What is a digital points card and how does it work?
A digital points card is a loyalty card where customers collect a points balance instead of stamps: points land per visit or with the amount spent, and get redeemed from a catalog of rewards at different point costs. With Piqlo the card lives behind one printed QR or NFC code, the balance can sit in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, and there is no app for your customers to install.
Points or stamps: two modes, one card
A Piqlo loyalty card runs in one of two modes. Stamp mode is the classic punch card: a fixed number of visits earns one reward. Points mode is for businesses where spend varies: a coffee and a full lunch should not earn the same, and one reward does not fit every regular. You pick the mode when you create the card; the printed code, the scanner flow, and the customer experience stay the same.
Earning: per visit or per spend
Points cards earn one of two ways. Per visit gives a fixed number of points for every visit, which keeps the counter interaction instant: scan, done. Per spend has staff enter the purchase amount, and the card converts it to points at the rate you set (points per unit spent, in EUR, USD, or GBP), so bigger baskets earn more. Choose per visit for speed at a busy counter, per spend when the basket size is the story.
A rewards catalog, not just one reward
Instead of a single "10th one free", a points card carries a rewards catalog: up to 12 rewards, each with its own point cost. A free espresso at 100 points, a lunch deal at 400, merch at 1,000. Customers redeem when their balance covers a reward, the cost is deducted, and the rest keeps building toward the next thing. Nothing resets to zero.
The balance lives in their wallet
On the Pro plan, each member can add the card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet as a pass whose face shows the live points balance. When staff add points or redeem a reward, the pass updates over the air on the customer's phone; nobody refreshes anything. Staff work from a paired scanner device with their own PIN, so you always know which device did what, and you can revoke a lost device instantly.
How to set one up
Create a loyalty card in Piqlo and choose points mode, set the earn model and your rewards catalog, then print the code. The same printed code works as a QR scan or an NFC tap, and because it points at an editable link, you can tune point costs and rewards later without reprinting anything. The print materials export gives you a counter card and table tent PDF in one click.
What it costs
A Piqlo loyalty card is free to run for up to 50 members as a hosted browser card. Wallet passes, the full customer CRM, and staff scanner devices are on Pro ($15/mo, up to 2,000 members). Business ($29/mo) adds unlimited members and multiple locations. See pricing for the details.
FAQ
What is the difference between a points card and a stamp card?
A stamp card counts visits toward one reward: buy nine coffees, the tenth is free. A points card keeps a numeric balance that can grow per visit or with the amount spent, and offers a catalog of rewards at different point costs, so a regular can save up for something big or cash in small. Piqlo runs both modes on the same platform; you pick per card.
How do customers earn points?
Two models. Per visit: every visit earns a fixed number of points, which keeps the counter flow instant. Per spend: staff enter the purchase amount and the card converts it at your rate (points per unit spent, in EUR, USD, or GBP). You choose the model when you create the card.
How does redemption work?
You publish a rewards catalog on the card: up to 12 rewards, each with its own point cost. When a customer's balance covers a reward, staff redeem it from the scanner in one tap; the cost is deducted and the rest of the balance keeps building. There is no reset to zero like a full stamp card.
Can customers see their balance without an app?
Yes. The card lives at a link your customers open in any browser, and on the Pro plan it can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet as a pass whose face shows the live points balance, updating over the air whenever points land or a reward is redeemed. No app to install either way.
Is there a free digital points card?
You can run a Piqlo loyalty card free for up to 50 members as a hosted browser card. Wallet passes, the full customer CRM, and staff scanner devices are on Pro ($15/mo). Business ($29/mo) adds unlimited members and multiple locations.