How to introduce a customer loyalty scheme

The quickest and most effective way to encourage repeat business is with a simple loyalty scheme. The classic “buy nine, get the tenth free” stamp card is a fantastic starting point because it’s easy for customers to understand and requires no complicated technology to run. It gives people a tangible reason to come back to you instead of a competitor.

Choosing your type of scheme

There are two main paths you can take:

• Physical Stamp Cards: These are cheap to print, easy for staff to manage, and perfect for businesses like coffee shops, bakeries, or sandwich bars. The main drawback is that customers can lose them, but their simplicity is their greatest strength.
• Digital Schemes: These use a customer's email address or a smartphone app to track purchases. While they can offer more data and marketing opportunities, they are more complex and costly to set up. For most new businesses, starting with a physical card is the most sensible first step.

How to launch a simple stamp card scheme

1. Decide on the offer: Your offer needs to be simple and valuable. A free coffee, pastry, or a percentage discount after a set number of purchases works well. Make sure the reward is generous enough to be appealing, but not so much that it eats into your profits.
2. Design and print your cards: Create a simple, credit-card-sized design that features your logo and clearly explains the offer. You can use online design tools and printing services to get a professional result at a low cost.
3. Get a unique stamper: Buy a small, self-inking stamp to mark the cards. Using a stamp with your logo or a unique symbol looks more professional and is harder for people to fake than a simple pen tick.

Top Tip: A loyalty scheme only works if customers use it. Keep the cards and stamper right by the till and make it a habit to ask every single customer, “Do you have one of our loyalty cards?” This simple question is the key to making your scheme a success.