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If you’re looking to maximize your shopping and lifestyle experiences, joining reward programs can be a smart move. Companies like Starbucks and Sephora offer exclusive discounts and customized perks, during outdoor brands such as REI Co-op improve your adventures. Travel enthusiasts can benefit from programs like Hilton Honors and Amazon Prime. Each program has unique advantages that cater to different interests, making it crucial to explore your options before committing. Which programs might be the best fit for you? Key Takeaways Starbucks Rewards offers personalized offers and birthday rewards, making it a popular choice for coffee lovers and frequent visitors. Sephora Beauty Insider provides a tiered rewards system with exclusive discounts and birthday gifts, appealing to beauty enthusiasts. Hilton Honors allows members to earn points for hotel stays and dining, redeemable for free nights and upgrades. REI Co-op Membership offers lifetime benefits, including discounts on purchases and services, while promoting ethical practices and community initiatives. Amazon Prime provides extensive perks like free shipping, streaming services, and exclusive discounts, making it a versatile choice for online shoppers. Starbucks Rewards If you enjoy your daily coffee fix, joining Starbucks Rewards could be a smart choice for improving your experience. This program allows you to earn 2 stars for every $1 spent, with 150 stars redeemable for a free drink or food item. With nearly 30 million members, it accounts for 53% of store spending, reflecting its significant role in customer loyalty. Members benefit from personalized offers, birthday rewards, and exclusive promotions throughout the year, all designed to keep you engaged. Starbucks continually updates its reward software, increasing earn rates and making participation more appealing. This approach mirrors successful employee rewards programs and corporate rewards programs that prioritize member satisfaction. As of March 2025, the program had a remarkable $1.85 billion in stored value, highlighting its popularity and financial success. By joining, you can improve your coffee experience as you enjoy valuable rewards. Sephora Beauty Insider Sephora Beauty Insider stands out as a tiered loyalty program designed to reward customers for their purchases as well as nurturing a sense of community among beauty enthusiasts. You earn one point for every dollar spent, with 500 points redeemable for a free product. The program features three tiers: Insider, VIB, and Rouge, each requiring different spending thresholds of $0, $350, and $1,000, respectively. Each tier offers increasing benefits, including discounts during special events. Members can additionally earn bonus points during exclusive events, enhancing engagement and incentivizing purchases. Personalized rewards and birthday gifts promote loyalty, creating a community-driven approach that encourages brand affinity. Although Sephora’s program primarily targets customers, it can likewise serve as a model for employee loyalty programs and employee reward recognition programs by emphasizing community and engagement, making it a remarkable example among rewards programs for employees. The North Face: XPLR Pass The North Face‘s XPLR Pass serves as a compelling example of a loyalty rewards program designed to engage outdoor enthusiasts. This free-to-join program offers members 1 point for every dollar spent, with 100 points redeemable for a $10 voucher. Members enjoy exclusive access to limited-edition collections, free shipping on orders, and invitations to member-only events, such as group hikes. Since its revamp in 2021, the XPLR Pass has experienced a 54% increase in traffic to its landing page year-over-year. Furthermore, the mobile app has garnered an impressive average of 10,000 downloads per month, indicating strong engagement among members. The program emphasizes environmental sustainability and experiential rewards, aligning with The North Face’s brand values. For anyone looking to join reward program companies that genuinely connect with their interests, the XPLR Pass stands out as an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts seeking community and rewards. Lululemon Membership Lululemon Membership offers a unique approach to loyalty rewards, catering particularly to those who value experiential benefits over traditional discounts. The program features two types of membership: a general option and a specialized program for fitness professionals. Members gain early access to new product drops, free hemming services, and receipt-free returns, all intended to improve your shopping experience. Within just five months of its launch, the membership attracted 9 million sign-ups, highlighting strong community engagement. Significantly, over 30% of members have utilized at least one benefit, indicating satisfaction with the offerings. Furthermore, the membership cultivates a strong community connection through exclusive events and opportunities to participate in lululemon Studio Classes. Benefit Type General Membership Fitness Professional Program Early Product Access Yes Yes Free Hemming Yes Yes Receipt-Free Returns Yes Yes Exclusive Events Yes Yes Foot Locker: FLX Rewards Foot Locker‘s FLX Rewards program has undergone a significant transformation in 2024, driven by insights from customer research. Now, members can earn points that convert into cash rewards for future purchases, enhancing their shopping experience. You’ll earn one FLX point for every dollar spent, with points redeemable for cashback and access to exclusive events. Key features of the revamped program include: Tiered benefits based on your spending, which boost engagement. Increased odds for sneaker drops through Xtra Boosts, making it easier to snag limited releases. Transparency in point redemption, nurturing trust and encouraging first-time redeemers. With over a quarter of Foot Locker’s sales linked to FLX Rewards, it’s clear that the program successfully develops customer loyalty. The focus on rewarding engagement and providing valuable incentives makes this program an attractive option for frequent shoppers. Rapha Cycling Club If you’re passionate about cycling, the Rapha Cycling Club offers a structured way to improve your experience. Through organized group rides and community engagement initiatives, you’ll find opportunities to connect with fellow cyclists as you enjoy exclusive event access. Plus, the benefits of membership extend to discounts and early access to products, making it a valuable choice for any cycling enthusiast. Community Engagement Initiatives The Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) actively promotes community engagement through its extensive network of monthly group rides, which exceed 1,000 across various Clubhouse locations. This initiative cultivates camaraderie among cycling enthusiasts, creating a lively community where members share their passion for cycling. The RCC app allows you to connect with fellow riders, plan group outings, and share experiences. Membership provides subsidized club kits, boosting community ties and encouraging brand loyalty. The program employs Queue-it for managing high-demand product drops, ensuring members enjoy priority access to exclusive sales. These elements not just strengthen connections within local communities but additionally improve your overall cycling experience, making the RCC a valuable program for cycling enthusiasts. Exclusive Event Access Accessing exclusive events through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) improves your cycling experience and strengthens your connection to the community. As a member, you’ll gain access to unique events and riding trips not available to the general public, nurturing a sense of exclusivity and belonging. With over 1,000 group rides each month, you can enjoy numerous opportunities to socialize and share experiences with fellow cycling enthusiasts. The RCC app boosts these connections, making it easier to coordinate rides and engage with other members. Furthermore, your membership includes early access to special edition gear and subsidized club kits, adding to the overall value of participating in these exclusive events. Join RCC to elevate your cycling expedition today. Organized Group Rides Organized group rides through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) offer an excellent way for cyclists to improve their experience as they promote connections within the community. With over 1,000 group rides monthly, RCC nurtures a global cycling network that enriches member engagement. When you join, you can expect: Local Clubhouse Rides: Participate in rides from various clubhouse locations, making it easy to meet fellow cyclists. Exclusive Events: Gain access to unique riding trips and events that enhance your cycling experience. Subsidized Club Kits: Enjoy stylish and value-driven club kits that improve your rides. Using the RCC app, you can connect with others and stay updated on upcoming events, making your cycling adventure even more rewarding. Adidas: AdiClub AdiClub offers unique membership levels that improve your shopping experience with Adidas, rewarding you based on your spending. As you progress through the tiers, you’ll reveal exclusive perks like free shipping, early access to products, and premium event tickets. This structured approach not just encourages loyalty but furthermore greatly boosts your engagement with the brand. Unique Membership Levels The AdiClub loyalty program features four unique membership levels, each designed to improve your shopping experience with customized benefits. As you spend, you earn 10 points for every dollar, allowing you to access more advantages as you progress through the tiers. Level 1 members enjoy free shipping and exclusive access to new product releases. Level 2 members gain early access to sales and promotions. Level 3 and Level 4 members experience premium benefits, like opportunities to win signed products and event tickets. With over 240 million members, AdiClub greatly boosts Adidas’ direct-to-consumer strategy, increasing revenue by 15-25% from active participants. Exclusive Perks Offered As you explore the AdiClub rewards program, you’ll quickly notice the exclusive perks intended to improve your shopping experience. Members earn 10 points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for various rewards. With membership tiers from Level 1 to Level 4, benefits increase considerably, offering perks like free shipping, exclusive product access, and premium event tickets. You likewise have the chance to win signed products and participate in unique experiences, enhancing your connection with the brand. Remarkably, AdiClub members purchase 50% more frequently than non-members, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in driving customer loyalty. This strategy greatly boosts adidas’ annual revenue by 15-25% from participants, making it a compelling choice for avid shoppers. Amazon Prime Though many loyalty programs concentrate on a limited selection of benefits, Amazon Prime distinguishes itself by providing an extensive array of services intended to improve the overall shopping experience. With over 200 million members worldwide, it’s one of the largest programs, offering perks that go beyond just shopping. Here are some key benefits you can enjoy as a member: Free two-day shipping on eligible items, making online shopping more convenient. Access to streaming services like Prime Video and Prime Music, broadening your entertainment options. Exclusive deals and discounts, including early access to lightning deals and significant savings during Prime Day. Additionally, Amazon Prime continually evolves, regularly introducing new features like Prime Reading for eBooks and Amazon Photos for unlimited photo