merchants, programs) 

• Tailor loyalty programs to ASEAN markets like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines 
• Platforms like Surge by Thriwe are already enabling banks to go to market faster, reduce loyalty program overhead, and most importantly—retain customers through relevance. 

Why This Matters Now 

As ASEAN economies grow and financial competition intensifies, banks must innovate to stay sticky. That means moving beyond the traditional and investing in rewards that feel valuable, usable, and uniquely local. 

The good news? The tools and partners are already out there. If you’re looking to future-proof your bank’s loyalty strategy, now is the time to explore smarter platforms.