Short answer: a good loyalty card says in a few words what you have to do and what you get: "8 coffees, the next one's free". Here are nine examples with stamps and rewards by type of business, plus prepaid pass, points and gift cards, and the classic reward ideas.
How to choose a good reward
- Make it yours. Better a product or service you already sell than a generic discount: its real cost to you is lower than its sale price, and the customer sees it at full price.
- Make it clear in three words. «Free coffee», «free haircut», «free dessert». If small print needs explaining, the reward loses its punch.
- Make it arrive in time. The customer has to see the reward getting close. In how many stamps your card should have we explain how to work it out.
- Make it enjoyed at your venue. A reward consumed on the spot (a dessert, a beer) brings the customer back, often with company.
Loyalty card examples by type of business
These are stamp cards for made-up businesses, created with Rondafy's tool. The number of stamps and the reward are within the usual range for each industry; adjust them to how often your customer comes back (calculation in how many stamps a card should have).
Café: 8 stamps, free coffee
The daily habit. Clear and quick to complete. More in cafés.
Illustrative example
Bar: 10 stamps, a beer or a coffee
A reward that's enjoyed on the premises and brings the customer back. More in bars.
Illustrative example
Restaurant: 6 stamps, free dessert
Few visits, a tempting reward. More in restaurants.
Illustrative example
Bakery: 10 stamps, a loaf of bread
Near-daily purchases and small tickets. More in bakeries.
Illustrative example
Ice cream shop: 8 stamps, free ice cream
Designed for the season. More in ice cream shops.
Illustrative example
Barbershop: 6 stamps, free haircut
Visits every few weeks, so few stamps. More in barbershops.
Illustrative example
Hair salon: 6 stamps, a free treatment
Rewards every visit, whether it's a cut or colour. More in hair salons.
Illustrative example
Beauty and nails: 8 stamps, free nail design
A reward people can see and show off. More in beauty salons.
Illustrative example
Examples of other card types
- Prepaid pass card: a studio sells a 5-session pack; each visit deducts one and the customer sees in their Wallet how many are left. The pack can expire or not, as the business decides. If you sell packs, see the digital prepaid pass card.
- Points card: instead of rewarding the visit, it rewards spend. It fits when the ticket varies a lot from one purchase to the next. We explain it in points card or stamp card.
- Gift card: the customer buys an amount to give as a present, handy at Christmas. See gift cards for your business.
- Scratch & win on sign-up: optional on the Standard and Pro plans; the customer scratches before saving the card and can win an extra stamp, a discount or a free product, as the business chooses.
Reward ideas by type of business
If you've already settled on the format, here are more reward ideas for each industry:
Cafés
- Free coffee every 8 stamps.
- Free bun or toast with breakfast.
- Free seasonal drink (pumpkin latte, coffee slush).
- Double stamps during slow afternoon hours.
- Discounted bag of coffee beans.
More ideas and how to set it up in loyalty card for cafés.
Bars
- Free beer or soft drink when the card is complete.
- Free house tapa.
- Double stamps on match days.
- Free full breakfast.
- A treat on the customer's birthday.
Restaurants
- Free dessert on the sixth visit.
- Complimentary coffee or shot.
- House starter for the table.
- Free set lunch when the card is complete.
- Off-menu dish reserved for cardholders.
See loyalty card for restaurants.
Barbershops and hair salons
- Free haircut every 6 services.
- Free beard trim.
- Free hair treatment or mask.
- Styling product (wax, beard oil) to try.
- A treat for the friend the customer brings.
See barbershops and hair salons.
Beauty and nail salons
- Free nail design.
- Free gel polish.
- Discounted lash infill.
- Express facial.
- Gift for bringing a friend.
See loyalty card for beauty salons.
Bakeries and ice-cream shops
- Free baguette every 10 purchases.
- Pastry of the day.
- Discount on cakes and orders.
- Free ice cream or extra scoop.
- New product to try before anyone else.
See bakeries and ice-cream shops.
Gyms and studios
- Free class when the card is complete.
- A class to bring a friend.
- Shake or sports drink.
- Discount on the next fee.
- Assessment or personal training session.
Rewards that aren't a product
Not everything has to be free. Some businesses do better with experience or service rewards:
- Early access to news or seasonal products.
- Priority booking on special dates.
- A personal touch on their birthday.
- Entry into a monthly draw among those who complete the card.
If what you want is to sell session packs rather than reward, see the digital prepaid pass card. And if you're going to sell gift cards at Christmas, read gift cards for your business.
Common mistakes when choosing a reward
- Setting a reward so far away that nobody completes it.
- Choosing a 10% discount that the customer barely notices.
- Changing the terms halfway through a card without warning.
- Not reminding the customer that their reward is waiting.
- Don't reward Google reviews: Google prohibits offering anything in exchange for a review. Read how to ask for reviews without being pushy.
With a digital card, the last one is easy to fix: at Rondafy (Standard and Pro plans), if a customer completes the card and doesn't come for their reward within 3 days, the card reminds them automatically.
What a reward really costs you
Always calculate with the product cost, not the selling price. An illustrative example with made-up numbers to show the maths: if you give away a coffee that costs you €0.30 in product for every 8 coffees sold at €1.50, the reward is about €0.30 on €12 sold, i.e. around 2.5%.
Run these numbers with your own prices before choosing. To decide how many stamps to use, read how many stamps a card should have.
Rewards for customers who haven't been in for a while
A free stamp or a small treat with an end date is usually enough to bring back someone who's drifted away. How to approach it, with messages to copy, in how to win back customers who don't return. And for barbershops and beauty salons, promotions that work.
Frequently asked questions
Which reward works best on a loyalty card?
A product or service you already sell and that the customer values, such as a coffee, a dessert or a haircut. Its real cost is lower than its price and it's perceived as a full gift.
Is a discount or a free product better?
In local businesses a free product usually works better: it's easier to understand and seems more valuable than a percentage.
Can I change the reward later?
Yes. With a digital card like Rondafy you change the reward from the dashboard without reprinting anything. It's best to respect cards that were already half-filled.
What reward works best in a café?
A free coffee or seasonal drink is usually the clearest. See cafés.
Can I offer different rewards to different customers?
Yes, with notifications and customer groups you can offer a reward to a specific group (for example, people who haven't been in for a while). It's available on the Standard and Pro plans.
What loyalty card examples work in a café?
An 8-stamp card with a free coffee as the reward is the clearest example. If your customer comes every day, you can go up to 10 stamps. The sample card and more are in cafés.