storage. This dedication to enhancing member engagement guarantees that you’ll find ongoing value in your subscription. Hilton Honors With over 118 million members, Hilton Honors stands out as one of the largest hotel loyalty programs in the world, designed to reward you for your travel experiences. You can earn points through hotel stays, dining, and travel activities, which can be redeemed for free nights and upgrades. Achieving elite status grants additional benefits like late check-outs and exclusive offers, based on your nights stayed or points earned. Plus, your points never expire as long as you have qualifying activity every 24 months. Here’s a quick overview of the program: Feature Description Benefits Earn Points Through stays, dining, activities Free nights, upgrades Elite Status Achieved by nights or points Late check-outs, room upgrades Points Expiration No expiration with activity Flexibility in point usage Promotions Personalized offers available Increased earning potential Membership Size Over 118 million members Extensive partnership benefits REI Co-op Membership Joining the REI Co-op Membership gives you access to a range of exclusive benefits and discounts intended to improve your outdoor shopping experience. For a one-time, lifetime fee of $30, you gain significant savings and rewards that elevate your adventures. Enjoy 10% off eligible purchases and 20% off services in snow and bike shops. Benefit from free shipping on online orders, allowing easy access to gear without extra costs. Access up to 33% off rental services for outdoor equipment, making it budget-friendly to try new activities. Moreover, as a member, you can earn rewards through purchases while supporting ethical and sustainable practices. REI shares profits with its members, promoting community initiatives that align with outdoor values. This membership not only provides discounts but also nurtures a sense of belonging among outdoor enthusiasts. Frequently Asked Questions What Companies Have the Best Rewards Programs? When considering companies with the best rewards programs, you’ll find notable options. Starbucks Rewards offers points for free drinks, whereas Adidas’ AdiClub provides escalating benefits based on spending. The North Face’s XPLR Pass rewards purchases with exclusive events, and Sephora’s Beauty Insider engages members with tiered rewards redeemable for unique products. Lululemon emphasizes community experiences, achieving significant member engagement. Each program improves customer loyalty and drives repeat purchases effectively. Which Is the Best Loyalty Program? Determining the best loyalty program hinges on your spending habits and preferences. Programs like Starbucks Rewards excel in driving sales through effective engagement, whereas Adidas’ AdiClub shows significant revenue growth. The North Face offers experiential rewards that boost customer interaction, and Sephora’s tiered system encourages higher spending. If community and experiences matter to you, consider Rapha Cycling Club, which emphasizes organized activities. Evaluating these factors will help you find the most suitable program. Can Loyalty Programs Backfire? Yes, loyalty programs can backfire. When they become overly complex, you might feel frustrated and disengaged, especially since most consumers prefer simple structures. If discounts overshadow quality, your loyalty could decline. Furthermore, if you perceive benefits as lacking value, you’re less likely to stay engaged. Excessive promotions may overwhelm you, causing disinterest. Finally, without genuine community connections, brands might struggle to encourage long-term loyalty, impacting retention rates markedly. What Is the Largest Loyalty Program? The largest loyalty program is Starbucks Rewards, with nearly 30 million members contributing to over half of U.S. store spending as of early 2024. Members earn two stars for every dollar spent, redeemable for free drinks at 150 stars. This program has seen a remarkable 16% year-over-year growth, reflecting its effectiveness in cultivating customer loyalty. As of March 2025, it held $1.85 billion in stored value, illustrating its financial impact on Starbucks. Conclusion Joining reward programs can greatly improve your shopping and lifestyle experiences. By enrolling in programs like Starbucks Rewards, Sephora Beauty Insider, or Hilton Honors, you can access exclusive discounts, personalized offers, and unique community experiences. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a frequent traveler, these memberships provide customized benefits that add value to your purchases. Consider exploring these options to maximize your spending and enjoy improved rewards that align with your interests and lifestyle. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Reward Program Companies to Join" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re looking to maximize your shopping and lifestyle experiences, joining reward programs can be a smart move. Companies like Starbucks and Sephora offer exclusive discounts and customized perks, during outdoor brands such as REI Co-op improve your adventures. Travel enthusiasts can benefit from programs like Hilton Honors and Amazon Prime. Each program has unique advantages that cater to different interests, making it crucial to explore your options before committing. Which programs might be the best fit for you? Key Takeaways Starbucks Rewards offers personalized offers and birthday rewards, making it a popular choice for coffee lovers and frequent visitors. Sephora Beauty Insider provides a tiered rewards system with exclusive discounts and birthday gifts, appealing to beauty enthusiasts. Hilton Honors allows members to earn points for hotel stays and dining, redeemable for free nights and upgrades. REI Co-op Membership offers lifetime benefits, including discounts on purchases and services, while promoting ethical practices and community initiatives. Amazon Prime provides extensive perks like free shipping, streaming services, and exclusive discounts, making it a versatile choice for online shoppers. Starbucks Rewards If you enjoy your daily coffee fix, joining Starbucks Rewards could be a smart choice for improving your experience. This program allows you to earn 2 stars for every $1 spent, with 150 stars redeemable for a free drink or food item. With nearly 30 million members, it accounts for 53% of store spending, reflecting its significant role in customer loyalty. Members benefit from personalized offers, birthday rewards, and exclusive promotions throughout the year, all designed to keep you engaged. Starbucks continually updates its reward software, increasing earn rates and making participation more appealing. This approach mirrors successful employee rewards programs and corporate rewards programs that prioritize member satisfaction. As of March 2025, the program had a remarkable $1.85 billion in stored value, highlighting its popularity and financial success. By joining, you can improve your coffee experience as you enjoy valuable rewards. Sephora Beauty Insider Sephora Beauty Insider stands out as a tiered loyalty program designed to reward customers for their purchases as well as nurturing a sense of community among beauty enthusiasts. You earn one point for every dollar spent, with 500 points redeemable for a free product. The program features three tiers: Insider, VIB, and Rouge, each requiring different spending thresholds of $0, $350, and $1,000, respectively. Each tier offers increasing benefits, including discounts during special events. Members can additionally earn bonus points during exclusive events, enhancing engagement and incentivizing purchases. Personalized rewards and birthday gifts promote loyalty, creating a community-driven approach that encourages brand affinity. Although Sephora’s program primarily targets customers, it can likewise serve as a model for employee loyalty programs and employee reward recognition programs by emphasizing community and engagement, making it a remarkable example among rewards programs for employees. The North Face: XPLR Pass The North Face‘s XPLR Pass serves as a compelling example of a loyalty rewards program designed to engage outdoor enthusiasts. This free-to-join program offers members 1 point for every dollar spent, with 100 points redeemable for a $10 voucher. Members enjoy exclusive access to limited-edition collections, free shipping on orders, and invitations to member-only events, such as group hikes. Since its revamp in 2021, the XPLR Pass has experienced a 54% increase in traffic to its landing page year-over-year. Furthermore, the mobile app has garnered an impressive average of 10,000 downloads per month, indicating strong engagement among members. The program emphasizes environmental sustainability and experiential rewards, aligning with The North Face’s brand values. For anyone looking to join reward program companies that genuinely connect with their interests, the XPLR Pass stands out as an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts seeking community and rewards. Lululemon Membership Lululemon Membership offers a unique approach to loyalty rewards, catering particularly to those who value experiential benefits over traditional discounts. The program features two types of membership: a general option and a specialized program for fitness professionals. Members gain early access to new product drops, free hemming services, and receipt-free returns, all intended to improve your shopping experience. Within just five months of its launch, the membership attracted 9 million sign-ups, highlighting strong community engagement. Significantly, over 30% of members have utilized at least one benefit, indicating satisfaction with the offerings. Furthermore, the membership cultivates a strong community connection through exclusive events and opportunities to participate in lululemon Studio Classes. Benefit Type General Membership Fitness Professional Program Early Product Access Yes Yes Free Hemming Yes Yes Receipt-Free Returns Yes Yes Exclusive Events Yes Yes Foot Locker: FLX Rewards Foot Locker‘s FLX Rewards program has undergone a significant transformation in 2024, driven by insights from customer research. Now, members can earn points that convert into cash rewards for future purchases, enhancing their shopping experience. You’ll earn one FLX point for every dollar spent, with points redeemable for cashback and access to exclusive events. Key features of the revamped program include: Tiered benefits based on your spending, which boost engagement. Increased odds for sneaker drops through Xtra Boosts, making it easier to snag limited releases. Transparency in point redemption, nurturing trust and encouraging first-time redeemers. With over a quarter of Foot Locker’s sales linked to FLX Rewards, it’s clear that the program successfully develops customer loyalty. The focus on rewarding engagement and providing valuable incentives makes this program an attractive option for frequent shoppers. Rapha Cycling Club If you’re passionate about cycling, the Rapha Cycling Club offers a structured way to improve your experience. Through organized group rides and community engagement initiatives, you’ll find opportunities to connect with fellow cyclists as you enjoy exclusive event access. Plus, the benefits of membership extend to discounts and early access to products, making it a valuable choice for any cycling enthusiast. Community Engagement Initiatives The Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) actively promotes community engagement through its extensive network of monthly group rides, which exceed 1,000 across various Clubhouse locations. This initiative cultivates camaraderie among cycling enthusiasts, creating a lively community where members share their passion for cycling. The RCC app allows you to connect with fellow riders, plan group outings, and