When to run a loyalty marketing selection checklist

What to take away

Run the checklist before shortlisting, not after a demo, because the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 changed parts of the marketing data rulebook.
Score suppliers on evidence you can verifyconsent records, disclosure wording, cost model and exit terms.
Treat brand trust as a selection criterion, not a soft metric bolted on at the end.
If paid acquisition feeds your scheme, ask how programmatic buying is governed before releasing budget.
Keep the list short enough to finish in one sitting, or teams skip it.

When should the checklist start?

Start it as soon as a business case exists, before any supplier sees your data. Selection fails when the checklist arrives after pricing talks, because the shortlist is already fixed.

Checklist Timing Gate

Business case exists
Checklist before supplier sees data
Supplier answers each line
Record who answered and when
Follow-up question, not a pass

Use it as a gate. A supplier that cannot answer a line gets a follow-up question, not a pass. Record who answered and when.

The scoring discipline behind those questions is set out in our loyalty marketing reviews and comparison methods.

Which data questions come first?

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 shapes how marketing data may be used, so consent and purpose sit at the top of the list. Ask where consent is captured and how withdrawal is handled.

Then ask about retention. Keeping behavioural data indefinitely creates risk no discount rate offsets.

Finally, ask who owns the data on exit. Ambiguous ownership is the most expensive line to fix later.

Does brand trust belong on the checklist?

Yes. Trust decides whether members stay enrolled, and the Office for National Statistics publishes personal wellbeing indicators for the UK showing how people rate their own experience.

Translate that into questions. Does the messaging respect the member's time? Does the referral mechanic pressure people into contacting friends?

How do you check paid acquisition claims?

If a supplier promises member growth through paid media, ask how programmatic buying is planned and measured. The IAB UK guide to programmatic sets out the mechanics behind most automated buying, so it tests whether a supplier understands the channel.

Ask which metrics they will report, which viewability standard applies, and who holds the media budget. Vague answers usually mean the growth forecast is aspirational.

The selection checklist

Work through these in order and mark each met, partly met or not met.

Consent capture, storage and withdrawal are documented.
Data retention periods are stated in writing.
Data ownership and export on exit are agreed.
Sub-processors and overseas transfers are named.
Disclosure wording is plain and appears before enrolment.
Reward values and expiry rules are unambiguous.
Referral mechanics avoid pressure on the referred person.
Cost model shows setup, licence, usage and exit fees.
Paid acquisition reporting names its metrics and standards.
Service levels include response times and escalation.
Two reference customers agree to speak to you.
A termination and data-return plan exists.

Any line marked not met needs a written answer before the next meeting.

What evidence should you demand?

Ask for documents, not assurances. A completed security questionnaire, a sample consent journey and a redacted report from a live scheme are all reasonable.

Set a deadline. Suppliers who cannot produce evidence in two weeks rarely produce it in two months.

How do you compare shortlisted suppliers?

Score every supplier against the same twelve lines, then weight the lines that matter to your sector. A retailer and a charity will weight trust and disclosure differently.

Where scores tie, compare total cost of ownership and exit risk rather than features. Our guide to loyalty marketing best providers in England covers how shortlists are usually structured.

Common questions

How long should the checklist take?

Around two hours for one supplier with the documents to hand. Allow a week if you are scoring four or more.

Should legal review the answers?

Yes, at least the consent, retention and ownership lines. Ask counsel to sign off the wording you rely on, not the whole document.

What if a supplier refuses to answer a line?

Mark it not met and note the refusal. Refusal is itself evidence, better recorded before a contract than found during an audit.

Can we reuse the checklist at renewal?

Yes. Re-score at renewal, because retention periods, sub-processors and pricing all change over a contract term.