Disclosure: Loytap publishes this comparison and is one of the products included. We have used each provider’s public website and help material, linked below. Features and prices change, so confirm the current offer and complete contract before buying.
There is no universal “best” loyalty app for every café. A single-site coffee shop that wants a branded, no-download card has a different requirement from a multi-site operator already using Square for payments. A café that wants a marketplace app may reasonably choose differently from an owner who wants only their own brand in the customer experience.
The shortlist
| Product | Strongest fit | Customer experience | Public entry price checked 18 Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loytap | UK independent café wanting a branded QR flow, profiles, insights and messages without changing POS | Branded web-based card; no customer app download | £35/month or £315/year |
| Square Loyalty | Business already using Square POS and wanting loyalty inside that ecosystem | Enrolment and points tied closely to Square checkout | From £25/month per location for 0–500 loyalty visits |
| Stamp Me | Business comfortable asking customers to use a shared consumer loyalty app | Customer downloads the Stamp Me app | Lite shown at £39/month |
| Passtastic | Business prioritising Apple/Google Wallet passes and multiple programme types | Card stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet | Pricing page showed US$29/month billed annually for one location; confirm UK billing |
| BonusQR | Price-sensitive operator wanting many scheme types and willing to use a shared platform | Web, iOS and Android options; wallet support advertised | Free plan; paid plans shown from €19/month |
The prices above are not like-for-like. Some vary by loyalty visits, location, staff scanners, billing term, features or currency. VAT and payment-processing costs may also differ.
Our comparison criteria
We looked at the decisions that affect a real café shift:
- Joining friction: Does a customer download an app, save a wallet pass or open a branded web card?
- Counter action: Does loyalty happen through the existing POS, a staff scanner, a shared code or another device?
- Brand ownership: Does the customer mainly see the café or the platform marketplace?
- Reward flexibility: Can the café run the simple stamp mechanic it intends to use?
- Customer context: Are profiles, visit history and useful groups available?
- Messaging: Can the owner contact appropriate customers with relevant, consent-aware messages?
- Price shape: Is cost flat, usage-based, location-based or dependent on add-ons?
- Data and exit: Can the owner access or export the customer information their café controls?
1. Loytap
Best for: an independent café wanting a branded digital stamp card, a personal customer QR, simple staff scanning and a clearer view of repeat visits.
Customers scan the café’s join QR and keep a branded loyalty link on their phone. On a later visit they show their personal QR, and an approved team member scans it with a supported phone. The owner can review customer profiles, reward progress, seven- and 30-day activity, live groups and messages.
Loytap does not require a Square account, till integration or separate loyalty scanner. The plan advertises unlimited customers and scans at £35 per month or £315 per year.
Choose Loytap when:
- you want the customer experience to centre on your café brand;
- you do not want customers to download a shared loyalty marketplace app;
- a phone-based staff scan fits the counter;
- customer profiles, visit insight and reviewed messaging are part of the reason for going digital; and
- you prefer a flat advertised price rather than a loyalty-visit band.
Look elsewhere when: loyalty must be calculated automatically inside an existing POS transaction or Apple/Google Wallet is a non-negotiable launch requirement.
See the full coffee shop loyalty app workflow and how Loytap works.
2. Square Loyalty
Best for: a café already committed to Square POS and wanting enrolment, points and rewards integrated with the sale.
Square says customers can enrol at the point of sale, through Square Online, invoices or a shareable link. The programme can award points by visit, amount spent or particular items and categories. Rewards are redeemed through the Square ecosystem.
On its UK Loyalty page, Square listed monthly pricing per location based on loyalty visits: £25 for 0–500, £45 for 501–1,500 and £65 for 1,501 or more. Square defines a loyalty visit to include enrolment, earning a point or redeeming a reward. Confirm how your expected activity is counted before comparing the headline price.
Choose Square Loyalty when:
- Square already runs your payments and customer checkout;
- spend- or item-based points matter;
- automatic earning inside the transaction is more important than a separate branded customer card; and
- the usage bands suit your expected volume.
Check before buying: the complete POS, hardware, processing, marketing and loyalty cost—not only the Loyalty add-on.
