Real-time payments are becoming the norm in the UK, with Faster Payments enabling instant transactions for both consumers and businesses. The shift is global, with cross-border initiatives closing the gap between sending and receiving money. But here’s the question: if payments now happen instantly, why are rewards still taking days - or even weeks - to arrive?
The speed gap in payments and rewards
The most recent Pulse Report by Pay360 - Top 10 Payments Trends Shaping the Next Five Years makes it clear: faster transactions are here to stay. From person-to-person transfers to corporate payments, consumers are no longer willing to wait for money to move.
Yet, many loyalty programs, cashback providers, and incentive schemes still operate on outdated timelines. Points accumulate over months. Cashback sits pending for weeks. Reward redemptions get lost in a manual approval queue. This delay doesn’t just frustrate - it risks losing customer engagement entirely.
In a world where everything is instant, a reward that lags behind feels out of step.
Instant expectations
Speed isn’t just a nice-to-have- it’s the baseline. Consumers who can order groceries in minutes, split a bill in seconds, and receive same-day deliveries expect the same from their rewards.
And there’s more than psychology at play here. Quick rewards drive repeat engagement. When a customer sees the direct, immediate benefit of an action - whether that’s making a purchase, completing a survey, or signing up for a service - they’re far more likely to do it again.
That’s why pairing real-time payments with real-time rewards isn’t just logical - it’s a competitive advantage.
The opportunity for business
For brands, fintechs, and loyalty providers, the opportunity is clear: deliver the reward at the exact moment the customer’s motivation is at its peak.
Imagine a customer using Pay by Bank to make a purchase and, within seconds, seeing a branded digital gift card land in their email or mobile wallet. No waiting. No chasing. Just instant gratification that strengthens the connection between action and reward.
The businesses that move fastest here will be the ones that win customer loyalty in the new payments era.
How Tillo makes it happen
Tillo’s platform is built for this moment. Through our award-winning API and StoreFront solutions, businesses can deliver digital gift cards instantly from a network of over 3,000 global brands.
That means:
- No delays – rewards go out in seconds, matching the speed of modern payment rails.
- No borders – multi-currency options make rewards just as instant for international customers.
- No limits – whether you need one reward or one million, delivery is seamless and scalable.
Our partners - from cashback providers to global loyalty programs - are already using Tillo to turn every transaction into a moment that matters.
Real-time starts now
The future of payments is already instant. The future of rewards should be too.
If your rewards are still stuck in the slow lane, now’s the time to change gears. With Tillo, you can match the speed of today’s payments landscape and give your customers the instant satisfaction they’ve come to expect.
Want your rewards to move as fast as your payments? Let's talk.
