How many stamps before a reward?
Too many stamps and nobody reaches the reward. Too few and it costs you too much. A simple way to choose the right number, with examples per industry.
By Team Usuals4 min readShort answer
Choose enough stamps for a regular to reach the reward within a few months. If your customer comes every week, 8 to 10 stamps work well. If they come every few weeks, as at a barber, choose 6 or 7. A bigger reward can take more stamps, but stay between 6 and 12.
In this article
Why does the number of stamps matter?
The number of stamps decides whether your card works. If the goal is too far away, your customer gives up before they get close. The card sinks to the bottom of the Wallet and nobody thinks about it again.
If the goal is too close, you often give things away to customers who would have come anyway. That costs you margin without anyone coming more often. The right number sits in between: reachable for your regulars, and just far enough to give them a reason to come back.
How do you work out the number of stamps?
- How often does a regular come? Think of the customers whose names you know. Do they come daily, weekly or once a month?
- How long may it take to reach the reward? A few months is a good starting point. Longer feels endless, shorter gives you little.
- Multiply. Visits per month times the number of months gives you the number of stamps.
- Look at what the reward costs. Set what the reward costs you against what those visits bring in together. If that feels too expensive, add a few stamps or choose a smaller reward.
- Round to between 6 and 12. Fewer than 6 feels like a gift, more than 12 like a savings account.
An example: a regular at a coffee bar comes twice a week. In just over a month they have 10 stamps. At a barber a regular comes once every five weeks. With 7 stamps they reach their free haircut in a little over half a year, which still feels fair for a whole haircut.
Which number suits your industry?
We use these examples ourselves on the industry pages. They are starting points, not rules.
| Industry | Stamps | Reward | Time between two stamps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee bar | 10 | Free coffee | 12 hours |
| Barber | 7 | Free haircut | 24 hours |
| Salon | 8 | Free manicure | 24 hours |
| Gym | 12 | Free PT session | 12 hours |
| Restaurant | 8 | Free dessert | 12 hours |
| Clinic | 6 | Free peel | 72 hours |
The time between two stamps keeps one visit at one stamp. If someone buys three coffees for colleagues, it counts as one visit.
Should you give welcome stamps?
When someone signs up you can give 0 to 3 stamps. A card that is already a little full feels closer than an empty one. On a long card, such as 10 or 12 stamps, 1 or 2 welcome stamps work well.
On a short card with 6 stamps, a welcome stamp is already a big part of the reward. Give none or one at most. Welcome stamps do not count as visits, so they do not count towards the time between two stamps or in your reports either.
Should you choose a reward or a discount?
A reward from your own menu usually works better than a discount. A free coffee feels like a whole coffee to your customer, while it costs you only the ingredients. A discount feels smaller and mainly attracts customers who shop on price.
Choose something that belongs to your shop and that your customer actually wants: a coffee of their choice, a haircut, a dessert, a treatment. Put it clearly on the card, so your customer knows what they are collecting for.
Can you change the number of stamps later?
Yes. Change the card in your dashboard and every existing card picks up the change by itself. Existing stamps stay where they are.
Still, do not do it often. Your customers count on the goal they know. Raising the number of stamps feels like a step back. If you want to experiment, start with the number of welcome stamps.
How do you get started?
Make your card and choose the number of stamps with the five steps above. It is free up to 30 customers, and the other plans are on the pricing page. If regulars come less often than you would like, read how to win back regular customers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good number of stamps for a coffee card?
For most coffee bars, 10 stamps for a free coffee works well, with 12 hours between two stamps. A regular then reaches the reward in a few weeks to a few months.
Can a customer collect more than one reward?
Yes. A reward is ready for every full card. When it is redeemed, the stamps for one reward come off and the rest stay.
Can I use points instead of stamps?
Yes. With a points card you give a fixed number of points per visit and choose how many points the reward needs. That helps if you want visits to count differently.