In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan speaks with Len Covello, chief technology officer at Engage People, the only loyalty network that enables program members to pay with points directly at checkout. Listen in as Covello provides an overview of the business and his role (1:00), Engage People's unique pay-with-points capabilities (4:15), and the value seen by consumers (6:40). He discusses expanding retailers' customer reach through brand loyalty program partnerships (8:20), keeping up with customer demand for value and personalized offerings (10:00), and trends in consumers' usage of pay-with-points at checkout (14:45).

In addition, Covello shares the various benefits of embedding loyalty directly into checkout for both retailers and shoppers (16:00), promoting pay-with-points throughout the purchase journey (19:00), and enabling pay-with-points directly at the point of sale to drive customer engagement, revenue and long-term brand loyalty (21:30). Lastly, he shares a real-world use case (22:50), key findings from recent research showcasing increasing consumer demand for pay-with-points (24:00), the growth of alternative payment options (25:45), and how listeners can learn more about Engage People (28:15).

As chief technology officer, Len Covello oversees the long-term technology vision of Engage People and is responsible for driving continued innovation. Len started his first technology company at the age of 18 and, most recently, was the director and chief technology officer with Access (formerly LRG Rewards). His passion is web-based application design and development across a wide variety of business applications, particularly in user interfaces and process automation.