Customer Loyalty

I got a free coffee yesterday. After buying five coffees at Au Bon Pain, the sixth one was free!

I like frequent-buyer cards. I take them from all sorts of stores, even if I'm not a regular. But if you happen to go to a store frequently, they can help save some money.

I don't go to Au Bon Pain every day, but I stop in for a coffee and sometimes a treat whenever I'm in New York. The coffee isn't great, but it's fairly inexpensive (compared with certain chains) and it's convenient to where I work. And they court my business with the promise of free coffee. (Sidenote: Since I last started filling one of ABP's frequent-buyer cards, they've upped the ante to seven drinks with the eighth free.)

Here's a sampling of the frequent-buyer cards in my wallet right now:
- Au Bon Pain: seven coffees and the eighth one is free
- Cafe Borders: 10 drinks and the 11th is free (I have nine stamps)
- Fedora's, a local cafe: nine coffees and the 10th is free (two stamps)
- Thomas Sweet ice-cream shop: nine treats and the 10th is free (I am set to collect)
- Bengal Traders coffee, often found at Exxon stations: six hot drinks and the seventh is free (one stamp)
- Panera Bread: eight espresso beverages or coffees and the ninth is free (six stamps)

$$$

I opened up the free checking account at YNB that I mentioned the other day. Took all of 20 minutes to get $25. Not bad.