Meaning & use
loyalty pay
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablebusiness
Extra money an employer gives a worker for staying with the company for a long time.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural: 'Loyalty pay is common in Japan.' Not 'a loyalty pay'.
Patterns
- loyalty pay for something
- receive loyalty pay
- be on loyalty pay
After ten years at the firm, she started receiving loyalty pay on top of her salary.
The union asked for loyalty pay to reward staff who stay for more than five years.
Loyalty pay is not taxed in some countries, which makes it more attractive.
noununcountablebusiness
A regular payment made to someone because they keep buying from the same company.
Grammar: Used for customer rewards, not only workers; still uncountable.
Patterns
- loyalty pay to someone
- earn loyalty pay
- loyalty pay scheme
The airline gives loyalty pay to frequent flyers in the form of free upgrades.
Some credit cards offer loyalty pay as cash back each year.
Retailers use loyalty pay to keep customers from switching to competitors.
Common combinations
- receive loyalty pay
- Employees receive loyalty pay after five years of service.
- loyalty pay scheme
- The company introduced a loyalty pay scheme to reduce staff turnover.
- be entitled to loyalty pay
- Part-time workers are also entitled to loyalty pay under the new contract.
- loyalty pay for long service
- The bonus is described as loyalty pay for long service.
Synonyms and how they differ
- long-service bonus
- A more common term in British English for a one-off or annual payment for staying; loyalty pay can be more regular.
- retention bonus
- Usually a single payment to stop someone leaving, not an ongoing reward for loyalty.
- seniority pay
- Based on years worked rather than loyalty alone, and common in US union contracts.
Word family
Commonly confused: loyalty pay or loyalty bonus? loyalty pay or loyalty program?
loyalty pay vs loyalty bonus
Often the same idea, but 'bonus' suggests a one-time extra payment, while 'loyalty pay' can be a regular addition to wages.
loyalty pay vs loyalty program
A scheme that rewards customers, not workers; 'loyalty pay' usually refers to money, not points or discounts.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'loyalty pay' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Loyalty pay is uncountable, so it takes no article and no plural: 'offers loyalty pay'. Options with 'a loyalty pay' or 'loyalty pays' are wrong because they treat it as countable, and the last option uses it as a verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “loyalty pay”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.