share experiences. Membership provides subsidized club kits, boosting community ties and encouraging brand loyalty. The program employs Queue-it for managing high-demand product drops, ensuring members enjoy priority access to exclusive sales. These elements not just strengthen connections within local communities but additionally improve your overall cycling experience, making the RCC a valuable program for cycling enthusiasts. Exclusive Event Access Accessing exclusive events through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) improves your cycling experience and strengthens your connection to the community. As a member, you’ll gain access to unique events and riding trips not available to the general public, nurturing a sense of exclusivity and belonging. With over 1,000 group rides each month, you can enjoy numerous opportunities to socialize and share experiences with fellow cycling enthusiasts. The RCC app boosts these connections, making it easier to coordinate rides and engage with other members. Furthermore, your membership includes early access to special edition gear and subsidized club kits, adding to the overall value of participating in these exclusive events. Join RCC to elevate your cycling expedition today. Organized Group Rides Organized group rides through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) offer an excellent way for cyclists to improve their experience as they promote connections within the community. With over 1,000 group rides monthly, RCC nurtures a global cycling network that enriches member engagement. When you join, you can expect: Local Clubhouse Rides: Participate in rides from various clubhouse locations, making it easy to meet fellow cyclists. Exclusive Events: Gain access to unique riding trips and events that enhance your cycling experience. Subsidized Club Kits: Enjoy stylish and value-driven club kits that improve your rides. Using the RCC app, you can connect with others and stay updated on upcoming events, making your cycling adventure even more rewarding. Adidas: AdiClub AdiClub offers unique membership levels that improve your shopping experience with Adidas, rewarding you based on your spending. As you progress through the tiers, you’ll reveal exclusive perks like free shipping, early access to products, and premium event tickets. This structured approach not just encourages loyalty but furthermore greatly boosts your engagement with the brand. Unique Membership Levels The AdiClub loyalty program features four unique membership levels, each designed to improve your shopping experience with customized benefits. As you spend, you earn 10 points for every dollar, allowing you to access more advantages as you progress through the tiers. Level 1 members enjoy free shipping and exclusive access to new product releases. Level 2 members gain early access to sales and promotions. Level 3 and Level 4 members experience premium benefits, like opportunities to win signed products and event tickets. With over 240 million members, AdiClub greatly boosts Adidas’ direct-to-consumer strategy, increasing revenue by 15-25% from active participants. Exclusive Perks Offered As you explore the AdiClub rewards program, you’ll quickly notice the exclusive perks intended to improve your shopping experience. Members earn 10 points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for various rewards. With membership tiers from Level 1 to Level 4, benefits increase considerably, offering perks like free shipping, exclusive product access, and premium event tickets. You likewise have the chance to win signed products and participate in unique experiences, enhancing your connection with the brand. Remarkably, AdiClub members purchase 50% more frequently than non-members, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in driving customer loyalty. This strategy greatly boosts adidas’ annual revenue by 15-25% from participants, making it a compelling choice for avid shoppers. Amazon Prime Though many loyalty programs concentrate on a limited selection of benefits, Amazon Prime distinguishes itself by providing an extensive array of services intended to improve the overall shopping experience. With over 200 million members worldwide, it’s one of the largest programs, offering perks that go beyond just shopping. Here are some key benefits you can enjoy as a member: Free two-day shipping on eligible items, making online shopping more convenient. Access to streaming services like Prime Video and Prime Music, broadening your entertainment options. Exclusive deals and discounts, including early access to lightning deals and significant savings during Prime Day. Additionally, Amazon Prime continually evolves, regularly introducing new features like Prime Reading for eBooks and Amazon Photos for unlimited photo storage. This dedication to enhancing member engagement guarantees that you’ll find ongoing value in your subscription. Hilton Honors With over 118 million members, Hilton Honors stands out as one of the largest hotel loyalty programs in the world, designed to reward you for your travel experiences. You can earn points through hotel stays, dining, and travel activities, which can be redeemed for free nights and upgrades. Achieving elite status grants additional benefits like late check-outs and exclusive offers, based on your nights stayed or points earned. Plus, your points never expire as long as you have qualifying activity every 24 months. Here’s a quick overview of the program: Feature Description Benefits Earn Points Through stays, dining, activities Free nights, upgrades Elite Status Achieved by nights or points Late check-outs, room upgrades Points Expiration No expiration with activity Flexibility in point usage Promotions Personalized offers available Increased earning potential Membership Size Over 118 million members Extensive partnership benefits REI Co-op Membership Joining the REI Co-op Membership gives you access to a range of exclusive benefits and discounts intended to improve your outdoor shopping experience. For a one-time, lifetime fee of $30, you gain significant savings and rewards that elevate your adventures. Enjoy 10% off eligible purchases and 20% off services in snow and bike shops. Benefit from free shipping on online orders, allowing easy access to gear without extra costs. Access up to 33% off rental services for outdoor equipment, making it budget-friendly to try new activities. Moreover, as a member, you can earn rewards through purchases while supporting ethical and sustainable practices. REI shares profits with its members, promoting community initiatives that align with outdoor values. This membership not only provides discounts but also nurtures a sense of belonging among outdoor enthusiasts. Frequently Asked Questions What Companies Have the Best Rewards Programs? When considering companies with the best rewards programs, you’ll find notable options. Starbucks Rewards offers points for free drinks, whereas Adidas’ AdiClub provides escalating benefits based on spending. The North Face’s XPLR Pass rewards purchases with exclusive events, and Sephora’s Beauty Insider engages members with tiered rewards redeemable for unique products. Lululemon emphasizes community experiences, achieving significant member engagement. Each program improves customer loyalty and drives repeat purchases effectively. Which Is the Best Loyalty Program? Determining the best loyalty program hinges on your spending habits and preferences. Programs like Starbucks Rewards excel in driving sales through effective engagement, whereas Adidas’ AdiClub shows significant revenue growth. The North Face offers experiential rewards that boost customer interaction, and Sephora’s tiered system encourages higher spending. If community and experiences matter to you, consider Rapha Cycling Club, which emphasizes organized activities. Evaluating these factors will help you find the most suitable program. Can Loyalty Programs Backfire? Yes, loyalty programs can backfire. When they become overly complex, you might feel frustrated and disengaged, especially since most consumers prefer simple structures. If discounts overshadow quality, your loyalty could decline. Furthermore, if you perceive benefits as lacking value, you’re less likely to stay engaged. Excessive promotions may overwhelm you, causing disinterest. Finally, without genuine community connections, brands might struggle to encourage long-term loyalty, impacting retention rates markedly. What Is the Largest Loyalty Program? The largest loyalty program is Starbucks Rewards, with nearly 30 million members contributing to over half of U.S. store spending as of early 2024. Members earn two stars for every dollar spent, redeemable for free drinks at 150 stars. This program has seen a remarkable 16% year-over-year growth, reflecting its effectiveness in cultivating customer loyalty. As of March 2025, it held $1.85 billion in stored value, illustrating its financial impact on Starbucks. Conclusion Joining reward programs can greatly improve your shopping and lifestyle experiences. By enrolling in programs like Starbucks Rewards, Sephora Beauty Insider, or Hilton Honors, you can access exclusive discounts, personalized offers, and unique community experiences. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a frequent traveler, these memberships provide customized benefits that add value to your purchases. Consider exploring these options to maximize your spending and enjoy improved rewards that align with your interests and lifestyle. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Reward Program Companies to Join" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Online bookkeeping services streamline your financial management by using cloud-based software to track and process records efficiently. These services can save you money compared to hiring in-house staff, with costs typically between $500 and $2,500 monthly. By outsourcing, you gain access to expert support, real-time insights, and improved compliance. As you consider these benefits, it’s important to understand the key features that set online bookkeeping apart and how they can particularly support your business goals. Key Takeaways Online bookkeeping services utilize cloud-based software for efficient financial management, offering real-time tracking and processing of financial records. They provide cost-effective solutions, saving businesses $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring in-house bookkeepers. Access to specialized expertise ensures compliance and accuracy in financial records, helping businesses navigate complex financial situations with ease. Online services offer flexibility and scalability, allowing businesses to adjust bookkeeping needs based on demand without incurring extra hiring costs. Enhanced security measures protect sensitive financial data, ensuring compliance with regulations and providing peace of mind for business owners. Understanding Online Bookkeeping Services When you consider managing your business’s finances, online bookkeeping services offer a modern solution that combines convenience and expertise. These services provide remote financial management, utilizing cloud-based software to efficiently track and process your financial records. This eliminates the need for an in-house team, which can be costly. Typically, online bookkeeping services range from $500 to $2,500 monthly, considerably less than the nearly $50,000 annual salary of a traditional bookkeeper. Virtual bookkeeping guarantees accurate financial records through trained professionals who employ the latest accounting tools and practices. Communication with these online bookkeepers is seamless, allowing for real-time collaboration through digital channels. Furthermore, remote bookkeeping services are flexible, enabling you to scale your financial management according to your