Ten stamps and a free kebab
You have a box of stamp cards by the till and a stamp that is running out of ink. Customers collecting at the counter get a stamp per order, and on the tenth, a free meal. Regulars love it. But half of them lose the card by the sixth stamp. Some come in with a card full of stamps that do not look quite like yours. And your phone and website customers, who order just as often, get nothing because there is nothing to stamp.
Meanwhile the delivery apps run their own loyalty and discounts for customers who order through them, which nudges your regulars towards the apps rather than towards you.
Why paper cards do not do the job
A stamp card is a counter tool. It works for one channel and records nothing. You do not know how many cards are out there, how many are close to a reward or who your most frequent customers are. When a card is lost, the customer's loyalty history goes with it, and they are unlikely to start again.
Takeaway loyalty schemes that do work usually sit inside a bigger platform, which may want you to use their ordering app, their tablet and their fees. That can be fine, but many takeaways just want something simple that fits what they already have.
What the paper scheme misses
| Gap | Effect |
|---|---|
| Only counter orders count | Phone and website regulars have no reason to stay direct |
| Lost cards | Customers lose progress and give up |
| Copied stamps | Free meals given against fake cards |
| No customer record | No way to contact your best customers |
| No figures | No idea whether the scheme brings people back |
The main missed opportunity is using loyalty to move regulars from the apps to your own channels, where you keep more of the order value and hold the relationship.
Loyalty on the phone number
- Customers join with their mobile number, at the counter, on the phone or when ordering on your website. They confirm by text, which also records their consent to hear from you if they choose.
- Each qualifying order on the till, the phone order screen or the website is linked to that number and earns points or a stamp, following rules you set.
- When a reward is due, it shows on the counter screen or the website basket and is applied with one tap, so staff do not have to calculate anything.
- Customers can check their balance from a link in a text, with no app to download.
- You see a list of members, how often they order and what they order, and can send occasional texts or emails to those who opted in.
- Rules such as a double-stamp night or a reward for ordering direct can be switched on for set dates.
App orders cannot earn your loyalty, because the apps own that customer relationship and their terms decide what you can do. We focus on the channels you control. We also leave marketing rules to your own adviser.
A regular's week with digital loyalty
A customer who always rang now orders on your website, because the text they got after joining said direct orders earn double. Their balance shows in the basket. At the counter, a walk-in gives their number and the till shows they are one stamp away. At the end of the month you can see your hundred most frequent customers and send them a note about the new menu.
- One loyalty scheme across counter, phone and website
- No lost or copied cards
- Rewards applied automatically at the till or basket
- A customer list you own and can contact with consent
Is your loyalty still on paper?
- You use paper stamp cards.
- Phone and website customers get no loyalty reward.
- You have seen stamp cards that look suspicious.
- You do not know who your most frequent customers are.
- You would like a reason for regulars to order direct instead of through apps.