A more flexible loyalty model has helped lift card usage in a slower market by matching rewards more closely to how customers spend
When consumer spending in Thailand softened, Central The 1 Credit Card needed to keep its mature co-branded card relevant at a time when fixed rewards were losing some of their pull. The company responded by updating the Central The1 Credit Card with revised core features, a market-first usage-driven proposition, targeted campaigns and stronger use of customer data.
The card needed to stay relevant inside a large retail ecosystem, where continued relevance depends on keeping pace with how customers actually spend rather than relying on brand recognition alone. The aim was to protect transaction volumes and keep the card top-of-wallet as spending patterns shifted and standard rewards became easier to overlook.
Shaping rewards
The main change was in how rewards were used. Central The 1 Credit Card drew on transaction data, market research and customer feedback to track spending behaviour and adjust the proposition more actively. Rewards were no longer treated as a fixed feature attached to the card. They became a more responsive tool shaped around customer demand and category-level momentum.
This core feature change was introduced through the launch of T1 Dynamic Point in July 2025. Rather than offering a static rewards structure, the card rotated bonus points each month across selected categories and brands. That gave the issuer more room to match incentives to seasonal demand, shopping occasions and changes in consumer interest.
The model worked because it stayed close to real purchase behaviour. Instead of relying on one permanent offer, the card used time-based incentives in categories customers were already likely to consider. Campaigns covered luxury and fashion, consumer electronics and grocery spending, before widening into a broader multi-brand push across major retail locations. For a co-branded credit card linked to a large retail ecosystem, this approach enables the card proposition to respond more precisely to actual customer behaviour. It also allows rewards to be tailored at SKU level, moving beyond the fixed-tier rewards structures traditionally used by the sector.
Revamped target market
The relaunch was supported by changes to the card’s design and presentation, with particular attention to younger, lifestyle-led customers and people entering the workforce. That gave the product a fresher look, but the more important shift sat beneath – the rewards mechanics and the messaging were better matched to current behaviour.
The performance figures show the change had substance. Total usage volume reached THB124.84bn ($3.9bn) in FY2024, up 13% year-on-year. The card also outperformed the wider market, where usage volume rose just 2% over the same period. That gap suggests the revised loyalty model helped the card hold attention more effectively in a softer spending environment.
This is what gives the story weight. General Card Services did not simply refresh the branding around an established card. It adjusted the reward model so the proposition could respond more quickly to changing customer behaviour. In a slower market, this approach made the card more relevant and helped translate that relevance into stronger usage.