Field notes · 28 Jan 2026
Reading breakage without panicking the board
Unused points sound alarming in a finance pack. Here is how we brief ageing balances so marketing and finance stay in the same conversation.
Breakage — points that may never redeem — sits at the awkward edge of loyalty accounting. Marketing hears “members love us”; finance hears “liability.” Both can be true in the same month.
Keep the chart count low
In Point Breakage Briefings we usually bring three visuals: age bands of unused balances, redemption velocity by join-year cohort, and a simple before/after if a catalogue change landed mid-year. Extra slides rarely improve the decision.
Speak the shop-floor moment
Members do not experience “breakage.” They experience an expiry reminder, a missing partner, or a reward that needs too many points. Tie each ageing band to a catalogue or rule decision someone in the room can own.
Agree the next measurement window
End the briefing by naming the month you will re-check velocity. Boards tolerate uncertainty better when the next look-back date is already on the calendar.