growth needs, adapting easily to seasonal fluctuations in activity. This adaptability makes online bookkeeping a smart choice for many businesses seeking efficient financial solutions. Key Features of Online Bookkeeping When you explore online bookkeeping, you’ll discover key features that greatly benefit your business. With specialized expertise access, cost-effective solutions, and real-time financial insights, these services can improve your financial management. This streamlined approach not just saves time but also helps you make informed decisions based on the latest data available. Specialized Expertise Access Accessing specialized expertise is one of the key advantages of online bookkeeping services, as these firms connect you with professionals skilled in diverse areas, including tax preparation, forensic accounting, and managerial accounting. By partnering with QuickBooks virtual bookkeeping companies, you gain access to top accounting professionals who stay updated on the latest practices and financial software. This guarantees high-quality insights customized to your unique business needs. With the best virtual bookkeeping services, you benefit from dedicated support, as each QuickBooks is assigned an accountant who understands its specific financial challenges. Remote access to expert teams means you receive timely financial reporting and advice, enabling you to make informed decisions and proactively manage your finances effectively. Cost-Effective Solutions Cost-effective solutions are one of the primary benefits of online bookkeeping services, making them an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. Here’s how you can save money with these services: Reduced Labor Costs: Outsourcing can save you up to 70% on employment costs compared to in-house staff. Flexible Pricing Models: You can select a customized bookkeeping services plan that fits your budget and needs. Eliminated Infrastructure Expenses: Avoid the costs of office space and equipment by using remote bookkeeping companies. Affordable Monthly Rates: Online bookkeeping services typically range from $500 to $2,500 monthly, far less than hiring a full-time bookkeeper in cities like San Francisco. These features guarantee your financial management is both efficient and cost-effective. Real-Time Financial Insights Real-time financial insights are vital for informed decision-making in today’s fast-paced business environment. Online bookkeeping services, like those found in San Francisco, provide you with timely access to critical financial data, allowing you to make decisions based on current performance metrics. With digital reporting, you save time and reduce paper usage as you quickly pinpoint areas for improvement. These services boost your awareness of financial health, enabling you to manage cash flow issues proactively before they escalate. Regular financial reporting maintains clarity in your financial standings, supporting effective strategic planning. Plus, integration with cloud-based software means you can access your financial data anytime, anywhere, promoting better collaboration and responsiveness to market changes. Cost Efficiency of Online Bookkeeping Even though managing finances can be an intimidating task for many businesses, opting for online bookkeeping services presents a strategic solution that greatly improves cost efficiency. By choosing virtual bookkeeping, you can save between $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring a traditional in-house bookkeeper. Here’s how outsourcing your bookkeeping can cut costs: Reduced Overhead: Eliminate salaries, benefits, and office space expenses. Flexible Payment: Pay between $500 to $2,500 monthly based on the hours you need, rather than a fixed full-time salary. Operational Savings: Avoid the costs of physical office space and equipment, further decreasing expenses. Significant Savings: Achieve up to 70% savings on employment costs by outsourcing to firms, especially those in low-wage countries. These savings allow you to redirect funds toward growth initiatives, enhancing your business’s financial health without compromising quality. Access to Specialized Expertise When you choose online bookkeeping services, you gain access to specialized professionals who bring a wealth of expertise in various financial domains, such as tax preparation and forensic accounting. These experts provide customized support to address your unique financial needs, ensuring accuracy and compliance. By leveraging their skills, you can access high-quality insights at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time employee, greatly reducing your financial management expenses. Many online bookkeeping firms employ CPAs or certified bookkeepers who are well-versed in the latest accounting standards and best practices, enhancing the reliability of your financial records. Moreover, with experience ranging from personal financial planning to non-profit bookkeeping, these specialists help you navigate complex financial situations effectively. With such expertise at your disposal, you can focus on your business’s growth and operational efficiency, confident that your financial management is in skilled hands. Timely Financial Reporting and Analysis Timely financial reporting and analysis are crucial for effective business management, as they provide you with up-to-date insights into your financial health. With online bookkeeping services, you gain access to the latest financial data, enabling informed decisions and proactive management. Here’s how timely reporting can benefit you: Identify Areas for Improvement: Real-time insights help spot inefficiencies and improve operational strategies. Monitor Cash Flow: Regular financial analysis allows you to keep track of cash flow, ensuring you stay solvent. Assess Profitability: Comprehending your profit margins helps in pricing and cost management decisions. Recognize Financial Issues Early: Timely reporting alerts you to potential problems, allowing you to address them before they escalate. Enhanced Security Measures As your financial data becomes increasingly accessible through online bookkeeping services, safeguarding that information is crucial. These services utilize secure portals for accessing financial documentation, ensuring sensitive information is protected from unauthorized access. Advanced IT security measures, including encryption and regular updates, are implemented to guard against potential data breaches. Compliance with financial regulations and standards is a priority, offering you peace of mind regarding the security of your financial information. Virtual bookkeeping companies invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure, often more sophisticated than what small businesses can afford for in-house operations. Regular maintenance of security protocols is vital, ensuring that your data remains secure and up-to-date with the latest advancements in security technology. Flexibility and Scalability of Services With online bookkeeping services, you can easily adapt your financial management to meet your business’s changing needs. Whether you’re facing seasonal demand spikes or adjusting to growth, these services allow you to scale up or down without the hassle of hiring additional staff. This flexibility not just guarantees you only pay for what you need but likewise helps maintain financial accuracy as your operations evolve. Adaptable Service Offerings Online bookkeeping services provide a level of flexibility and scalability that traditional in-house solutions often can’t match. With these services, you can easily adjust your bookkeeping needs to align with your business’s growth or seasonal fluctuations. Here are some key benefits of adaptable service offerings: Scalable Packages: You can scale your service packages up or down, ensuring you only pay for the hours needed. Cost Efficiency: This flexibility can lead to cost savings of up to 70% compared to traditional methods. Tailored Solutions: Virtual firms offer solutions that adapt to your unique business requirements. Quick Modifications: You can swiftly modify services in response to changes in financial activity, enhancing overall efficiency. This adaptability helps maintain accurate records, empowering informed decision-making and sustainable growth. Seasonal Demand Management Managing seasonal demand effectively is crucial for businesses that experience fluctuations throughout the year. Online bookkeeping services provide the flexibility and scalability you need, allowing you to adjust your bookkeeping requirements based on demand without the added costs of hiring extra staff. You can scale services up or down according to growth patterns, ensuring you only pay for the hours and services you need during peak and off-peak periods. This adaptability mitigates financial strain during slower seasons, helping you maintain accurate records without unnecessary expenses. Furthermore, during busy times, you can quickly ramp up bookkeeping support, ensuring timely financial reporting and cash flow management. Leveraging online bookkeeping allows you to focus on strategic planning and growth opportunities as you manage fluctuating financial demands efficiently. How to Choose the Right Online Bookkeeping Service How do you find the right online bookkeeping service for your business? Start by considering the following key factors: Experience and Certifications: Confirm the bookkeepers have relevant qualifications and experience in your industry to provide customized financial management. Software Solutions: Investigate the software they use, like QuickBooks or Xero, to confirm it meets your financial tracking needs. Customer Feedback: Review testimonials and feedback from existing clients to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the service. Trial Period: Consider starting with a month-long trial to evaluate compatibility and determine if the service meets your expectations before making a long-term commitment. Also, look for flexible pricing models that fit your budget, allowing you to pay only for the hours you need rather than a full-time salary. These steps will help you choose a bookkeeping service that aligns with your business goals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Online Bookkeeping Services? Online bookkeeping services are cloud-based solutions that manage your financial records remotely. They handle various tasks, such as categorizing transactions, reconciling bank accounts, invoicing, and generating financial reports, all performed by skilled professionals. How Bookkeeping Is Beneficial for Business? Bookkeeping’s beneficial for your business in several key ways. It helps you maintain accurate financial records, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of costly tax penalties. With timely financial reports, you can make informed decisions and quickly identify cash flow issues. Furthermore, bookkeeping offers scalability, allowing you to adapt to growth or seasonal changes without hiring more staff. Improved security measures likewise protect your sensitive data, safeguarding your business against potential breaches. Is Virtual Bookkeeping Worth It? Yes, virtual bookkeeping is worth it for many businesses. It greatly reduces overhead costs, offering potential savings of $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring a full-time bookkeeper. You gain access to expert teams and advanced technology, ensuring accurate financial records and timely reporting. Plus, with flexible scalability and round-the-clock access to your financial data, you can manage your finances anytime, making it easier to adapt as your business needs change. What Is the Biggest Advantage of Electronic Bookkeeping? The biggest advantage of electronic bookkeeping is its cost efficiency. By outsourcing these tasks, you can save considerably—up to 70% on employment costs compared to hiring full-time staff. Moreover, electronic systems provide real-time access to your financial data, enabling informed decision-making. They improve accuracy by reducing errors, automate repetitive tasks, and offer robust security measures to protect sensitive information. This ensures your business operates smoothly and securely without overspending on staff. Conclusion In summary, online bookkeeping services provide an efficient solution for managing your business finances. By leveraging cloud-based technology, you gain access to expert support, timely reporting, and improved security, all during cost savings. These services offer flexibility and scalability, allowing you to adapt as your business grows. When choosing a provider, consider their features, expertise, and pricing to guarantee they meet your specific needs. By outsourcing bookkeeping, you can focus on what you do best—growing your business. