It’s generally accepted that loyalty programs drive use of just about anything; all else being equal, people like discounts and free stuff for doing things they would ordinarily do anyway.

That’s what’s got mobile payments systems looking into loyalty programs, and Spreedly’s CEO Justin Benson recently took a closer look at the notion himself.

Benson noted that mobile OS-related wallets, like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and so on, have been drawing the early adopting technologists who love all forms of new technology and are willing to work with less than standard material.

Some users were looking to optimize their mobile payments experience, focusing mainly on what rewards are available, what coupons are on hand and the like while others focused on little in particular, just using the service and walking away.

Early developments have left that first bunch in a difficult position as services start exiting the market in the face of new competitors.

That entire market underscores how important rewards programs are. While there are some that don’t particularly care about the programs one way or another, there are plenty who are looking for the best deal.

Offering a quality rewards program makes sense, therefore, to bring as many users as possible into play. Not only does it get the users who are focused on rewards, it also brings in more regular users.

There’s a wide array of users out there, after all, who aren’t using mobile payments at all because they don’t see a reason to do so.

Why bother using mobile payments when a few dollar bills will do the job just as well? The only way to get those users is to make it worth their while, to deliver the value of changing over.

If the value isn’t there, then there’s no reason to stop doing what’s already working. It’s possible to force that issue by refusing to take cash, but that’s a risky strategy.

It poses the risk of alienating the customer, and businesses can’t afford to alienate customers in a time of expansive competition.

The better a job that businesses can do offering value, the better chance of getting and keeping new business.

Mobile loyalty programs offer a way to add that value, and might be just what mobile payments needs to make the entire field come alive.