There are five types of loyalty card: points per riyal, which rewards how much is spent; points per visit, which rewards turning up; the stamp card, which gives a free item after a cycle; cashback, which returns a percentage as credit; and manual awards for the exceptions. The choice depends on the shape of your bill and your customer’s frequency, not on preference.
Points per riyal
One point for every riyal spent, with the point value set by you. It rewards how much a customer spends rather than merely that they showed up — someone spending 300 is not treated like someone spending 30.
Points per visit
Every visit earns the same points whatever the bill. Nothing to calculate and no amount to key in — one tap and it is done.
Buy 5, get the 6th free
The classic punch card without the paper: stamps that fill inside the customer’s wallet and a free item when the cycle completes. The cycle is adjustable from three stamps to nine, with five the default and the recommended setting.
Cashback
A percentage of each bill returns as credit spendable with you. You set the rate, a minimum purchase and a ceiling, so the customer calculates nothing and you never lose control of the cost.
Manual award
Grant points yourself whenever you decide: an apology for a mistake, an occasion, or a one-off gesture for a particular customer. Full control with no standing rule.
The blunt selection table
| Type | Ticket | Frequency | Suits | Does not suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points per riyal | Variable | Medium | Restaurant, retail, pharmacy, online store | Someone visiting once every two months |
| Points per visit | Consistent | High | Salon, car wash, cafe, barber | Shops with widely varying bills |
| Stamps | Small, fixed | High | Cafe, bakery, fast food | Large, infrequent tickets |
| Cashback | Large | Low | Furniture, auto parts, clinics, electronics | Anyone with a bill under twenty riyals |
| Manual award | Any | Any | Exceptions, apologies, occasions | Being your only system |
Note the difference between the first two, which is what gets confused most: points per riyal asks for the amount on every transaction, points per visit asks for nothing. The second is faster at the till during a rush; the first is fairer when bills vary. Choose speed if your bills are already similar — there is nothing to gain from measuring a difference that does not exist.
Three questions that pick the type for you
- Are your customers’ bills similar? If they are close, stamps or points per visit are fairer and faster. If they vary by more than double, use points per riyal.
- How often does a customer visit each month? More than twice means a stamp card completes at a motivating pace. Less than once means it dies before it fills, and cashback suits better.
- Is your ticket large and infrequent? Points accumulate so slowly in that case that interest dies first, while cashback gives a tangible figure from the very first purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Which type of loyalty card is used most?
The stamp card, because it is the easiest for customers to understand and the cheapest for merchants, and because most small businesses already have consistent bills.
Can I change type after launch?
You can issue a new card of another type, but moving balances between two systems confuses customers. Choose carefully the first time and spare yourself an awkward migration.
Which is best for online stores?
Points, because the bill varies and a visit is not a physical event. Cashback also works if bills are large and infrequent.