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Online Bookkeeping Services and How Can They Benefit Your Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Online bookkeeping services streamline your financial management by using cloud-based software to track and process records efficiently. These services can save you money compared to hiring in-house staff, with costs typically between $500 and $2,500 monthly. By outsourcing, you gain access to expert support, real-time insights, and improved compliance. As you consider these benefits, it’s important to understand the key features that set online bookkeeping apart and how they can particularly support your business goals. Key Takeaways Online bookkeeping services utilize cloud-based software for efficient financial management, offering real-time tracking and processing of financial records. They provide cost-effective solutions, saving businesses $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring in-house bookkeepers. Access to specialized expertise ensures compliance and accuracy in financial records, helping businesses navigate complex financial situations with ease. Online services offer flexibility and scalability, allowing businesses to adjust bookkeeping needs based on demand without incurring extra hiring costs. Enhanced security measures protect sensitive financial data, ensuring compliance with regulations and providing peace of mind for business owners. Understanding Online Bookkeeping Services When you consider managing your business’s finances, online bookkeeping services offer a modern solution that combines convenience and expertise. These services provide remote financial management, utilizing cloud-based software to efficiently track and process your financial records. This eliminates the need for an in-house team, which can be costly. Typically, online bookkeeping services range from $500 to $2,500 monthly, considerably less than the nearly $50,000 annual salary of a traditional bookkeeper. Virtual bookkeeping guarantees accurate financial records through trained professionals who employ the latest accounting tools and practices. Communication with these online bookkeepers is seamless, allowing for real-time collaboration through digital channels. Furthermore, remote bookkeeping services are flexible, enabling you to scale your financial management according to your growth needs, adapting easily to seasonal fluctuations in activity. This adaptability makes online bookkeeping a smart choice for many businesses seeking efficient financial solutions. Key Features of Online Bookkeeping When you explore online bookkeeping, you’ll discover key features that greatly benefit your business. With specialized expertise access, cost-effective solutions, and real-time financial insights, these services can improve your financial management. This streamlined approach not just saves time but also helps you make informed decisions based on the latest data available. Specialized Expertise Access Accessing specialized expertise is one of the key advantages of online bookkeeping services, as these firms connect you with professionals skilled in diverse areas, including tax preparation, forensic accounting, and managerial accounting. By partnering with QuickBooks virtual bookkeeping companies, you gain access to top accounting professionals who stay updated on the latest practices and financial software. This guarantees high-quality insights customized to your unique business needs. With the best virtual bookkeeping services, you benefit from dedicated support, as each QuickBooks is assigned an accountant who understands its specific financial challenges. Remote access to expert teams means you receive timely financial reporting and advice, enabling you to make informed decisions and proactively manage your finances effectively. Cost-Effective Solutions Cost-effective solutions are one of the primary benefits of online bookkeeping services, making them an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. Here’s how you can save money with these services: Reduced Labor Costs: Outsourcing can save you up to 70% on employment costs compared to in-house staff. Flexible Pricing Models: You can select a customized bookkeeping services plan that fits your budget and needs. Eliminated Infrastructure Expenses: Avoid the costs of office space and equipment by using remote bookkeeping companies. Affordable Monthly Rates: Online bookkeeping services typically range from $500 to $2,500 monthly, far less than hiring a full-time bookkeeper in cities like San Francisco. These features guarantee your financial management is both efficient and cost-effective. Real-Time Financial Insights Real-time financial insights are vital for informed decision-making in today’s fast-paced business environment. Online bookkeeping services, like those found in San Francisco, provide you with timely access to critical financial data, allowing you to make decisions based on current performance metrics. With digital reporting, you save time and reduce paper usage as you quickly pinpoint areas for improvement. These services boost your awareness of financial health, enabling you to manage cash flow issues proactively before they escalate. Regular financial reporting maintains clarity in your financial standings, supporting effective strategic planning. Plus, integration with cloud-based software means you can access your financial data anytime, anywhere, promoting better collaboration and responsiveness to market changes. Cost Efficiency of Online Bookkeeping Even though managing finances can be an intimidating task for many businesses, opting for online bookkeeping services presents a strategic solution that greatly improves cost efficiency. By choosing virtual bookkeeping, you can save between $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring a traditional in-house bookkeeper. Here’s how outsourcing your bookkeeping can cut costs: Reduced Overhead: Eliminate salaries, benefits, and office space expenses. Flexible Payment: Pay between $500 to $2,500 monthly based on the hours you need, rather than a fixed full-time salary. Operational Savings: Avoid the costs of physical office space and equipment, further decreasing expenses. Significant Savings: Achieve up to 70% savings on employment costs by outsourcing to firms, especially those in low-wage countries. These savings allow you to redirect funds toward growth initiatives, enhancing your business’s financial health without compromising quality. Access to Specialized Expertise When you choose online bookkeeping services, you gain access to specialized professionals who bring a wealth of expertise in various financial domains, such as tax preparation and forensic accounting. These experts provide customized support to address your unique financial needs, ensuring accuracy and compliance. By leveraging their skills, you can access high-quality insights at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time employee, greatly reducing your financial management expenses. Many online bookkeeping firms employ CPAs or certified bookkeepers who are well-versed in the latest accounting standards and best practices, enhancing the reliability of your financial records. Moreover, with experience ranging from personal financial planning to non-profit bookkeeping, these specialists help you navigate complex financial situations effectively. With such expertise at your disposal, you can focus on your business’s growth and operational efficiency, confident that your financial management is in skilled hands. Timely Financial Reporting and Analysis Timely financial reporting and analysis are crucial for effective business management, as they provide you with up-to-date insights into your financial health. With online bookkeeping services, you gain access to the latest financial data, enabling informed decisions and proactive management. Here’s how timely reporting can benefit you: Identify Areas for Improvement: Real-time insights help spot inefficiencies and improve operational strategies. Monitor Cash Flow: Regular financial analysis allows you to keep track of cash flow, ensuring you stay solvent. Assess Profitability: Comprehending your profit margins helps in pricing and cost management decisions. Recognize Financial Issues Early: Timely reporting alerts you to potential problems, allowing you to address them before they escalate. Enhanced Security Measures As your financial data becomes increasingly accessible through online bookkeeping services, safeguarding that information is crucial. These services utilize secure portals for accessing financial documentation, ensuring sensitive information is protected from unauthorized access. Advanced IT security measures, including encryption and regular updates, are implemented to guard against potential data breaches. Compliance with financial regulations and standards is a priority, offering you peace of mind regarding the security of your financial information. Virtual bookkeeping companies invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure, often more sophisticated than what small businesses can afford for in-house operations. Regular maintenance of security protocols is vital, ensuring that your data remains secure and up-to-date with the latest advancements in security technology. Flexibility and Scalability of Services With online bookkeeping services, you can easily adapt your financial management to meet your business’s changing needs. Whether you’re facing seasonal demand spikes or adjusting to growth, these services allow you to scale up or down without the hassle of hiring additional staff. This flexibility not just guarantees you only pay for what you need but likewise helps maintain financial accuracy as your operations evolve. Adaptable Service Offerings Online bookkeeping services provide a level of flexibility and scalability that traditional in-house solutions often can’t match. With these services, you can easily adjust your bookkeeping needs to align with your business’s growth or seasonal fluctuations. Here are some key benefits of adaptable service offerings: Scalable Packages: You can scale your service packages up or down, ensuring you only pay for the hours needed. Cost Efficiency: This flexibility can lead to cost savings of up to 70% compared to traditional methods. Tailored Solutions: Virtual firms offer solutions that adapt to your unique business requirements. Quick Modifications: You can swiftly modify services in response to changes in financial activity, enhancing overall efficiency. This adaptability helps maintain accurate records, empowering informed decision-making and sustainable growth. Seasonal Demand Management Managing seasonal demand effectively is crucial for businesses that experience fluctuations throughout the year. Online bookkeeping services provide the flexibility and scalability you need, allowing you to adjust your bookkeeping requirements based on