Customer loyalty: why stamp cards should be banned in 2025
19 June 2025
Hand out stamp cards, hope customers keep them, then cross your fingers they'll come back: this method has had its day.
It's based on oblivion, anonymity and no usable data.
You build loyalty without knowing who's coming back or why.
Today, your customers expect something else. They want a simple system that recognizes their loyalty without them having to think about it.
And you need visibility: who orders what, when, and how to get it back.
That's where data comes in. It allows you to set up an automated, targeted loyalty program, connected to your tools.
In this article, we'll show you how to go from a basic program to a real sales strategy. digital loyaltydata-driven. And above all, what does this mean for you in terms of day-to-day management?
Building effective customer loyalty: understanding your customers to keep them coming back
If you want your customers to come back more often, the first thing to do is to understand what they want from you. There's no need for an ultra-complex program or long-winded offers. What really counts is 3 things: consistency, recognition and simplicity.
In other words: does your customer feel expected, rewarded and understood?
Loyalty: what your customers really want today
They don't want a stamped card they'll lose after two visits. What they want is:
✔ a quick reward (without having to come 20 times)
✔ a simple, accessible system
✔ true recognition of their loyalty, without them needing to ask
Customer loyalty: 3 priority objectives for restaurateurs
For your part, loyalty must serve 3 purposes:
- Keep customers coming back for more
- Increase your average basket without forcing your hand
- Create a customer base for intelligent communication
The point of a good program is not to "reward" customers. It's about getting to know them better, so you can talk to them at the right time, in the right way.
Why paper loyalty cards are a drag on your loyalty strategy
It lies at the bottom of wallets, gets lost between two receipts, or ends up in the garbage can. Paper loyalty cards are still part of the décor in many establishments.
Yet it no longer meets today's needs. Neither for you, nor for your customers. By relying solely on a physical format, you miss out on all that a digital system can bring you in terms of recurrence, data and efficiency.
Limits of paper cards: loss, anonymity, little data
A forgotten card means an unaccounted visit. An unidentified customer is yet another opportunity to keep them coming back. And even if they do accumulate stamps, you don't know who they are, what they consume or when they return. You build loyalty blindly, without any leverage for follow-up or personalization.
What a digital system lets you track (and activate)
With a program connected to your cash register or order channels, you can collect useful data from the very first visit.
Name, channel used, average basket, frequency of visits... You can then activate simple scenarios: send an offer after X number of days without an order, offer a special offer on a favorite product, or surprise the customer on his birthday... (we'll explain everything right after!).
You're no longer hunting for information: you have the right levers at hand, to really "do something" with a real impact on your business.
How to build loyalty automatically with your POS and digital tools
There's no need to multiply systems to build loyalty effectively. If you are already using a connected cash register, a solution from order online or terminals You have everything you need to activate a successful loyalty program.
Building loyalty without slowing down the customer journey
Registration can be made using a simple telephone number, e-mail address or a scan QR code. It's fast, integrated into the purchasing process, and lets you start earning benefits right from the first visit.
QR codes, online ordering, kiosks: building loyalty from day one
It doesn't matter which channel you use. As soon as the customer places an order via a digital point connected to your checkout, the loyalty program can be activated. He scans a QR Code on the table, orders from a kiosk, or passes through the Click & Deliverypoints are awarded automatically.
Want to find out more? Discover our customized resources:
➜ Creating a post-purchase bond: the keys to customer loyalty in the foodservice industry
➜ Segmenting your database: the cornerstone of customer loyalty
➜ Digital loyalty program: the ecological alternative to paper cards
Personalized loyalty: using data to personalize offers
A single message, sent to everyone, ends up in spam. For your messages to be read and lead to action on the part of your customers, they have to be right on target.
And for this, customer data is your best ally.
Targeted offers, anniversaries, reminders: messages that make you want to come back
You can send a promotion to those who haven't ordered in 15 days. A birthday message with a free dessert. Or an offer that fits their habits (no need to push the children's menu on an active lunchtime customer).
Simple, automated actions that increase the chances of seeing your customers again without spamming or forcing them.
We've written a number of ultra-activatable contents with ideas for e-mails & SMS to be sent according to your objectives (relaunch, reactivation, events...) :
➜ Customer loyalty calendar: 10 campaigns not to be missed
➜ Building customer loyalty in the restaurant business: 10 SMS marketing ideas to try out
RGPD and consent: how to stay within the bounds while being efficient
If you're using data to personalize your messages, you also need to respect a few rules. This is what builds trust with your customers.
➜ the customer must give his agreement, clearly, before receiving anything
➜ you need to specify what it will receive, and how often
➜ it must be easy to unsubscribe at any time
These principles are not there to hold you back, but to ensure that your communication is useful and well received. This is a point to check when choosing your loyalty solution: it must natively integrate the management of consent, preferences and unsubscriptions.
This ensures that your program remains reliable, compliant and easy to manage on a day-to-day basis.
As your customers' expectations have evolved, so has your loyalty strategy.
Today, your customers don't just want to accumulate points, without finding any meaning in it. Ihey want simplicity, consistency, and benefits that arrive without them having to lift a finger.
For your part, you need a reliable, smooth-running system that's connected to your everyday tools. A program that runs itself once you're up and running, that gives you useful information, and that really pays off.
That's the whole point of switching to digitalized loyalty: you'll adapt your strategy to their needs, lighten your teams' workloads, and keep your customers coming back without forcing them.
Over 1,500 restaurateurs trust us to manage their loyalty on a daily basis.
What about you? Contact our team today.
