The US national newspaper has linked with two North American loyalty operators: Rewards Network, covering 9,000 restaurants and 10,000 hotels; and Advantex Marketing International, covering 200 online shops including Target and Best Buy.
Users need to register a credit or debit card at TimesPoints.com and pay with it to earn points. They are allowed to register up to three cards.
The points can be redeemed to pay for the cost of a New York Times subscription, merchandise from the paper's New York Times Store, or gift cards from selected NYT advertisers such as Apple iTunes Store and Barnes & Noble.
Alyse Myers, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at The New York Times Media Group, said: "The TimesPoints programme is an excellent opportunity for us to extend our brand and offer great benefits to our readers for doing everyday activities like dining, staying at hotels and shopping online."
In the UK, no comparable scheme exists, according to Jim Bilton, managing partner of Wessenden Marketing, which advises newspaper and magazine publishers on circulation and marketing.
"The big regional newspapers run reader loyalty clubs, but they tend to work in the opposite direction, where if a reader commits to the newspaper they can enroll in a club which entitles them to discounts in local retailers and restaurants. The NYT's scheme is a novel approach."
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