demand without the added costs of hiring extra staff. You can scale services up or down according to growth patterns, ensuring you only pay for the hours and services you need during peak and off-peak periods. This adaptability mitigates financial strain during slower seasons, helping you maintain accurate records without unnecessary expenses. Furthermore, during busy times, you can quickly ramp up bookkeeping support, ensuring timely financial reporting and cash flow management. Leveraging online bookkeeping allows you to focus on strategic planning and growth opportunities as you manage fluctuating financial demands efficiently. How to Choose the Right Online Bookkeeping Service How do you find the right online bookkeeping service for your business? Start by considering the following key factors: Experience and Certifications: Confirm the bookkeepers have relevant qualifications and experience in your industry to provide customized financial management. Software Solutions: Investigate the software they use, like QuickBooks or Xero, to confirm it meets your financial tracking needs. Customer Feedback: Review testimonials and feedback from existing clients to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the service. Trial Period: Consider starting with a month-long trial to evaluate compatibility and determine if the service meets your expectations before making a long-term commitment. Also, look for flexible pricing models that fit your budget, allowing you to pay only for the hours you need rather than a full-time salary. These steps will help you choose a bookkeeping service that aligns with your business goals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Online Bookkeeping Services? Online bookkeeping services are cloud-based solutions that manage your financial records remotely. They handle various tasks, such as categorizing transactions, reconciling bank accounts, invoicing, and generating financial reports, all performed by skilled professionals. How Bookkeeping Is Beneficial for Business? Bookkeeping’s beneficial for your business in several key ways. It helps you maintain accurate financial records, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of costly tax penalties. With timely financial reports, you can make informed decisions and quickly identify cash flow issues. Furthermore, bookkeeping offers scalability, allowing you to adapt to growth or seasonal changes without hiring more staff. Improved security measures likewise protect your sensitive data, safeguarding your business against potential breaches. Is Virtual Bookkeeping Worth It? Yes, virtual bookkeeping is worth it for many businesses. It greatly reduces overhead costs, offering potential savings of $6,000 to $24,000 annually compared to hiring a full-time bookkeeper. You gain access to expert teams and advanced technology, ensuring accurate financial records and timely reporting. Plus, with flexible scalability and round-the-clock access to your financial data, you can manage your finances anytime, making it easier to adapt as your business needs change. What Is the Biggest Advantage of Electronic Bookkeeping? The biggest advantage of electronic bookkeeping is its cost efficiency. By outsourcing these tasks, you can save considerably—up to 70% on employment costs compared to hiring full-time staff. Moreover, electronic systems provide real-time access to your financial data, enabling informed decision-making. They improve accuracy by reducing errors, automate repetitive tasks, and offer robust security measures to protect sensitive information. This ensures your business operates smoothly and securely without overspending on staff. Conclusion In summary, online bookkeeping services provide an efficient solution for managing your business finances. By leveraging cloud-based technology, you gain access to expert support, timely reporting, and improved security, all during cost savings. These services offer flexibility and scalability, allowing you to adapt as your business grows. When choosing a provider, consider their features, expertise, and pricing to guarantee they meet your specific needs. By outsourcing bookkeeping, you can focus on what you do best—growing your business. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Online Bookkeeping Services and How Can They Benefit Your Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Tehran’s decision could allow 3mn b/d of oil to be released to international marketsView the full article

The agentic web is taking shape through shared protocols, and they matter more than most businesses realize. The post MCP, A2A, NLWeb, And AGENTS.md: The Standards Powering The Agentic Web appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

His interventions in the sector exceed anything the EU has done View the full article

Quest for scale puts global money manager tie-ups on pace to crush last year’s deal total as costs and competition mountView the full article

For billions of Christians around the world, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While this is not an official federal holiday, federal offices are already closed because it always falls on a Sunday. Many private businesses and retail chains also choose to close their doors on this day, so even if you don’t celebrate, you may be impacted by the festivities. Here’s a look at what is open and closed on Easter Sunday, which is today, April 5, 2026: Mail, schools, and the stock market There will be no mail delivery from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), because it is not typically delivered on Sundays. The only exception is Priority Mail Express. Similarly, most UPS and FedEx deliveries are halted. The exceptions are UPS Express Critical and FedEx Custom Critical. The shipping organizations’ physical locations are also closed or have modified hours. Schools are always closed on weekends and many are even on spring break. If you’re a stock market investor, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq will resume regular trading hours on Monday, April 6. Grocery store closures Easter Sunday is not the ideal day to stock up on groceries, so plan ahead. Aldi, Costco, H-E-B, Target, and Sam’s Club are all closed. Thankfully 7-Eleven, Kroger, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market are available if you need more eggs to color or a last-minute cup of sugar. Be sure to double check with your preferred location as some stores may have reduced hours. Clothing store closures If you procrastinated buying your Easter outfit, don’t try JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Marshalls, Nordstrom, Target, or T.J. Maxx, as they are all closed. Instead, you can turn to Walmart. Home improvement and crafting store closures Home improvement projects and crafting may be delayed as well. Lowe’s will be closed on Easter, but Home Depot is open with reduced hours. For craft lovers, Michaels and Hobby Lobby are both closed and will not be available to supply your next creative project on Easter Sunday. Hopefully, you’ve planned ahead. Pharmacy closures If you or a loved one get sick on Easter Sunday, never fear. Major pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens are open. Some will have reduced hours, so to avoid an even bigger headache, double check your preferred location before you leave the house. View the full article

AI is moving fast. But are we really keeping humans at the center? AI scientist, founder of Affectiva, investor at Blue Tulip, and host of Pioneers of AI, Rana el Kaliouby makes the case that human-centric AI isn’t just a safety guardrail; it’s the key to thriving socially, economically, and emotionally. She also cuts through the noise on the buzziest AI myths, including whether we’re in an AI bubble. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response recorded live at SXSW, hosted by former Fast Company editor-in-chief Robert Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. You exited Affectiva in 2021. You’re an investor now at Blue Tulip. But you’re also the host of the podcast Pioneers of AI. Are these tools, between the investing and the podcast, that you’re using to try to shape where AI goes from here? What is your goal in that? Affectiva was my baby. It was literally my third child. It really was a big part of what I did and my identity. When I sold it in 2021, I spent a lot of time thinking about, What do I want to do next? And I kept coming back to this idea/question that we absolutely need to build a future of AI that is human-centric, that prioritizes how these technologies are going to affect our everyday lives and our relationships. And I mean, I believe that AI has massive economic opportunity. It really does. And at the same time, it has this opportunity to unlock human potential. So my point of view is that AI should not replace our abilities. It should really amplify and augment what we can do. And ideally, we can harness AI and use it to solve really meaningful problems facing society today. So that’s kind of my thesis around that. And then I was like, Okay, how do I shape that? How do I become a real player in that space, given my background? And I landed on three things. One is investing—backing founders who are building these generational category-defining human-centric AI companies. Two is storytelling, amplifying the voices of AI that maybe you may not have heard from. There’s a very small set of companies that dominate the AI headlines, in my opinion, but there are a lot of innovators and thinkers and creators in the AI space. And I want to make sure that we are a platform to tell their stories and . . . be a door opener too. And the third one is a convener, which is why I like to do these things. I love bringing people together with disparate backgrounds and perspectives and just seeing what magic unfolds. You use this phrase about humanizing technology before it dehumanizes us. And in the dialogue today about AI, I always wonder about for the practitioners, and you were one of the seminal ones, how much responsibility you feel like you have for what the future of this technology ends up being, and how deep is that conversation in that community as opposed to giving lip service to it, but I just got to get ahead of the company next to me? I feel a very strong responsibility. And I would actually argue we all have a responsibility as well because we get to vote with our [wallet] which AI tools we’re using every day. Who’s getting the $20-a-month subscription from all of us? And I think asking questions around, does this company care about the ethics of the technology? How is it being built? Are they thinking about bias, both data and algorithmic bias? Are they thinking about trust and security and privacy? Are they thinking about the use cases of this technology? Where should it be deployed and where should it really not be deployed? I think these are big questions that we all should be asking of the tools we’re using. And as an investor, there’s a set of questions. We have a rubric that we ask founders, and if the founders have not at all thought about it, if they’re not open, then we’re not investing in them. So because there’s so much noise surrounding AI right now and so many myths, it’s hard to know what to pay attention to. I think we all feel that. So this game is called fact or fiction, and I’m going to share a few video clips, some of which come from Pioneers of AI, the podcast, and each of them lead to a myth surrounding AI today. And I’ll be eager for your take about whether it’s mostly fact, mostly fiction, or somewhere in between. Are you ready? Let’s do it. So the first myth: We’re in an AI bubble. Is this fact or fiction? I think actually it’s mostly fiction. I believe there are signs . . . of potentially a bubble. For example, the frothy valuation problem. There are a lot of companies raising hundreds of millions of