The Awakening of the Giant: The Evolution and Potential of the Loyalty Market in Brazil

How the maturation of the Brazilian Loyalty ecosystem is democratizing value and creating opportunities across all social classes

The loyalty market in Brazil is going through an unprecedented tipping point. What was once seen as an exclusive benefit for a traveling elite has today consolidated as a financial management and engagement tool for Brazilians across all socioeconomic profiles.

This phenomenon is supported by record numbers: according to ABEMF (Brazilian Association of Loyalty Marketing Companies), the sector recorded a revenue of R$ 6.5 billion in the 3^rd quarter of 2025 (3Q25) alone. This amount reflects not only financial transactions, but a paradigm shift in the way Brazilians consume and relate to brands.

The Democratization of Loyalty and Social Inclusion

One of the greatest strengths of the Brazilian market is its capacity for penetration across all social classes. While in mature markets the sector is already consolidated and often saturated, in Brazil it proves to be emerging, resilient, and inclusive. The most recent indicators from ABEMF demonstrate this robust growth: the number of registrations in loyalty programs reached 289.8 million in 3Q25, representing an increase of 10% compared to the same period of the previous year (3Q24).

This accelerated expansion is driven, primarily, by the transition from "airline" accumulation to "retail" accumulation. Currently, an impressive 92.6% of points and miles are issued in retail, while only 7.4% come from the direct purchase of airline tickets. This change is fundamental for social inclusion: today, consumers in classes C and D use points to acquire essential items in supermarkets, pharmacies, or gas stations.

As pointed out by the Exame portal, the sector has moved from being about "luxury" to focusing on "utility," transforming loyalty into a real and tangible component of the purchasing power of Brazilian families.

Engagement and Success Ecosystems

The engagement of the Brazilian consumer is at record levels, which proves that Brazilians have learned to "play the points game." As indicated by the volumes transacted in 3Q25:

• Issuance: 270.5 billion points/miles were issued, presenting a growth of +15.1% vs. 3Q24.
• Redemption: The interest in enjoying benefits is clear, with redemptions totaling 247.7 billion points/miles, an expressive increase of +22.2% compared to 3Q24.

Despite the dominance of retail at the time of accumulation, the aspirational desire to travel remains in the DNA of the programs: 77% of the points and miles exchanged were destined for airline tickets, against 23% converted into products and other services.

This dynamism reflects the success of open ecosystems such as Livelo, capillary coalitions such as Stix (which unites brands like Pão de Açúcar, Droga Raia, Drogasil, and Extra), and the strengthening of pioneer programs such as LATAM Pass, Smiles, and TudoAzul. The strategic use of data for personalization, as seen in the Pão de Açúcar (Mais) program, ensures that loyalty is perceived as a utility tool in daily life.

The Role of Specialized Content: Living Organisms of Education

The complexity inherent in loyalty programs required the emergence of education platforms. Blogs such as Melhores Destinos and Passageiro de Primeira play a fundamental pedagogical role, acting as "living organisms" that update the public in real-time.

Both educate the consumer on value maximization through intelligent accumulation strategies, alert them to transfer promotions with bonuses between cards and airlines, and guide them on the best redemption windows. This curation generates a virtuous cycle of trust between the customer and the loyalty ecosystem.

Conclusion: The Blue Ocean of Brazilian Loyalty

The Brazilian market remains a "blue ocean" in terms of emotional personalization. As reported by Valor Econômico, there are still immense gaps in sectors such as healthcare and education, where loyalty data intelligence can drastically reduce customer acquisition costs (CAC).

Companies that know how to use these data to create genuine relationships will be at the forefront of the economy. Brazil is, today, the global laboratory where loyalty is being reinvented to be democratic, digital, and essential. However, we still face the challenge of the high complexity of rules, which often confuses certain audiences, added to a growing perception of the devaluation of points and miles in the face of service inflation.

This scenario is aggravated by the constant rise in fuel prices, which pressures family budgets and directly impacts the perceived value of rewards. These themes will be analyzed deeply in a subsequent article, where we will discuss how the refinement of program data can further democratize the use of points, transforming them into real payment opportunities in times of crisis and mitigating the effects of the economic "wars" that affect the daily consumption ecosystem.

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