Is a digital loyalty card better than an app?

For most cafés and restaurants, yes. A wallet card asks nothing of the customer beyond one scan, while a loyalty app has to be found in the app store, installed and signed into before the first stamp.

Do digital loyalty cards work in the UK and the US?

Yes. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet work the same way in both countries, and Loyalstack cards work on any recent iPhone or Android phone.

How long does it take to set up?

With Loyalstack, about 10 minutes: pick a card type, add your logo and colors, set the reward and print or share the QR code.

Guides

Digital loyalty cards: the complete guide for cafés and restaurants

By the Loyalstack team · Updated October 31, 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

A digital loyalty card is a stamp, points or membership card that lives on the customer's phone instead of in their pocket. The most convenient kind saves straight to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, so customers never install an app. They scan a QR code once, staff scan the card at the counter, and the business can send messages to the lock screen.

Paper loyalty cards have a simple problem: they live in wallets, coat pockets and kitchen drawers, everywhere except in the customer's hand at the till. A digital loyalty card moves the card onto the phone, which people never leave at home. Here is what that means in practice for a café, bakery or restaurant.

What is a digital loyalty card?

A digital loyalty card is a loyalty card that is stored on a smartphone. It can work like a classic stamp card (UK) or punch card (US), collecting a stamp per visit, or like a points card, collecting points per dollar or pound spent. When the customer reaches the target, they get the reward.

There are three ways businesses deliver one:

	Paper card	Loyalty app	Wallet card
How customers join	Pick up a card	Find, install and sign into an app	Scan a QR code once
Lost or forgotten	Often	When the app is deleted	Rarely, it lives in the phone's wallet
Messages between visits	No	Only with notifications on	Lock-screen messages, no app
Know your regulars	No	Yes	Yes

A wallet loyalty card is the third option: a card that saves to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Google Wallet on Android. Both apps come preinstalled, so the customer never visits an app store.

How a wallet loyalty card works

You design the card. Add your logo and colors, pick the card type and set the reward.
You share a QR code or link. Print it on the counter, menus and bags, or post it on Instagram.
The customer saves it. They scan with the phone camera and tap "Add to Apple Wallet" or "Save to Google Wallet".
Staff scan to stamp. At the till, staff scan the card's barcode and the stamp or points appear on the customer's card straight away.
You stay in touch. You can send a message that appears on the customer's lock screen, for example when a new seasonal drink launches.

Which card types can you offer?

Loyalstack supports six card types, so you can match the card to how your business works:

Stamp card: the tenth coffee free, the sixth bubble tea free.
Points card: points per dollar or pound, rewards at set levels.
Membership card: a coffee club or brunch club with a member perk.
Coupon: a one-time offer, such as a welcome pastry.
Discount card: a standing percentage off for a group, such as local office staff.
Gift card: a card customers can give to a friend.

Do customers really prefer wallet cards to apps?

Think about your own phone. Most people keep a handful of apps they use every day and ignore the rest. Asking someone to install an app to save a few dollars on coffee is a big ask; asking them to scan a code and tap one button is not. That is the whole case for wallet cards: they remove the step where most customers give up.

What does it cost?

Loyalstack's Merchant plan is $29/mo for one location, including unlimited cards, customers, team seats and push notifications. Businesses with several sites use the Franchise plan at $99/mo for 3 locations, then $10/mo per extra location. Plans are billed monthly in USD with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required. See pricing for the full comparison.

Digital loyalty cards in the UK and the US

Apple Wallet and Google Wallet work the same way on both sides of the Atlantic, so a wallet card works for a coffee shop in Manchester as well as one in Brooklyn. The vocabulary differs: British customers usually say "loyalty card" or "stamp card" and businesses talk about a "loyalty scheme", while Americans say "punch card" and "rewards program". Use the words your customers use on your counter sign.

How to launch yours

Setup takes about 10 minutes. Pick a card type, add your branding, set the reward and print the QR code that Loyalstack generates for you. If you want ideas for the reward itself, read our coffee shop loyalty program ideas, or see how it works for cafés, bakeries, restaurants and fast food.

Frequently asked questions

What is a digital loyalty card?: A digital loyalty card is a loyalty card stored on a phone. Customers collect stamps or points on it the same way they would on paper, but it cannot be lost, and the business can see who its regulars are.
Is a digital loyalty card better than an app?: For most cafés and restaurants, yes. A wallet card asks nothing of the customer beyond one scan, while a loyalty app has to be found in the app store, installed and signed into before the first stamp.
Do digital loyalty cards work in the UK and the US?: Yes. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet work the same way in both countries, and Loyalstack cards work on any recent iPhone or Android phone.
How long does it take to set up?: With Loyalstack, about 10 minutes: pick a card type, add your logo and colors, set the reward and print or share the QR code.