What is a digital stamp card and how does it work?

What exactly is a digital stamp card?

The idea is the same as a paper card: after a number of visits your customer gets something from you. The difference is where the card lives. Not in a purse or a coat pocket, but in the Wallet that is already on the phone. On an iPhone that is Apple Wallet, on Android it is Google Wallet.

The front of the card shows:

• your logo and your shop's colours
• the number of stamps, for example 7 / 10
• the reward, such as a free coffee
• your customer's first name
• a QR code to scan

The back explains how it works, shows your latest message and has a link where your customer can see or delete their own data.

Does my customer need to download an app?

No. The Wallet is already on the phone. Every iPhone has Apple Wallet and most Android phones come with Google Wallet. Your customer creates no account and remembers no password.

That matters at the counter. Hardly anyone installs an app while they wait for a coffee. Scanning a QR code and tapping once, they will do.

How does signing up work for your customer?

1. Your customer scans the QR code on your poster or table card with their phone's camera.
2. A page for your shop opens. They type their first name. An email address and birthday are optional.
3. They tap the Apple Wallet or Google Wallet button. An iPhone shows Apple Wallet first, an Android phone Google Wallet.
4. The card is in their Wallet, often within half a minute. If you give welcome stamps, they are already on it.

If someone signs up twice by accident, they get their existing card back. No second card is created.

How do you add a stamp as a shop owner?

You stamp with the scanner in the browser at joinusuals.com/scan or with the Usuals app. Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You do not need a till integration or a separate device.

At the counter it goes like this:

1. Your customer shows their card.
2. You scan the QR code and tap Add stamp.
3. The card on your customer's phone updates within a few seconds.

Every member of staff gets their own login. Each stamp is saved with the time, the staff member and the location. If the camera will not cooperate, type in the code printed under the QR code.

Can a customer collect two stamps in one day?

By default a card gets one stamp every 12 hours. We check that on the server. If two colleagues scan at the same moment, or an offline scan syncs later, it stays one stamp. The scanner then says when the next stamp is possible.

You set that time per card. A barber often picks 24 hours, a clinic with a course of treatments even longer. You can also switch the rule off.

What happens when the card is full?

The reward is ready and your customer sees that on their card. On their next visit you scan the card and tap Redeem reward. The stamps for that reward come off. If your customer had extra stamps, those stay and they carry on collecting.

What does a digital stamp card cost?

All prices include VAT and you can cancel monthly. You start for free, without payment details. The full details are on the pricing page.

How do you get started?

Create an account and pick your reward, the number of stamps and your colours. You see the card straight away, just as your customer will have it in their Wallet. Then download the poster and put it up by the till.

Not sure how many stamps to choose? Read how many stamps to give before a reward. Still using paper cards? See paper and digital side by side. Examples per industry are on the pages for coffee bars, barbers and the other industries.