How digital loyalty lifts the average basket by 15%

In an increasingly competitive market, winning a new customer costs up to five times more than keeping one who already comes in. And yet plenty of shops still stick to the paper stamp card. Here is what going digital changes.

The trouble with the paper card

We all know the scene: a customer gets to the till, hunts for their card in their wallet, can’t find it, and leaves with a new one they’ll lose in turn. The result:

• a frustrated customer, who feels they’re starting from scratch
• time lost at the till, at the worst possible moment
• no information collected, so no decision possible

Why the wallet makes the difference

By putting the card straight into the customer’s phone, through Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, you remove the friction: they always have their phone on them. Better still, the card can appear on their lock screen when they get close to your shop.

Since we moved to the wallet, use of our programme has jumped by 40%. Customers love not having to hunt for their card.

The effect on the average basket

A customer engaged in a digital loyalty programme spends 15% more per visit on average. There are three reasons for that:

1. The visible counter. Watching the boxes fill up makes people want to add an item to reach the next level sooner.
2. The right message at the right time. A well-aimed offer — "you’re one stamp away" — triggers a visit that wouldn’t have happened.
3. The right reward. Knowing your customers' habits, you offer what actually brings them back, rather than whatever you had to hand.

How to make the move

The switch is simpler than it looks. Nothing to buy: a QR code on the counter is all it takes for a customer to add their card in three seconds, and your phone is all it takes to stamp it.

It’s time to say goodbye to paper and give your customers the experience they already expect everywhere else.