Rewards Will Factor into Holiday Shopping Payment Choices – Digital Transactions
Consumers will keep one eye on their gift lists this holiday shopping season and the other on discounts and rewards to help pay for the gifts, suggests a new survey from Synchrony.
Consumer finance specialist and issuer Synchrony says 66% of consumers plan to use retailer rewards they’ve earned to help with their holiday purchases, up 13 points from 2025. Additionally, 58% intend to use specific credit cards to take advantage of rewards points or cash back. Synchrony surveyed 1,092 U.S. consumers Oct. 1 through Oct. 6.
This eye on cost cutting also extends to financing, with 42% saying they will seek deals to split their purchases into smaller payments, up 12 points from 2025. And, perhaps beneficial to Synchrony, which is known for its store card program, 40% would apply for a store card that has a discount on the first purchase, up 8 points from last year.
Getting the lowest price on purchases is the most universal goal, with 75% agreeing they would go out of their way to find the best price, a nine-point increase over 2025.
Synchrony suggests these results pinpoint the value of merchants meeting consumers with multiple payment options.
“Consumers want to make the holidays special while still being thoughtful about what they spend,” Darrell Owens, Synchrony executive vice president and chief executive of lifestyle, says in a statement. “Retailers can meet them in that moment with compelling offers, relevant rewards and flexible payment choices that help shoppers manage their budgets, feel more confident about their purchases and keep coming back.”
Top forecasted gift categories this year are gift cards, cited by 61%, clothing and accessories, 60%, electronics, 32%, and entertainment, 22%. Consumers expect to spend an average of $1,034 on holiday gifts in 2026.
