What is a good reward for a loyalty card?

Something your customers already buy, given free: the tenth coffee, the sixth treatment, a free wash. It costs you less than its value to the customer, and it brings them back for the thing you sell.

How many stamps should a loyalty card have?

Match it to how often people visit. Ten suits a weekly purchase like coffee; six suits a salon client who comes every six weeks or so. The first reward should be reachable within a few months.

Do loyalty cards need a barcode?

Not for a stamp card: the stamps are the record. A points card needs a barcode, QR code or magnetic strip that your till or loyalty software can read.

What ink should I use to stamp plastic loyalty cards?

A quick-drying ink made for non-porous surfaces. Ordinary water-based ink pads smudge on gloss PVC. A hole punch is the alternative, or choose Plastic-Free Board cards, which take ink stamps anywhere.

How do I stop people faking stamps?

Use a stamp or punch shape that’s your own rather than a common design, and have staff initial or date each box. Points cards avoid the problem, because the record is on your system.

Can my loyalty cards match my gift cards?

Yes. Most businesses order gift cards and loyalty cards in the same design, so the two read as a set.

How many loyalty cards should I order?

Enough for about a year of new customers. We print from 25 cards, and the price per card falls as the quantity rises. Our guide to how many loyalty cards to order helps you choose.

Can you design my loyalty card?

Yes. Our in-house design service is £29 +vat, with no limit on reasonable amends, and you approve a free photorealistic proof before anything is printed.

Loyalty Card Ideas for Small Businesses

The best loyalty schemes are simple: a reward people actually want, reachable within a few weeks or months of normal visits, with the rules printed on the card so nobody has to ask.

This guide sets out the five kinds of scheme, four card layouts that work, and a suggested reward and card for twelve kinds of business, from cafés and salons to car washes and garden centres.

The short versionPick a reward people want, and make the first one reachable within a month or two of normal visits. Match the number of stamps to how often customers come in, and print the rules on the card. Stamp cards need nothing but a stamp or punch; points cards need a barcode or QR code your till can read.

Five kinds of loyalty scheme

Almost every loyalty card falls into one of five kinds. The first needs nothing but a stamp or a punch; the others need your till or your records to keep track.

The classic

Stamp card

A stamp or punch for every visit or purchase, and a reward when the card is full. Nothing to scan, no system to buy.

Spend-based

Points card

A barcode, QR code or card number your till reads, so points build up against what each customer spends.

For your best customers

Tiered card

Silver, gold and so on, with better rewards at each level. A different card for each tier makes the step up feel real.

Paid for

VIP or club card

Customers pay a yearly fee for a standing benefit, such as 10% off every visit. Works like a discount card or a membership card.

Two in one

Loyalty plus referral

The back of the card rewards bringing a friend: a stamp for each person they introduce.

Four card layouts that work

Coffee shop stamp card. Ten boxes for a weekly visit. The first two are stamped when the card is handed over, so it starts with progress made.

Salon stamp card. Fewer, bigger boxes for less frequent visits, and a write-on panel for the client’s name.

Points card. A barcode and card number for your till to read. No boxes, no stamps.

Tiered cards. The same design on silver and gold metallic base cards, so the higher tier looks it.

All four businesses are made up for this page. The barcode is an illustration and won’t scan.

Ideas for twelve kinds of business

A suggested scheme and card for each. The reward in bold is a starting point: change the numbers to suit your prices and how often your customers visit.

Cafés and coffee shopsBuy 9, get the 10th free. Ten small stamp boxes in two rows. Regulars fill one in a few weeks, which keeps them coming back.

Hair salonsEvery 6th visit: a free treatment or blow-dry. Six large boxes, plus a write-on panel for the next appointment on the back.

BarbersEvery 8th cut free. Eight boxes. A punch suits a barber’s counter better than an ink pad.

Nail and beauty salonsPoints per treatment, with a reward after five. Five boxes, or a barcode if your booking system tracks visits. See salon loyalty cards.

Dog groomersEvery 6th groom free, or a free nail trim. A paw print in each box. See cards for dog groomers.

Pet shopsA stamp for every bag of food; the 10th bag half price. Ten boxes, or a key fob card customers keep on their keys.

Car washes and valetingWash 5, get the 6th free. Six boxes on a key fob card, so it’s on the car keys when they arrive.

TakeawaysTen stamps for a free large pizza. A barcode or QR code if you take orders online, so the reward works on the phone too.

