The future of loyalty isn’t discounts or points — it’s embedded financial services that help gig workers earn, save, and grow. Here’s how marketplaces can lead the shift.

Loyalty isn’t built with discounts anymore

A few weeks ago, I was catching up with a marketplace founder over coffee.

They’d just launched a “loyalty program” — complete with badges, referral bonuses, and weekly contests.

After six months, the results?

Zero impact on retention.

Drivers loved the idea, but most didn’t redeem their rewards.

Freelancers joined for the perks but still left for competitors offering faster payouts.

It’s a pattern I’ve seen play out across delivery, freelance, and on-demand marketplaces.

Because here’s the truth:

        The old loyalty playbook — points, badges, and leaderboards — doesn’t work in the gig economy anymore.

Workers don’t want perks.

They want financial progress.

Loyalty in the gig economy is broken

For decades, loyalty programs were built around consumer spending — spend more, earn more.

But gig workers aren’t consumers; they’re earners.

Their biggest motivator isn’t discounts — it’s stability, control, and confidence in their income.

And yet, most platforms still run loyalty programs that reward activity (like number of deliveries or hours worked) instead of outcomes (like consistent earnings or savings goals).

That’s why traditional loyalty programs fall flat.

They’re not aligned with what workers truly value.

What they value is financial wellness — and that’s where embedded financial services come in.

The Shift: From perks to progress

Imagine this:

Instead of earning random points, a worker earns cashback directly into their wallet.

Instead of generic vouchers, they unlock micro-savings, insurance coverage, or early access to pay as loyalty benefits.

Instead of discounts, they get financial tools that actually make their gig life better.

That’s what the new loyalty model looks like — powered by embedded finance.

It’s not about giving more perks.

It’s about embedding meaningful value into the financial journey of every worker.

What is Embedded Finance (and why it changes everything)

‍Embedded finance means integrating financial products — payments, wallets, savings, insurance, lending — directly within your platform experience.

For marketplaces, it means you can reward workers with financial value without building a bank.

Here’s how it plays out in real life:

• Instant Payouts (Early Pay): Workers can access their earnings right after completing a job — no waiting.
• Cashback & Micro-Rewards: Offer a small % of earnings back into their wallet after every milestone.
• Smart Wallets: In-app wallets where earnings, bonuses, and rewards live — instantly accessible.
• Savings & Insurance Rewards: Convert loyalty points into meaningful benefits — like savings goals or income protection coverage.

Every feature like this deepens trust and loyalty, because it shows that the platform gets them.

The Psychology: Why this works better than perks

Loyalty in the gig economy runs on a different engine — trust, not transactions.

Workers don’t have the traditional employee safety net — no superannuation, paid leave, or insurance.

So when a platform steps in to provide that through financial tools, it creates emotional loyalty.

Because loyalty isn’t built when you reward output — it’s built when you reduce uncertainty.

When a driver knows their pay arrives instantly every Friday,

When a freelancer knows they can access early pay for an urgent expense,

When a courier earns cashback towards health insurance —

That’s when loyalty becomes sticky.

The Embedded Rewards Framework: A loyalty model that compounds

Let’s look at how you can design this new loyalty model inside your marketplace:

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This is how you move from perks to progress — each financial touchpoint builds a stronger relationship.

And here’s the best part: it’s monetisable.

The Business Case: Loyalty that pays for itself

Unlike traditional reward programs that cost you money, embedded rewards create value for both sides.

• Early Pay fees: Optional small fees (1–2%) for instant access offset the cost of rewards.
• Cashback partnerships: Work with brands or merchants to co-fund cashback offers.
• Insurance & savings referrals: Earn commission from embedded fintech partners.
• Wallet engagement: Interchange or transaction margins from wallet usage.

That’s loyalty with a business model behind it.

You’re not just retaining workers — you’re growing revenue per transaction.

Example: Loyalty redefined in action

One of our partner marketplaces in India launched a “Pay & Earn” model powered by MyGigsters.

Instead of traditional points, they offered:

• 2% cashback into the driver’s wallet on each completed trip.
• Optional instant payout with a small fee.
• Insurance cover unlocked after 100 successful deliveries.

The results in 90 days:

• Churn dropped by 38%.
• Average weekly earnings increased by 22%.
• Platform revenue grew 3.5x through payment monetisation.

Loyalty didn’t come from perks — it came from predictability and progress.

The Founder’s Lens: What this means for you

If you’re building a marketplace or platform today, loyalty is your most powerful differentiator.

But loyalty in the gig economy can’t be bought — it must be embedded.

Here’s what forward-thinking founders are doing:

1. Redefining loyalty around financial wellness, not rewards.
2. Embedding financial tools directly into their payout systems.
3. Using data to personalise rewards (like savings, insurance, or early pay offers).
4. Partnering with fintech enablers like MyGigsters to build it without massive overheads.

When you give your workers the tools to grow financially, they’ll help you grow operationally.

The Takeaway

The best loyalty program is one that helps your workers build a better life.

Points fade. Discounts expire.

But financial empowerment lasts — and it’s what keeps your best workers loyal.

When a platform helps a worker not just earn, but thrive, it moves from being a gig app to being a financial ally.

That’s the future of loyalty — embedded, earned, and empowering.

Final Thought

The next wave of gig platforms won’t compete on who pays more — they’ll compete on who empowers more.

The winners will be those that build financially inclusive ecosystems where every job strengthens loyalty and every payout builds trust.

That’s the new loyalty model.

And it’s already being built today

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