You replace a paper loyalty card with a digital stamp card in stages. First set up the digital card and a QR stand at the till, let the old paper cards stay valid for a transition period and decide how half-full cards will be handled. That way no regular has to start from zero, and staff get time to get used to it.
This is a step-by-step plan for a small business, from day one to the day the paper disappears.
Step 1: Set up the digital card
Start by creating the card: reward, number of stamps, colours and logo. With Fidelia you do it in the dashboard and see a preview of the card in both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet before you publish. Keep the same reward and number of stamps as on the paper card if you can, so customers recognise it. You can try out layouts in the preview tool.
Step 2: Make it easy to join
The customer should be able to join in a few seconds. Put a QR stand where the customer is already standing: at the till, not by the door. The first stand is included in the plan. The customer scans the code, fills in a first name and email and adds the card to the wallet. No app needs to be downloaded.
Ask staff to mention it at payment, for example: “Would you like the stamp card on your phone instead? It takes ten seconds.” One sentence is enough.
Step 3: Decide what happens to the paper cards
This is the step that decides whether your regulars stay. Three common approaches:
- Starter stamps. The customer gets as many stamps on the digital card as on the paper one, and you take in the old card. Simple, but it requires staff to trust what’s on the card.
- Transition period. Paper cards are valid until a set date, and new stamps are given only digitally. The customer fills up the paper card and then switches.
- A grand gesture. Everyone who switches gets an extra starter stamp as a thank-you.
Pick one and put it up at the till. The worst thing is for different staff to say different things.
Step 4: Train staff
Staff need to know three things: how to scan a card, what to do if a customer can’t find their card and what the rule for paper cards is. The scanner is a web app that runs in the phone, so no special equipment is needed. Staff see the customer’s first name and number of stamps, which makes it easier to greet people personally. Read more under the scanner feature.
Do a small practice run before launch. Have two colleagues join and stamp each other.
Step 5: Tell the customers
Tell them in several places: on the QR stand, at the till and out loud. Write a short post on social media too. Focus on the benefit for the customer, that the card is always in the phone and can’t be left at home.
Step 6: Set an end date for the paper
When the transition period is over, stop stamping paper. Keep a generous margin for those who missed the switch, but stick to the date, otherwise the paper cards live on forever and you end up with two systems.
What about customers who don’t want to switch?
Some customers will prefer paper. That’s fine. Let them carry on during the transition, and offer help at the counter. Fidelia has a web card as a fallback for phones without Wallet. Don’t expect everyone to switch, but most of those who come often do once it’s quick.
Checklist
- The digital card is published with the same reward as the paper one.
- The QR stand is at the till.
- You’ve decided the rule for half-full paper cards.
- Staff have practised scanning.
- Customers have been told, in the shop and online.
- An end date for the paper cards is set.
Read more about the benefits and differences in the guide to digital loyalty cards, and see what it costs or how to run a loyalty club without an app.