Loyalty programs are structured marketing strategies designed to encourage customers to continue to shop at or use the services of businesses associated with each program. Many such programs exist covering most types of business, each one having varying features and rewards schemes. One can regard loyalty programs as a form of centralized virtual currency, one with unidirectional cash flow, since reward points can be exchanged into a good or service but not back into cash. B2B (Business-to-business) loyalty programs reward businesses for their purchase of goods and services from suppliers.