AT&T ending participation in Plenti 10/31/2017

[storewanderer]

Interesting they are ending participation. I haven't earned any points in a long time on my service; for a while I was earning a little every month. No clue why it stopped giving me anything and I never looked into it.

I do like the implementation of Plenti at Rite Aid, it is very helpful for me, as I do not have immediate local access to Rite Aid so I appreciate that the Plenti points do not expire for a year or two after issuance.

[wnetmacman]

I had enjoyed AT&T's Plenti participation too. I was actually mad when they stopped giving points on monthly service. There was an explanation about it that I let them know I didn't like. I had enough at one point to replace a tablet case with what I had earned. Now they have replaced it with an in-house program.

If Rite Aid is staying in your area, then it is a good thing. In the last 6 months, Winn Dixie left, Rite Aid stores here are becoming Walgreens, and now AT&T is dropping as well. All we have left is Macy's, where I never shop and Exxon where I never fill up. So it is useless.

[rwsandiego]

I had enjoyed AT&T's Plenti participation too. I was actually mad when they stopped giving points on monthly service. There was an explanation about it that I let them know I didn't like. I had enough at one point to replace a tablet case with what I had earned. Now they have replaced it with an in-house program.

If Rite Aid is staying in your area, then it is a good thing. In the last 6 months, Winn Dixie left, Rite Aid stores here are becoming Walgreens, and now AT&T is dropping as well. All we have left is Macy's, where I never shop and Exxon where I never fill up. So it is useless.

I think I read that Macy's is developing its own loyalty program.

[storewanderer]

Macy's has had its own loyalty programs in the past. Reno was a test store for a program about 8 years ago and I think there was a second program of some kind after that. Then came Plenti.

I thought Macy's had been working with Dunhumby on loyalty a few years ago so I was kind of surprised when I saw them join Plenti. But doesn't Macy's also offer a co-branded American Express card? Maybe going with Plenti was just an extension of the relationship with American Express.

In that case, I wonder if we could see more businesses that have co-branded cards with American Express partner with Plenti? The problem is people like Hilton and Delta already have strong loyalty programs of their own...

I was also at a Mobil today that recently rebranded from Valero (tarp over the sign) and noticed they were not supporting Plenti. Maybe just a coincidence, maybe since it was a new station they got it over to Mobil's credit card processing but getting Plenti going is a separate program/task, but the other Mobils I've encountered in NorCal all support Plenti.

[rwsandiego]

Macy's has had its own loyalty programs in the past. Reno was a test store for a program about 8 years ago and I think there was a second program of some kind after that. Then came Plenti. ...

I particularly liked the one they adopted from Marshall Field's when they acquired May. Essentially, you earned points that were used to earn cash back. Not as generous as the current Nordstrom program, but not bad. I'm not sure whether that was extended to all Macy's cardholders or just those of us who had both Macy's and Field's cards.

...I was also at a Mobil today that recently rebranded from Valero (tarp over the sign) and noticed they were not supporting Plenti. Maybe just a coincidence, maybe since it was a new station they got it over to Mobil's credit card processing but getting Plenti going is a separate program/task, but the other Mobils I've encountered in NorCal all support Plenti.

When I lived in San Diego, not all Mobil stations participated in Plenti. That may have changed in the last year, though.

[SamSpade]

Heard a radio advertisement today for Macy's introducing "their" rewards program. You must use a Macy's charge card to participate, but otherwise it was similar to JCPenney's redesigned program (which is sort of like Nordstrom's but not as generous).

[mbz321]

The whole Plenti program just seems like more of a hassle more than anything. All the participating companies are vastly overpriced to begin with, and you have to spend a lot to really earn any kind of 'savings'.

[wnetmacman]

The whole Plenti program just seems like more of a hassle more than anything. All the participating companies are vastly overpriced to begin with, and you have to spend a lot to really earn any kind of 'savings'.

It wasn't always that way. When AT&T first came into Plenti, you got points based on ALL of your monthly billing. So if your bill was $150, you got that immediately in points. I had over 1000 points available. I bought gas at least twice on it before they pulled out.

[BillyGr]

The whole Plenti program just seems like more of a hassle more than anything. All the participating companies are vastly overpriced to begin with, and you have to spend a lot to really earn any kind of 'savings'.

It depends on the place and location to some degree, but it is true that you don't get a lot of rewards back with most, Rite Aid being the big exception (and special offers as well).

For instance, with the gas section you only get a small amount normally (something like 1 or 2 points/gallon, which is equal to 1 or 2 cents). But they have, several times, offered 25 or 50 points for a purchase of 5 gallons which works out to getting back 5-10 cents per gallon (as long as you don't get more than the 5 gallons). And while many places Mobil (or Exxon) can be more to begin with, that isn't always the case in all stations - in fact here last week we had $2.45, $2.47 and $2.49 in one town and the Mobil was the $2.45...

Rite Aid, in terms of offering points, doesn't offer them on just any purchase, but more as a "reward" for buying certain items.
When you get those items, you can, many times, get back much or even all (and occasionally even more than) you pay for the item. Anything from buy item for $4 get $3 points, to buy for $5 get $5 points to buy for $5 get $4 points and there is a coupon for $2 off the item (that's where you get more back, since you only pay $3+any tax with the coupon and get $4 in points back).
If you check their ads weekly, you can often get to a point where you are shopping with little cash, simply using points you earn one week to buy the items for the next week, when then give points to use the following week.
They set it up as a replacement for their +UP rewards, and it is better overall, since the points last longer, and can be used in any amount over $2 (the previous rewards, if you had one for, say $5 you had to spend at least $5 at once - if you have $5 worth of points from one item, you can spend $2, $3.27, or any other amount between $2 and all you have).

[CalItalian]

Macy's is continuing in the Plenti program while rolling out their own program that started today. I am one of their best customers and received the info last week. Gold ($500-$1199 in purchases per year) and Platinum ($1200 or more in purchases per year) customers now get unlimited free shipping, no minimum. Plus for Platinum customers, like me, 5X points which transforms into an automatic $10 reward for every $200 in purchases. I doubt Plenti will be part of Macy's in 6 months.

As for Rite Aid, with their losing nearly 2000 stores soon and becoming a bi-coastal regional chain, that will only help along the demise of the Plenti program which has never taken off.