Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIt's not your imagination: Companies are getting stingier with customer rewards. Raising the barSome of the biggest shifts in customer perks have come in the airline industry. At many retailers, customers must now pay a return fee if they want to ship back unwanted clothing, shoes or other items. "To drive that online demand, free shipping and free returns were put in place, but now we all know it costs significant money," he said. Both companies aim to make sure membership isn't shared with people who aren't paying, particularly as the companies chase new avenues of growth.

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Persons: Eva Marie Uzcategui, Dunkin, Cowen, David Garfield, Yuping Liu, Stephanie Keith, Marshal Cohen, Circana, Nordstrom, Christopher Dilts, Kohl's, Macy's, they're, Amit Sharma, Heidi Isern, Levi Strauss, Ann Taylor, Crocs, Brooks, reining Organizations: Brickell City Centre, Bloomberg, Getty, Retailers, Ross, uptick, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Old Dominion, Strome School of Business, LaGuardia, American Express, American, IRI, NPD, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie, Fitch, Nordstrom, Amazon, Foods, Netflix, Costco Locations: Brickell, Miami , Florida, Queens, New York, Delta, Schaumburg , Illinois