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1957 points apokryptein | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.597s | source
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inahga ◴[] No.42910118[source]

There are quite a few interesting tracking flows out there.

My rent is paid through a company called Bilt.

I discovered that when I shop at Walgreens now, Bilt sends me an email containing the full receipt of what I bought like so:

    > Hey [inahga],
    >
    > You shopped at Walgreens on 12/1/24 and earned Bilt Points with your
    > Neighborhood Pharmacy benefit.
    >
    > Items eligible for rewards
    > TOSTITOS HINT OF LIME RSTC 11OZ
    > $3.50
    > 
    > +3 pts
    > TOSTITOS RSTC 12OZ
    > $3.50
    >
    > +3 pts
    > Other items*
    > EXCLUDED ITEMS
    > $0.07
    >
    > *May include rewards-ineligible items and/or prescriptions.

Ostensibly (hopefully) it would exclude sensitive items, plan B, condoms, etc...

I'm curious how this data flows from Walgreens to my rent company, but maybe I'd rather not know and just use cash/certified check from now on.

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andrewfromx ◴[] No.42910141[source]

"Bilt Members can earn points on Walgreens purchases made using any card linked to their Bilt account."

https://support.biltrewards.com/hc/en-us/articles/2901187842...

There's that FSA/HSA benefit section at the bottom which explicitly states that Bilt receives item-level data:

https://www.biltrewards.com/terms/walgreens

replies(1): >>42910223 #
gruez ◴[] No.42910223[source]

That just sounds like a standard cross-merchant loyalty program? I don't think there are many examples in the US, but once you realize it's a loyalty program you really shouldn't be surprised that they're tracking your purchase history. That's basically the entire premise.

replies(2): >>42910281 #>>42911059 #
mistrial9 ◴[] No.42910281[source]

> it's a loyalty program

calling something loyalty does not make it "loyalty" ..

replies(2): >>42910370 #>>42910622 #
1. gruez ◴[] No.42910370[source]

That's just the standard term for such programs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_program

replies(1): >>42910590 #
2. uoaei ◴[] No.42910590[source]

It's the normal term, in that it has been normalized as such. But it is otherwise not accurate except in the barest, most monetaristically self-fulfilling-prophecy way.