Coffee shop
The tenth-coffee card, without the cardboard
Your customers come by every day, order in seconds and leave. The card has to keep up with that pace: a scan while the machine is running, and a free drink that comes quickly.
Wallet
Coffee Club
Café Lumière
Customer
Marie D.
The trade
Customers of habit
The morning coffee is a routine. The customer does not compare places every day: they go where they usually go, until the day another habit replaces it. A loyalty card helps establish yours, and makes it visible: each stamp is a reminder that the next free drink is close.
The cardboard card does this job, provided it is in the pocket. In the phone, it always is, and it can be shown from an Apple Watch without even taking out the iPhone.
The rule
Stamps, and a reward that comes quickly
The receipt varies little, frequency matters more: the stamp card is the natural rule. For a customer who comes every working day, a reward at ten stamps arrives in about two weeks, which keeps up the wish to carry on.
A second, more distant tier gives a goal to those who have already had their drink. Points do not fade: the customer away on holiday for three weeks finds their balance intact.
Example
A coffee shop stamp card
- 1 drink
- 1 stamp
- 5 stamps
- A free pastry
- 10 stamps
- A free drink of your choice
Example settings. You set the tiers and rewards yourself.
The rush
A visit to the till that does not slow the queue
The scanner runs on a tablet next to the machine, or on the barista's phone. The customer shows their card when paying, the staff member points at the QR code and adds the stamp. No name to ask for, no card to dig out of a bag.
- The customer's profile appears with their balance: the barista can announce the free drink.
- The reward is confirmed from the same screen, and the stamps are deducted.
- On iPhone, the card is up to date before the drink is served.
Off-peak hours
Shift some of the crowd
Mornings overflow, early afternoons are quiet. A points multiplier on the quiet slot gives the customer a reason to come at another time: credits made during the slot are multiplied by themselves.
| Setting | Example |
|---|---|
| Time slot | From 2 pm to 5 pm |
| Multiplier | Double points |
Example settings. You choose the slot and the multiplier.
Messages
Writing without becoming intrusive
A daily customer sees your counter every day; they do not need a message every week. Keep campaigns for what they cannot guess: the seasonal drink that is coming, a new roaster, opening hours that change during the holidays.
The most useful signal is absence. A regular who has not come for two weeks may have changed route, or address. With the Pro plan, a "not seen for 14 days" segment lets you write to them alone. See campaigns and segments.
Questions from coffee shops
How does the stamp card work?
Each visit credits one stamp, whatever the amount. You set the number of stamps to reach and what they give, for example ten stamps for a free coffee. It is the clearest programme for a customer, and the one that needs the least explanation at the counter.
Can I run “double points” promotions?
Yes, with off-peak hours. You define a time slot and a multiplier, for example double points between 2pm and 5pm, and credits made during that slot are multiplied automatically. It is the most direct way to shift part of your footfall.
Does the card work on Apple Watch?
Yes. A card added to Apple Wallet on the iPhone automatically appears on the paired Apple Watch, with the same QR code to show. It is even the quickest gesture at the counter.
How do I convince my customers to sign up?
Offer it at the moment of paying, when the phone is already in hand, and give an immediate reason: a first stamp free on signing up, or a reward reachable in three or four visits. A card that starts at zero and promises a reward in ten visits makes nobody want it.
All the answers are in the frequently asked questions about the digital loyalty card.
Read next
- Bakery loyalty card
Another business with daily visits.
- Points and rewards
Stamps, tiers and off-peak hours.
- Points or stamps
Why stamps suit small receipts.
- Apple Wallet card
The card on iPhone and Apple Watch.
Replace the cardboard on the counter
Create your coffee shop's card and sign up your regulars tomorrow morning.