3. Stamp Me
Best for: a café wanting a mature shared digital stamp-card app and comfortable asking customers to download it.
Stamp Me describes a merchant console, multiple stamp cards and engagement features. Its help centre says customers first download the Stamp Me app, create an account and then join a card using methods such as a join code or in-app search.
The Stamp Me pricing page showed a Lite plan at £39 per month and a 30-day free trial when checked. Its plans and promotions may change, and higher tiers include different features.
Choose Stamp Me when:
- a shared consumer app is acceptable for your audience;
- the established Stamp Me mechanic fits your programme; and
- you want to test the platform during the advertised trial.
Check before buying: which tier contains the messaging, analytics, locations and card options you need, and how many customers will accept another app download.
4. Passtastic
Best for: a business that wants the loyalty pass to live in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and may need stamps, points, memberships or coupons.
Passtastic advertises wallet delivery without a separate customer app, staff scanners and several programme types. Its public pricing page listed a single-location plan in US dollars when checked, with location, scanner and dashboard-user allowances. UK cafés should ask which currency, tax and contract apply before comparing it with a sterling quote.
Choose Passtastic when:
- native wallet storage is central to your customer experience;
- you may expand beyond a basic stamp card; and
- the included scanner and location allowances fit the team.
Check before buying: local currency, the current monthly versus annual price, extra-scanner charges and which campaigns are included at each level.
5. BonusQR
Best for: a price-sensitive business wanting a broad menu of programme types and comfortable with a shared platform or optional paid white-label route.
BonusQR advertises stamps, points, cashback, visit rewards and other schemes. Its pricing page displayed a free plan plus paid Basic and Premium levels, with iOS, Android and web access and differing staff, notification and scheme allowances.
Choose BonusQR when:
- the free or lower-cost shared-platform route is the deciding factor;
- you want to experiment with several loyalty mechanics; and
- you are comfortable checking exactly where BonusQR branding and nearby businesses appear.
Check before buying: active-member or feature limits, the customer journey, staff-access allowances, branding level, data export and the euro-to-sterling cost you will actually pay.
Which app fits which café?
| If your priority is… | Start by evaluating… |
|---|---|
| Flat UK pricing and a branded no-download café card | Loytap |
| Deep integration with an existing Square checkout | Square Loyalty |
| A shared consumer stamp-card app | Stamp Me |
| Apple and Google Wallet delivery | Passtastic |
| A free/shared platform with many scheme types | BonusQR |
This is a shortlist, not a verdict. Run a counter test with the staff member most likely to use the system during the busiest period.
Questions to ask every provider
What does the customer do on visit one and visit two?
Ask for the exact sequence, not a marketing summary. Count the taps, forms and app downloads. Confirm how the customer finds the card again.
What does the barista do when the queue is six people deep?
Test a normal stamp, a reward, a mistake and a customer whose screen will not load. A polished owner dashboard does not compensate for a slow staff action.
What makes the price rise?
Ask about locations, active members, loyalty visits, messages, staff accounts, scanners, wallet passes, setup, processing, exports and VAT.
Who owns and can export the customer data?
Understand the café’s role, the provider’s role, export formats, deletion process and what happens after cancellation. Review the privacy and data-processing terms—not just the feature list.
How are marketing preferences handled?
A loyalty relationship is not blanket permission to send electronic marketing. Ask how the product records the relevant preference, provides unsubscribe controls and helps the café choose appropriate recipients.
Can the programme start simple?
A single stamp target that staff can explain may outperform a sophisticated system nobody uses consistently. Buy for the next clear behaviour, not every possible future campaign.
A practical two-week evaluation
- Write the reward and eligible purchase in one sentence.
- Estimate members, monthly loyalty actions, locations and staff users.
- Shortlist two products whose customer journey fits the café.
- Ask each provider to demonstrate join, return scan, correction and redemption.
- Put the demo in front of two team members.
- Calculate the complete 12-month cost using realistic usage.
- Review data export, cancellation and messaging controls.
- Choose the simplest option that supports the measurement you actually plan to use.
If the Loytap approach matches that test, start with the digital stamp card details or ask us to walk through your café setup. If another product fits your existing till or wallet requirement better, that is useful information—the programme only works when it fits the business using it.