Pinnacle Financial Strategies, a Houston, Texas, firm thatprovides cash rewards programs has released studies which, itsays, indicates consumers strongly favor such cash-basedrewards.

The studies reaffirmed the long-standing consumer preference forcash-back rewards, with 61% of consumers asked responding that theywanted cash rewards most of all and 63% indicating a willingness toswitch financial institutions to get them.

But as much as consumers want them, cash-back rewards are alsothe most expensive or among the most expensive kinds of rewardsthat card issuers can offer, Pinnacle Financial Strategies said.