Replace paper loyalty cards without losing your regulars

Why not switch to digital overnight?

Some of your regulars carry a paper card with six or seven stamps on it. To them, those stamps are a promise you made.

If paper stops counting on a Monday, that card suddenly feels worthless. A short overlap avoids the awkward moment at the counter. Paper keeps working while the digital card goes live, and every stamp a customer has earned comes along.

If you are still weighing up the two formats, read paper or digital stamp card: which suits your shop. This article is about the move itself.

What do you do with half-full paper cards?

You have three options. Most shops use the first and keep the other two for special cases.

Moving the stamps over, step by step

1. Ask the customer to scan the QR code on your poster with their phone camera. They type a first name and tap the Apple Wallet or Google Wallet button. No app, no account, no password. The card is in their Wallet within about half a minute.
2. Count the stamps on their paper card.
3. In your dashboard, add those stamps to that customer with a reason, such as "moved from paper card". The stamps then show in the card's history.
4. Stamp today's visit as usual. Open the scanner, scan the QR code on their card and tap "Add stamp". The card on their phone updates within seconds.
5. Keep the old paper card, or tear it in half, so it cannot be used twice.

If a paper card is already full, give the reward from the paper card first. The customer then starts fresh on the digital card. That keeps the arithmetic simple.

What about the welcome stamps?

Every new digital card can start with 0 to 3 welcome stamps, 2 by default. A regular who moves six paper stamps over would then have eight.

Decide in advance whether that is a thank-you for switching or more than you want to give, and choose the welcome stamps with this in mind when you set up the card. Welcome stamps do not count as visits in your reports, so your visit numbers stay honest either way.

Should the digital card match your paper card?

During the switch, yes. If your paper card gave a free coffee after 10 stamps, make the digital card 10 stamps for a free coffee too. Then six paper stamps are simply six digital stamps, and the card shows 6 / 10.

If you change the deal at the same time, every transfer becomes a small negotiation. Is six out of ten paper stamps worth five out of eight? Nobody wants that conversation in a queue.

Want a different reward later? Change it once paper is gone. Design changes such as colours, logo and reward reach every existing card by themselves, so nobody needs a new card. If you are unsure your current deal is right, how many stamps before a reward and the free loyalty card calculator help you think it through. To see how your card will look in Wallet before you commit, try the free stamp card maker.

How do you tell regulars about the switch?

Keep it short and say the same thing every time.

• The poster. Usuals gives you a printable A4 poster with your logo, your reward and a large QR code. Put it where people wait, not only by the till.
• One line at the counter. "Your stamps come with you. Scan this and I'll move them over." That answers the worry before it is asked.
• A note with the end date. A small handwritten sign next to the poster: "Paper cards count until 1 February."
• The whole team. Every staff member has their own login, so anyone on shift can do the transfer. Make sure they all know the five steps above.

On a busy morning, do not force it. Stamp the paper card as usual and say you will move it over next time. A regular will be back.

How long should you keep accepting paper?

Long enough for your usual regular to come in at least twice. That gives them one visit to hear about it and one to switch.

A coffee bar with daily regulars can usually finish in about four weeks. A barber whose customers come every month or so needs two or three months. Look at how often your regulars visit and work back from there.

When the end date comes, you choose how strict to be. Accepting the odd forgotten card a week later costs you little and keeps the goodwill.

What about customers who prefer paper?

The digital card works on iPhone with Apple Wallet and on Android with Google Wallet. Some customers have neither, and some simply do not want a card on their phone.

For them, a small stack of paper cards behind the counter is fine. If you need a fresh batch, the free printable stamp card tool makes a PDF with 8 cards on A4.

Others hesitate because of their data. It helps to know the answers:

• Only a first name is needed. Email and birthday are optional.
• Data stays in the EU, and Usuals is GDPR compliant.
• The back of the card links to a page where the customer can see and delete their own data.
• Messages from you only reach customers who ticked the box at sign up. That box is never ticked in advance.

How do you start?

You can set this up in an afternoon and switch your first regular the next morning.

1. Create your card with the same number of stamps and the same reward as your paper card. The Free plan is €0 per month, excl. VAT, for up to 30 customers.
2. Print the A4 poster and hang it where customers wait.
3. Pick your end date for paper and write it on a sign.
4. Show your staff the transfer steps and the scanner. Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works, and your till stays as it is.
5. Check how many regulars you expect to switch. On Free, sign ups above 30 customers are held back, so if you have more regulars than that, move to Starter at €29 per month, excl. VAT, for unlimited customers before you start. It is cancellable monthly.

All plans are on the pricing page.