Points or stamps: which loyalty program should you choose?
Free coffee on the 10th visit, a points pot, or both: how to choose the format that fits your business and your customers.
The program format shapes how your customers understand the reward. A stamp is readable at a glance; a points balance offers more flexibility. Here's how to decide without overcomplicating things.
Stamps: simple and concrete
Ideal for businesses with frequent visits (café, bakery, salon). The customer clearly sees "3 / 10". The reward is fixed: at the threshold, you give the gift and the card resets to zero. It's the model closest to the classic punch card, and therefore the most familiar.
- Perfect if each visit has roughly the same value.
- Easy to explain at the till in 5 seconds.
- Less suitable if the average ticket varies a lot (grocery, spa).
Points: flexible and progressive
Each visit credits a number of points. When the threshold is reached, you debit that threshold and the surplus remains. Useful when baskets differ, or if you want to evolve the reward later without changing the core logic.
Both: possible, but handle with clarity
Some businesses combine points and stamps. It works if each track has a clear promise (e.g. stamp = coffee, points = seasonal gift). Otherwise, the customer no longer knows what to look at on their card.
What KARD enables
In KARD, you choose points, stamps, or both, set the threshold and reward description, then redeem the reward from the till or scanner when the threshold is reached. The balance updates on the customer's Wallet card.