dollars at billion-dollar valuations, but they’re pre-product, they’re pre-revenue, that’s a red flag. And there are also some concerns around the circular money machine. You look at these handful of companies, they’re all investing in each other. They’re all buying chips from each other. Nvidia gives money to OpenAI. OpenAI uses that money to buy chips from Nvidia. Exactly. You kind of wonder what is the net new value creation here? But the world I’m in every day, the ecosystem of founders building real products that are going to be transforming real industries and companies that are really trying to figure out how to bring AI to be more productive, this is real. And it’s very early days. So that’s where I focus my energy. And I think we’re in the very early days of massive, massive economic opportunities. Maybe in the investment marketplace, there might be some bubble, which might be cautionary for all of us because we all have money in these companies now. But in the long run, you think the technology itself, we maybe are even undervaluing? I think so, yeah. The technology itself, it’s very early days, and the use, the applications of the technology is very early days. . . . Our thesis is basically AI is transforming every industry and vertical, but we focus on three in particular. One is how AI is driving this health span revolution. So think about sensors, data, AI, and how that can advance healthcare in every aspect of it. The other is the future of work. So how can we employ and deploy AI, whether it’s physical AI or AI coworkers and agentic AI to transform businesses and especially antiquated industries. Often they’re very boring and unsexy, but there are lots of opportunities there. And the last is sustainable living. How can we use AI to apply that to planet health, whether it’s food innovation, rethinking manufacturing, climate, [or] energy? View the full article

The most important Wi-Fi news items from the week that passed. Enjoy. The post Roundup: Iran targets big tech in ME, outdoor eero mesh for Europe, Plume goes to Vietnam, Ripple Fiber teams up with eero appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

With the world struggling to get oil supplies moving from the Middle East, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich raised eyebrows with a social media post highlighting a radical idea: Use nuclear bombs to cut a new channel along a route that would avoid Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Gingrich’s March 15, 2026, post linked to an article that labeled itself as satire. Gingrich has not clarified whether his endorsement was serious. But he is old enough to remember when ideas like this were not only taken seriously but actually pursued by the U.S. and Soviet governments. As I discuss in my book, Deep Cut: Science, Power, and the Unbuilt Interoceanic Canal, the U.S. version of this project ended in 1977. At the time, Gingrich was launching his political career after working as a history and environmental studies professor. Instead of fighting over a 21-mile-wide bottleneck forever, we cut a new channel through friendly territory. A dozen thermonuclear detonations and you’ve got a waterway wider than the Panama Canal, deeper than the Suez, and safe from Iranian attacks. https://t.co/Et21kHCiAw — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) March 15, 2026 Improving global trade and geopolitical influence The idea for a new canal to move oil from the Middle East had emerged two decades earlier, in the context of another Middle East conflict, the Suez crisis. In 1956, Egypt seized the Suez Canal from British and French control. The canal’s prolonged closure caused the price of oil, tea, and other commodities to spike for European consumers, who depended on the shipping shortcut for goods from Asia. But what if nuclear energy could be harnessed to cut an alternative canal through “friendly territory”? That was the question asked by Edward Teller, the principal architect of the hydrogen bomb, and his fellow physicists at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration had already begun promoting atomic energy to generate electricity and to power submarines. After the Suez crisis, the U.S. government expanded plans to harness “atoms for peace.” Project Plowshare advocates, led by Teller, sought to use what they called “peaceful nuclear explosions” to reduce the costs of large-scale earthmoving projects and to promote national security. They envisioned a world in which nuclear explosives could help extract natural gas from underground reservoirs and build new canals, harbors and mountainside roads, with minimal radioactive effects. To kick-start the program, Teller wanted to create an instant harbor by burying, and then detonating, five thermonuclear bombs in an Indigenous village in coastal northwestern Alaska. The plan, known as Project Chariot, generated intense debate, as well as a pioneering environmental study of Arctic food webs. Teller and the Livermore physicists also worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to study the possibility of using nuclear explosions to build another waterway in Panama. Fearing that the aging Panama Canal and its narrow locks would soon be rendered obsolete, U.S. officials had called for building a wider, deeper channel that wouldn’t require any locks to raise and lower the ships along its route. A sea-level canal would not only fit bigger vessels; it would also be simpler to operate than the lock-based system, which required thousands of employees. Since the early 1900s, U.S. canal workers and their families had lived in the Canal Zone, a large strip of land surrounding the waterway. Panamanians increasingly resented having their country split in two by the racially segregated, colony-like zone. Crossing Central America Nuclear explosions appeared to make a new sea-level canal financially feasible. The greatest impetus for the so-called Panatomic Canal occurred in January 1964, when violent anti-U.S. protests erupted in Panama. President Lyndon B. Johnson responded to the crisis by agreeing to negotiate new political agreements with Panama. Johnson appointed the Atlantic-Pacific Interoceanic Canal Study Commission to determine the best site to use nuclear explosions to blast a seaway between the two oceans. Funded by a $17.5 million congressional appropriation—the equivalent of around $185 million today—the five civilian commissioners focused on two routes: one in eastern Panama and the other in western Colombia. The Panamanian route spanned forested river valleys of the Darién isthmus and reached 1,100 feet above sea level. To excavate this landscape, engineers proposed setting off 294 nuclear explosives along the route, in 14 separate detonations, using the explosive equivalent of 166.4 million tons of TNT. This was a mind-blowing amount of energy: The most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested, the Soviet “Tsar Bomba” blast in 1961, released the energy equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT. To avoid the radioactivity and ground shocks, planners estimated that approximately 30,000 people, half of them Indigenous, would have to be evacuated and resettled. The canal commission considered this a formidable but not impossible obstacle, writing in its final report: “The problems of public acceptance of nuclear canal excavation probably could be solved through diplomacy, public education, and compensating payments.” In 2020, the Russian government declassified this footage of the “Tsar Bomba” test blast from 1961. A not-so-hot idea, in retrospect As explored in my book, marine and evolutionary biologists of the late 1960s sought to study the project’s less obvious environmental effects. Among other potential catastrophes, scientists warned that a sea-level canal could unleash “mutual invasions of Atlantic and Pacific organisms” by joining the oceans on either side of the isthmus for the first time in 3 million years. Plans for the nuclear waterway ended by the early 1970s, not over concerns about marine invasive species but rather due to other complex issues. These included the difficulties of testing nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes without violating the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 and the huge budget deficits caused by the Vietnam War. Despite the geopolitical and financial constraints, the sea-level canal studies employed hundreds of researchers who increased knowledge of the isthmus and its human and nonhuman inhabitants. Ironically, the studies revealed that wet clay shale rocks along the Darién route meant nuclear explosives might not work well there. But for Project Plowshare’s biggest proponents, atomic excavation remained a worthwhile goal. In 1970, in their final report, the canal commissioners predicted that “someday nuclear explosions will be used in a wide variety of massive earthmoving projects.” Teller shared their commitment, as he explained near the end of his life in the 2000 documentary Nuclear Dynamite. Today, given widespread awareness of the severe environmental and health effects of radioactive fallout, it is hard to envision a time when using nuclear bombs to build canals seemed reasonable. Even before Gingrich’s post sparked ridicule, press accounts described Project Plowshare using words like “wacky,” “insane,” and “crazy.” However, as societies struggle with disruptive new technologies such as generative AI and cryptocurrency, it is worth remembering that many ideas that ended up discredited once seemed not only sensible, but inevitable. As historians of science and technology point out, technological and scientific developments cannot be separated from their cultural contexts. Moreover, the technologies that become part of people’s daily lives often do so not because they are inherently superior, but because powerful interests champion them. It makes me wonder: Which of the high-tech trends being promoted by influencers today will amuse, shock, and horrify our descendants? Christine Keiner is the chair of the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at the Rochester Institute of Technology. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

