Consumers have long been told that it pays to be faithful. If you stick with a company, the thinking goes, you'll eventually be rewarded with a discount, an upgrade, or a perk.
That's not always how things play out, unfortunately. More often than not, sticking with a company long-term actually means you wind up paying more. Business Insider has termed this phenomenon the "loyalty penalty," and says that there's a high chance you're paying it.
