Retailers have been advised to integrate flexible payment options with loyalty programmes ahead of Black Friday 2026, as changing shopping habits and pressure on household budgets make convenience and instant rewards increasingly important to consumers.
The combination could help businesses attract customers, increase spending and encourage repeat purchases beyond the annual discount season. Research conducted in 2025 found that 85 per cent of surveyed South African adults used loyalty programmes, with an average of 10.4 programmes per household. However, 40 per cent wanted immediate rewards, while 28 per cent relied on the schemes to manage their spending.
Brandspur Brand News reports that Rory Bosman, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Ecentric Payment Systems, believes retailers risk missing sales opportunities if their checkout systems cannot accommodate customers’ preferred payment methods and reward them without unnecessary delays.
Payment preferences are changing rapidly, particularly in physical stores. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2025, smart devices accounted for almost 60 per cent of in-store card purchases, nearly twice the share recorded two years earlier.
Buy Now, Pay Later services could also influence spending, particularly on expensive purchases. The 2026 Online Retail in South Africa report identifies purchases between R800 and R8,000 as a strong category for such payment arrangements.
Data from Ecentric’s 2025 Black Friday Index also showed that in-store revenue grew faster than transaction volumes, suggesting an increase in average spending per transaction. Appliances, electronics and fashion were among the categories where this trend was relevant.
Beyond payment flexibility, retailers face the challenge of turning seasonal bargain hunters into regular customers. Shoppers may be attracted by Black Friday discounts but have little reason to return once promotional prices disappear.
Loyalty schemes can help bridge that gap when customers can easily identify themselves, redeem vouchers and receive rewards during payment. Combining these processes within a single checkout system could reduce delays while giving retailers a clearer record of purchases and customer activity.
The pressure on checkout operations becomes more pronounced during peak shopping periods. Ecentric processed more than 1,400 transactions per minute in 2025, illustrating the volume of payments that retail systems may need to handle during busy trading periods.
Retailers are therefore being encouraged to reduce the number of steps required to complete purchases. Physical loyalty cards remain an accessible option for shoppers who find them easier to use than mobile applications, while integrated payment systems can connect customer identification, rewards and transactions.
Mobile payment devices also offer stores greater flexibility by allowing staff to process payments away from fixed tills. Backup systems are equally important, as connectivity disruptions can interrupt transactions and prevent customers from earning loyalty points.
The recommendations come as consumers contend with elevated living costs and increasingly cautious spending decisions. For shoppers managing limited budgets, the ability to pay in instalments, use preferred payment methods and receive immediate rewards could make a difference when deciding where to shop.
For retailers, the challenge is to ensure that promotional offers do not create operational problems at the point of payment. Payment flexibility and loyalty rewards are most effective when they work together, allowing customers to complete purchases quickly while giving businesses a reason to maintain the relationship after Black Friday.
Bosman advised retailers to review their payment infrastructure, loyalty processes and contingency arrangements before the shopping rush, particularly to ensure that vouchers and rewards remain accessible when internet connections fail.
