Reportage - Defining schemes: Spoilt for choice

Coming in such a vast array of shapes and forms, it is difficult to define what schemes actually are. Tony Bloomer argues their ambiguity enables flexibility and innovation and, ultimately, opportunity for the industry.

So what to make of schemes then? For a line of business that's talked about so often and is such an active segment of the industry, there is surprisingly little discussion about it and there seems to be little common ground. What is really meant by a scheme anyway? While some people call them schemes, others use facilities and some keep it really loose and rather cryptically refer to them as arrangements. Some of us may also have heard the term affinities or sponsored business used on occasion