Reward ideas

Loyalty reward ideas for shops

Shop baskets vary more than a café's, so a stamp per visit can reward a €3 purchase the same as a €90 one. These five are priced against a €30 average ticket at 50 % margin, and two of them stamp by amount rather than by visit.

Five reward structures that work

Fifteen off at ten

In the typical range

10 purchases → €15 off

The simplest shop card. Ten visits is a long card, so it suits shops people pass weekly, such as a florist or a deli.

10 stamps · reward worth €15.00 ≈ 5 % of what the customer spends to earn it · costs you about €7.50 per reward at 50 % margin

Run these numbers in the calculator

Free item at eight

In the typical range

8 stamps → a free item up to €20

A product feels more generous than the same value in discount, and it introduces customers to something they have not bought.

8 stamps · reward worth €20.00 ≈ 8 % of what the customer spends to earn it · costs you about €10.00 per reward at 50 % margin

Run these numbers in the calculator

Stamp per €25

In the typical range

1 stamp per €25 spent, 10 stamps → €25 off

Spend-based stamping protects you when baskets vary. Big buyers fill the card faster, which is exactly who you want back.

10 stamps · reward worth €25.00 ≈ 10 % of what the customer spends to earn it · costs you about €12.50 per reward at 50 % margin

Run these numbers in the calculator

Sixth purchase discount

In the typical range

5 purchases → 30 % off the 6th

A percentage scales with the basket, so the reward is fair on a small purchase and motivating on a large one.

5 stamps · reward worth €9.00 ≈ 6 % of what the customer spends to earn it · costs you about €4.50 per reward at 50 % margin

Run these numbers in the calculator

Seasonal gift

In the typical range

4 stamps in a season → a €10 gift

A short card that resets each season keeps the reward close and gives you a reason to message customers four times a year.

4 stamps · reward worth €10.00 ≈ 8 % of what the customer spends to earn it · costs you about €5.00 per reward at 50 % margin

Run these numbers in the calculator

Before you pick one

If your cheapest item is under a tenth of your average ticket, stamp by amount. Otherwise stamp by visit, because it is the rule your staff will actually apply.

Other industries

Questions

A reward costs you what it costs to make, not its sales price: the sales price minus your gross margin. The share is the reward's sales price divided by everything the customer spends to earn it. Both use a typical margin for the industry; the calculator lets you put in your own.

A reward worth 5–15 % of the spend needed to earn it is where most programmes land: worth chasing for the customer, affordable for you. Under 5 % is usually ignored; over 15 % works but check the monthly net.

Keep one base rule per loyalty card, so customers and staff can explain it in a sentence. Use campaigns for the rest: double stamps on quiet days, a bonus stamp for trying something new, a birthday reward.

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