Digital loyalty cards: a guide for retailers

Published on 27/08/2026 · By Blaise Calinaud, Eazyclick.

Paper stamp cards get lost or forgotten and tell you nothing about your customers. A digital loyalty card does the same job without the paper: customers collect points with every purchase or appointment and receive their reward without asking. This guide explains how it works, how to choose the right approach and which mistakes to avoid.

What is a digital loyalty card?

A digital loyalty card is the digital version of a stamp card: instead of carrying a card, customers are identified by their email, phone number or customer account, and their points are recorded automatically. They check their balance online, and you see who comes back, how often and how much they spend.

Depending on the tool, the card lives in one of three places: an app to download, the phone's wallet (Apple Wallet or Google Wallet), or the customer area of your own website. Each option has its advantages; the key question is who owns the customer relationship.

How does a loyalty programme work?

A loyalty programme has three settings: what earns points (a euro spent, a visit, an attended appointment), the thresholds to reach and the reward at each threshold (discount voucher, free product, free service). Customers sign up once, then everything adds up automatically with every purchase.

The most common approaches for retailers:

• By spend: one point per euro spent, a €5 voucher at 100 points. Simple and fair when basket values vary.
• By visit: the tenth haircut or coffee is free. Ideal for regular purchases of the same value.
• By tier: benefits that grow with loyalty (bronze, silver, gold). Useful for recognising your best customers.

How do you create a digital loyalty card?

To create a digital loyalty card, first choose your earning rule and reward, then a tool that records points automatically at the till, online or at appointments. Next, collect the customer's consent at sign-up and promote the programme at the counter, on your receipts and on your website.

The steps:

1. Work out what you can offer. A reward worth 5 % of the amount spent is a good starting point; above that, check your margin.
2. Make the reward achievable. If the first voucher arrives after a year, nobody remembers it. Aim for a first threshold within a few visits.
3. Automate. Points should be credited without the person at the counter having to think about it, and vouchers should issue themselves.
4. Ask for consent. Joining the programme must be the customer's choice, and using their data to contact them must be a separate choice (Belgian Data Protection Authority, direct marketing).
5. Spread the word. A mention at the counter, a line on the receipt, a feature on the homepage.

App, Wallet or customer area: which should you choose?

Choose according to your customers and website. A dedicated app requires a download that many people decline. A Wallet card is handy at the counter, but customers only see their points. A customer area on your website keeps the relationship with you: customers see their points, vouchers and your products.

Loyalty apps shared by several shops have another effect: your customers also see neighbouring businesses. By contrast, a card linked to your own website keeps you in control of the relationship and data. Whatever you choose, ask how the tool is billed (subscription, per transaction or per customer) and whether you can export your member list.

What loyalty card mistakes should you avoid?

The most common mistakes are rewards that take too long to reach, complicated rules, sign-up taking more than a minute at the counter and manually credited points that get forgotten. Also avoid points expiring without warning: a customer who unexpectedly loses their points will not return.

Other things to watch:

• Don't only reward purchases. An attended appointment can also earn points. However, never offer points for a Google review: Google's rules prohibit reviews given in exchange for an incentive.
• Track outstanding vouchers. Vouchers issued but never redeemed are a liability you need to know about.
• Carry over the old card. If you used stamp cards, transfer your regulars' balances rather than resetting them to zero.

How does it work with Eazyclick?

With Eazyclick's Loyalty module, your customers earn points for every paid order on your website or every attended appointment. A discount voucher is issued automatically when a threshold is reached, and customers find their card, balance and vouchers in your website's customer area.

The module works with your shop (Complete e-commerce) or with appointment booking alone, for a salon or practice without a shop. The voucher applies automatically to the customer's next order, members are unlimited, and you can import points from your old stamp cards.

What the module does not do: it does not create a card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The card lives in your website's customer area.

The module costs €190 to set up, then €44/month over 12 months or €35/month over 24 months excl. VAT, per website. To bring members back, combine it with a newsletter sent to those who have agreed to receive it.

Is a loyalty programme worth the cost for a small shop?

For a small shop, a loyalty programme is worth the cost when customers can return often: food, coffee, hairdressing, beauty, cycling. It costs you the reward and the tool, and brings extra visits and a customer list you can contact. Measure active member numbers after three months.

If your customers buy once every three years, a points card is not the right approach: focus on Google reviews and word of mouth instead.