Bakeries and delisA free loaf or coffee after eight visits. A tiered card: silver for regulars, gold after a year.

Garden centresA point for every £1, vouchers at 500 points. A points card with a barcode read by your till.

Gyms and personal trainersA free session after ten. A punch card for classes, or a membership card with a barcode. See cards for personal trainers.

Launderettes and dry cleanersEvery 10th wash free. Ten boxes, and a card number to match bags to customers.

Our loyalty card examples show how businesses like these have designed their cards, and our salon loyalty card examples are all hair, beauty and nail salons.

Getting the numbers right

Match the stamps to how often people visit. A weekly coffee customer fills ten boxes in about ten weeks. A salon client who comes every six weeks would take over a year to fill ten, so give them six.
Know what the reward costs you. A free coffee after nine paid ones is a tenth off those ten coffees. A free cut after five paid ones is a sixth off. Work it out at your own prices before you print.
Make the first reward reachable. If the first reward is a year away, most cards are forgotten long before it.
Print the rules on the card. “One stamp per visit over £5” or “Not valid with other offers” saves an awkward conversation at the till.
Size the boxes for the stamp you’ll use. Stamp circles are typically 10 to 12mm across, spaced so stamps don’t run into each other.

Stamping on plasticAn ordinary water-based ink pad smudges on gloss PVC. Use a quick-drying ink made for non-porous surfaces, or a hole punch, or choose Plastic-Free Board cards, which take ink stamps anywhere. Our guide to writing and stamping on plastic cards covers the options.

Stamp card or points card?

Stamp cards and points cards compared
	Stamp card	Points card
What you need	A stamp or a punch	A till or loyalty software that reads a barcode, QR code or magnetic strip
On the card	A grid of boxes	A unique number for each card, as a barcode or QR code
What you learn	How many cards are redeemed	Who visits, how often and what they spend
Lost card	The stamps are lost with it	The points are safe on your system
Best for	Small businesses with a simple reward	Businesses with several outlets, or a loyalty system already

If you’re weighing a plastic card against a phone app, our guide to digital v plastic loyalty cards compares the two. For which code to put on a points card, see QR code or barcode.

Launching your scheme

Choose the reward and the rules, and check what they’ll cost you.
Design the card. Our guide to designing a loyalty card covers the layout, or our design service will do it for £29 +vat.
Order enough cards for a year of new customers. How many loyalty cards to order helps you pick a number. We print from 25 cards.
Tell your staff to offer a card at every sale, and to stamp it there and then.
Keep a note of rewards given, so you can see whether the scheme pays its way.

Questions & Answers

What is a good reward for a loyalty card?

Something your customers already buy, given free: the tenth coffee, the sixth treatment, a free wash. It costs you less than its value to the customer, and it brings them back for the thing you sell.
How many stamps should a loyalty card have?

Match it to how often people visit. Ten suits a weekly purchase like coffee; six suits a salon client who comes every six weeks or so. The first reward should be reachable within a few months.
Do loyalty cards need a barcode?

Not for a stamp card: the stamps are the record. A points card needs a barcode, QR code or magnetic strip that your till or loyalty software can read.
What ink should I use to stamp plastic loyalty cards?

A quick-drying ink made for non-porous surfaces. Ordinary water-based ink pads smudge on gloss PVC. A hole punch is the alternative, or choose Plastic-Free Board cards, which take ink stamps anywhere.
How do I stop people faking stamps?

Use a stamp or punch shape that’s your own rather than a common design, and have staff initial or date each box. Points cards avoid the problem, because the record is on your system.
Can my loyalty cards match my gift cards?

Yes. Most businesses order gift cards and loyalty cards in the same design, so the two read as a set.
How many loyalty cards should I order?

Enough for about a year of new customers. We print from 25 cards, and the price per card falls as the quantity rises. Our guide to how many loyalty cards to order helps you choose.
Can you design my loyalty card?

Yes. Our in-house design service is £29 +vat, with no limit on reasonable amends, and you approve a free photorealistic proof before anything is printed.

Ready to start your scheme?

Loyalty cards start at 25 cards, so you can try a scheme before committing to a large order.

Send us your design, or your logo and the scheme you have in mind, and we’ll email a free photorealistic proof before anything is printed.

Not sure what you need? Ask us

Loyalty card printing, how to design a loyalty card, digital v plastic loyalty cards, writing and stamping on plastic cards, or loyalty card examples.