These days, tech bros keep talking about “taste”— the ability to exercise human judgment and determine unique responses while guiding a machine. It’s a rare skillset, as some AI-made media automates content in the form of generic slop. And now tech professionals are the very people worried that technology will rob society of any real taste. The New Yorker’s Kyle Chayka, who broke down tech bros’ obsession with taste last month, coined the term “taste-washing” as the act of giving “anti-humanist technologies a veneer of liberal humanism.” In other words: giving AI properties human-like qualities and letting them run with it. When machines do all the creating, what are we left with? Taste is in right now, especially in tech circles. Chayka first reported on taste and technology in a 2018 essay for Racked, now Vox, called “Style Is an Algorithm.” Chayka now points out that Y Combinator founder Paul Graham wrote that in an AI age “taste will become even more important” in an X post. OpenAI’s president, Greg Brockman, agreed, sharing in an online post: “Taste is a new core skill.” And Koen Bok, the founder of AI design tool Framer, said that those with “great taste” will build the next great products in a podcast last month. While many people may not necessarily equate tech bros with “taste,” it is a group known for a preferring specific style, from quarter zips to Allbirds sneakers. (And, of course, there’s Steve Jobs and his custom Issey Miyake turtlenecks.) This trend has led some tech giants to try upholding taste themselves: Last year, Anthropic held a pop-up called “Zero Slop Zone” in New York, handing out lattes and hats labeled “thinking.” Mark Zuckerberg attended a Prada show in February, hinting at the company’s interest in style and taste.​ Despite the declared need for “taste” by tech giants, and that AI is a threat to it—others argue that AI can be trained to develop taste over time Head of product for AI company Linear, Nan Yu, is among the critics who believe AI bots can curate taste. “I hate to break this to everyone, but you probably don’t have better taste than the AI,” he wrote in an X post.​ During the Super Bowl, OpenAI aired ads filmed from a synthetic human’s point of view. And researchers have already begun training AI to detect taste, with a March 2026 research paper reporting that a small AI model, trained on citations, could detect which papers will be hits. This means that training AI on citations could lead AI to generate research ideas with long-term impacts. “Citations, upvotes & shares are signals that can teach AI judgment about quality, not just execution,” wrote Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor who studies AI in work settings, in an online post. ​AI machines are inherently uncool, and their brands are all after uniqueness despite their core products being trained to replicate human responses. Many people already see AI tools as a threat to their careers, futures and their own creative output. “AI-washing” became a buzzword earlier this year as companies blamed mass layoffs on AI advancements. Although companies attributed financial cuts to future AI implementation, many lacked the AI infrastructure to presently fill those vacant roles, according to a January report by market research firm Forrester. Tech companies value curation and human judgment as a core skill to excel in the tech sphere. But many argue machines are already doing all the creating. Matt Shumer, who wrote “Something Big is Happening” essay on AI, believes that in a couple years, AI will have better ideas. “I don’t see why ‘taste’ and direction are uniquely human, like many people say,” he wrote in an X post. “If an AI can train on it, it can learn it.” ​ View the full article

For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. In thousands of towns and cities across the U.S., automatic license plate readers have been installed at major intersections, bridges and highway off-ramps. These camera-based systems capture the license plate data of passing vehicles, along with images of the vehicle and time stamps. More recently, these systems are using artificial intelligence to create a vast, searchable database that can be integrated with other law enforcement data repositories. As a scholar of technology policy and data governance, I see the expansion of automatic license plate readers as a source of deep concern. It’s happening as government authorities are seeking ways to target immigrant and transgender communities, are already using AI to monitor protests, and are considering deploying AI systems for mass surveillance. Eyes on the road Using cameras to track license plates dates to the 1970s, when the U.K. was embroiled in a long-simmering conflict with the Irish Republican Army. The Met, London’s police force, developed a system that used closed-circuit television cameras to monitor and record the license plates of vehicles entering and exiting major roads. The system and its successors were seen as useful crime-fighting tools. Over the next two decades, they expanded to other cities in the U.K. and around the world. In 1998, U.S. Customs and Border Protection implemented this technology. By the 21st century, it had started appearing in cities across the U.S. There are different ways for a jurisdiction to implement these systems, but local governments usually sign contracts with private companies that provide the hardware and service. These companies often entice authorities with free trials of surveillance equipment and promises of free access to their data in ways that bypass local oversight laws. AI thrown into the mix Recently, AI has been incorporated into these camera systems, significantly increasing their reach. The vehicle information that’s captured is typically stored in the cloud, creating a massive web of data repositories. If a camera collects information from a suspect’s car or truck—say, one also listed in the National Crime Information Center—AI can flag it and send an instant alert to local law enforcement. In fact, that’s a selling point of Flock Safety, one of the biggest providers of automatic license plate readers. The company uses infrared cameras to capture images of vehicles. AI then analyzes the data to identify subjects and quickly alert local authorities. On the surface, automatic license plate readers seem like a logical way to fight crime. More information about the whereabouts of suspects can potentially help law enforcement. And why worry about cameras if you’re following the law? But there are few peer-reviewed studies on their effectiveness. Those that exist find little evidence that they’ve led to reductions in violent crime rates, though they seem to be helpful in solving some crimes, like car thefts. Furthermore, installation and maintenance are costly. For example, Johnson City, Tennessee, signed a 10-year, US$8 million contract with Flock in 2025. Richmond, Virginia, paid over $1 million to the company between October 2024 and November 2025 and recently extended its contract, despite opposition from some residents. The Conversation reached out to Flock for comment and did not hear back. Erosion of civil liberties in plain sight The technology seems to highlight the pitfalls of what scholars call “technosolutionism,” the belief that complex issues like crime, poverty and climate change can be solved by technology. Even more disquieting, to me, is the fact that these camera systems have created a mass location tracking infrastructure knitted together by artificial intelligence. The U.S. doesn’t have a federal law like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation that meaningfully limits the collection, retention, sale or sharing of location and mobility data. As a result, data gathered through surveillance infrastructure in the U.S. can circulate with limited transparency or accountability. License plate readers can easily be accessed or repurposed beyond their original goals of managing traffic, meting out fines or catching fugitives. All it takes is a shift in enforcement priorities—or a new definition of what counts as a crime—for the original purpose of these cameras to recede from view. Civil liberties groups and digital rights organizations have been sounding the alarm about these cameras for over a decade. In 2013, the American Civil Liberties Union published a report titled “You are Being Tracked: How License Plate Readers Are Being Used To Record Americans’ Movements.” And the Electronic Frontier Foundation has decried them as “street-level surveillance.” A counter-camera movement emerges The promise of these cameras was simple: more data, less crime. But what followed has been murkier: more data, and a significant expansion of power over the public. Without robust legal safeguards, this data can possibly be used to target political opposition, facilitate discriminatory policing, or chill constitutionally protected activities. This has already happened during the current administration’s aggressive deportation efforts. Automatic license plate reader databases were shared with federal immigration agencies to monitor immigrant communities. Recently, Customs and Border Protection was granted access to over 80,000 Flock cameras, which have also been used to surveil protests. Then there’s reproductive health care. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, there were fears that people traveling across state lines to get an abortion could potentially be identified through automatic license plate reader databases. In Texas, authorities accessed Flock’s surveillance data as part of an abortion investigation in 2025. Flock told NPR in February 2026 that cities control how this information is shared: “Each Flock customer has sole authority over if, when, and with whom information is shared.” The company noted that it has made efforts to “strengthen sharing controls, oversight and audit capabilities within the system.” But NPR also reported that many city officials around the U.S. didn’t realize how widely the data was being shared. In response, some states have sought to regulate the technology. Washington state lawmakers are deliberating the Driver Privacy Act. The legislation would prohibit agencies from using the surveillance technology for immigration investigations and enforcement, and from collecting data around certain health care facilities. Protests would also be shielded from surveillance. Meanwhile, grassroots initiatives such as DeFlock have also emerged. DeFlock’s online platform documents the spread of automatic license plate reader networks in order to help communities resist their deployment. The movement frames these systems not merely as traffic technologies, but also as linchpins of an expanding government data dragnet—one that demands stronger democratic oversight and community consent. Jess Reia is an assistant professor of data science at the University of Virginia. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Raising Cane’s CEO Todd Graves could go without veggies in his to-go box. More specifically, his go-to Cane’s order includes the box combo, extra toast and extra sauce—and no slaw, he said in a TikTok last month. The fast food executive admitted he’s not a fan of coleslaw, adding “that’s why you can trade it out,” in Joe Bonham’s “Financial Flex” social media series. His reasoning for including the shredded salad: “I wanted a vegetable component to the meal, and coleslaw is a Southern thing.” As the post went viral, one user asked the exec to swap the coleslaw for mac and cheese. Others pleaded to keep the coleslaw on the menu. Customers who order the Box Combo get four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Cane’s sauce, a piece of toast, coleslaw, and a drink. “I appreciate a CEO who can admit he doesn’t like something from their restaurants,” said another comment on the TikTok post. The viral CEO’s unapologetic distaste for the coleslaw arrives at a time when fast food customers are paying close attention to how company execs promote their products—err—food. We have all seen the miniature bite McDonald’s CEO and chairman Chris Kempczinski took out of the Big Arch burger. What followed was “burgergate”: fast food CEOs like Burger King and Wendy’s creating cringe-worthy knockoff content, and audiences turning on the pile-on brands, leaving the original video as the victor. Amid the social media mockfest, the customers in the drive-thru are the ultimate decision makers. In 1996, Graves established the chicken-finger joint at 24 years old, and the brand has since become the third-most-popular chicken restaurant based on sales. (Chick-fil-A and Popeyes top the podium.) As Gen Z and millennial customers steer away from chains like Chipotle, Cava, and Sweetgreen due to inflation, high housing costs, and flat-income growth, restaurants like Cane’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken have experienced greater sales and traffic growth. Over the last 10 years, the fast food restaurant has grown from a $350 million company to a $5.1 billion in system sales in 2024. At the onset, Raising Cane’s only sold chicken fingers and made boxes fresh to order. It still has a limited selection, compared to other fast food giants, which helps with efficiency, and it uses no heat lamps or microwaves in the chain’s kitchens. They also do not offer limited-time menu offers or discounts, unlike the all-too-familiar McDonald’s Big Arch burger. Whether or not Graves will come around to cole slaw remains to be seen. View the full article

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