Optimize loyalty point accrual and redemption across merchant programs

Steps

1. Maintain a registry of loyalty program memberships: merchant, account ID, current point balance, point expiry dates, and redemption rate (points per dollar and dollar value per point).
2. Before each purchase, calculate the expected point earn at each eligible merchant; factor in bonus-point promotions by querying each program's current promotions endpoint if available.
3. At checkout, evaluate whether redeeming existing points on this purchase is optimal: compare the redemption value against holding points for a higher-value future redemption (e.g., points worth 1.2¢ now vs 1.5¢ on a future redemption tier).
4. After order confirmation, verify that expected points were posted to the account within the typical posting window (1–14 days); flag missing points for manual follow-up.
5. Alert before point expiry: if a program has expiring points, identify a low-cost purchase or qualifying activity that would reset the expiry clock.
6. Maintain a point valuation model per program so the agent can make consistent earn/burn trade-off decisions.