August 5, 2008 (FinancialWire) Internet retailer Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) (Current Market Cap: US$32.25 Bil.) plans to sell goods and digital downloads for loyalty program points rather than money.

The retailer says in a current job advertisement that it is planning to create a "new rewards redemption platform business" as part of its global payments system, a move that may be aimed both at its own credit card users and members of other loyalty programs. Loyalty programs operated by airlines, credit card companies, retailers and others are an increasingly important marketing battleground in the US.

LoyaltyOne Consulting, which has worked with a range of leading US companies' loyalty schemes, estimates that an average family is enrolled in 12 programs, and actively participates in four to five.

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