In the high-stakes world of consumer engagement, the traditional loyalty program is flatlining. Despite 90 percent of US consumers and 80 percent of Australians belonging to at least one rewards scheme, the industry is plagued by a “sameness” that has left billions of dollars in value sitting dormant on corporate balance sheets.

Ivan Schwartz, the founder and Managing Director of BRewarded Group, believes the problem isn’t a lack of interest, but a lack of utility. Through his subsidiary, Points4Purpose, Schwartz is leading a fintech-driven charge to “unlock” those unredeemed points and transform them into a liquid currency for social good and personal flexibility.

“Redemption is retention,” Schwartz shared. “If you enable your customer to choose how they wish to redeem the cash back they earn, they will be all the more loyal to you.”

The primary hurdle for traditional loyalty programs has always been the “friction” of the transaction. For years, small-to-medium retailers were locked out of the sophisticated ecosystems enjoyed by the “big end of town”—the Qantases and Coles of the world—due to prohibitive technology costs and complex point-of-sale (POS) integrations.

Points4Purpose has bypassed this via cardlinking technology. By connecting a member’s existing Visa, Mastercard, or Amex directly to their unique membership ID, the platform closes the loop without requiring extra plastic or hardware upgrades.

“Right now, all we need is an EFTPOS terminal and a merchant identification number (MID),” Schwartz explains. “The system automatically links the payment card to the member and applies the cash back. It’s as seamless as it gets.”

The model isn’t just theoretical. Schwartz’s previous platforms have already processed over $1 billion in transactions. Now, BRewarded Group is proving the scalability of its B2C model through a live collective in Miami.

The Miami pilot serves as a blueprint for what Schwartz calls the “Community Rewards” model. It creates a localised ecosystem where consumers earn cash back at participating neighborhood businesses—from pet shops to cafes—and can then choose to:

“It’s an emotive connection and a transactional connection,” says Schwartz. “In the US, we have every single charity on the IRS database. If you can’t find your charity, we’ll bring them on board.”

BRewarded Group is seeking $2.5 million in capital to accelerate its North American footprint.

The strategy is two-pronged:

While the loyalty space is crowded, Schwartz argues that his lean, fintech-first approach provides a defensive moat. By operating as a white-label service, Points4Purpose allows mid-tier retailers to compete with global giants without the “peripheral expense elements” that usually sink such initiatives.

“We are a fintech,” Schwartz says. “Our ability to generate significant, profitable income is there without having to invest in massive teams. We are a small, switched-on team driving personalisation at scale.”

With trademarks secured in both the US and Australia, and a roadmap targeting credit union “leagues” with memberships larger than the population of Australia, Schwartz is betting that the future of loyalty isn’t found in a plastic card, but in the power of choice.