In the hopes of saving a little money, people's wallets are bulging with point cards covering the whole gamut of consumer purchases.
Point cards, ranging from those issued by small shops to major players like airlines, department store chains and credit card companies, are aimed at fostering repeat customers by rewarding their patronage with discounts or free gifts and services.
However, while the cards used to be limited to a single company's products and services, the situation is changing among big players: Companies are crossing industry lines to form alliances in the hope that greater ease of use will boost business.