Quick answer
A digital stamp card, also called a digital punch card, replaces the paper loyalty card with one on the customer's phone. With LoyaltyAI customers join by scanning a QR code, save the card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, and staff add stamps by scanning it with a free scanner app. No customer app download is needed.
How a digital stamp card works
You set the card
Pick the number of stamps, the reward and your colours. Optionally give the first stamp on sign-up so the card never starts empty.
Customers join with a QR
A QR code at the counter opens a short sign-up page. No app to install: the card opens in the browser and can be added to the Wallet.
Staff stamp in a second
The scanner app reads the customer's QR code. Stamps show on the card and in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
The reward is redeemed
When the card is full, the customer claims the reward at your counter and starts a new card.
Paper punch card vs digital stamp card
| Paper punch card | LoyaltyAI digital stamp card | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting lost | Often: washed, binned, left at home | Lives on the phone and in the Wallet |
| Fraud | Easy to copy a stamp | Only staff can add stamps, through the scanner app |
| Who your regulars are | Unknown | Member list with visits and last visit |
| Getting lapsed customers back | Not possible | Automatic reminder to members who stop coming |
| Changing the reward | Reprint every card | Change it in the dashboard |
| Cost | Printing, from a few pounds or dollars | From €9.90 a month, 30-day free trial |
A paper card is still a fine way to start if you have no budget at all. If you go that way, our free stamp card maker gives you a printable design.
How to design a punch card people actually finish
Make the reward concrete. “Your 10th coffee free” beats “a surprise gift”. Customers should understand what they get without asking.
Fit the number of stamps to visit frequency. A daily customer fills 10 stamps in two or three weeks. Someone who comes once a month would need almost a year, so give them 5 or 6.
Give the first stamp on sign-up. A card that starts with one stamp feels already under way, and it gives people a reason to join today rather than next time.
Check the cost. A free item after 9 paid ones is roughly a 10% discount on that product for your regulars only. If your margin can't take that, raise the number of stamps or choose a cheaper reward.
For sector examples, see our guides for coffee shops and salons and barbers. If your average spend varies a lot, as in a restaurant, points per amount spent are usually fairer than stamps.
Suggested number of stamps by business
| Business | Typical visits | Stamps | Example reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shop | Several times a week | 9 + 1 free | 10th coffee free |
| Bakery | Daily or weekly | 10 | A loaf or a pastry |
| Sandwich or lunch bar | Weekly | 8 | A free lunch deal |
| Barber | Every 3 to 5 weeks | 6 | Free beard trim or 6th cut half price |
| Car wash | Monthly | 5 | Free basic wash |
Starting points, not rules. Watch how many cards are completed after two or three months and adjust.
Where the card lives: Apple Wallet and Google Wallet
Customers can add the card to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Google Wallet on Android, and the stamps are visible there too. It sits with their boarding passes, so they don't need to remember an app or a login. More detail in our page on the Apple Wallet and Google Wallet loyalty card.
Digital stamp card and punch card FAQs
What is a digital stamp card?+
It is the classic loyalty card where each purchase earns a stamp and a full card earns a reward, but it lives on the customer's phone instead of in their wallet. Customers join with a QR code and can keep it in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
Is a digital punch card the same thing?+
Yes. Punch card, stamp card and loyalty card app are different names for the same idea, depending on the country. In the US people often say punch card, in the UK and Ireland stamp card. LoyaltyAI calls it a stamp card, and it works the same everywhere.
How do staff add a stamp?+
The customer shows the QR code on their card and a member of staff scans it with the LoyaltyAI scanner app on a phone or tablet. The stamp appears straight away. Because only your staff can add stamps, nobody can fake them with a rubber stamp bought online.
How many stamps should my card have?+
Match it to how often people come. For daily purchases like coffee, 8 to 10 stamps works well; for monthly visits like a haircut, 5 or 6. If the reward feels too far away, customers give up on the card before they ever reach it.
Can customers who have my paper card switch over?+
Yes. You can run both for a few weeks. When someone brings a paper card, sign them up to the digital one and add the stamps they already had with the scanner app, so nobody feels they lose anything by switching.
How much does a digital stamp card cost?+
Try LoyaltyAI Pro free for 30 days, with no card. After that, Esencial costs €9.90 a month for up to 500 members and Avanzado €19.90 a month for unlimited members and automations. Prices are in euros and exclude VAT. There is no free plan.
Move your stamp card to your customers' phones
Set up your digital stamp card in a few minutes and print your QR code today. Try Pro free for 30 days, no card required.
30-day free Pro trial, no card. No app for your customers to download.
Related guides and tools
- Loyalty app for small businesses
- Apple Wallet and Google Wallet loyalty card
- Coffee shop loyalty program
- Restaurant loyalty program
- Salon and barbershop loyalty program
- AI loyalty program: what AI really does
- Free stamp card maker
- Loyalty program ROI calculator
- QR code menu for restaurants
- Case study: Tom Brown's Magaluf