Guide
Loyalty that pays for itself.
Most schemes reward people who were already loyal. A good one changes the behaviour of the people in the middle.
In short
A restaurant loyalty scheme works when the reward costs you gross margin rather than revenue, the threshold sits just beyond the customer's current habit, and the points apply automatically without a card or a code. Give roughly 5 to 10 percent back in value, set the first reward within reach of three to five visits, and measure it on whether order frequency moved rather than on redemptions.
Updated 28 August 2026
The mistake almost every scheme makes
A scheme that rewards your top customers is a discount, not a loyalty programme. Your weekly regular was coming anyway, so every reward they redeem is margin you gave away for behaviour you already had. The people worth moving are the ones ordering once a month who could order twice. Set the threshold where it changes what somebody does, not where it thanks them for what they already did.
Set the value, then the threshold
Start with what you can afford to give back. Five to ten percent in value is the range most restaurants can carry without pricing changes. Then work backwards to a threshold that lands just beyond the current average. If your typical customer orders three times before they drift, put the first reward at four. If they order twice, put it at three. The gap should feel close enough to be worth finishing.
- Reward in food, not cash: it costs you gross margin, not revenue
- Make the first reward reachable, later ones can stretch
- Exclude nothing popular, an exclusion list reads as a trick
It has to run without anybody explaining it
A scheme that needs a card, a code or a conversation at the counter fails on a Friday. The staff stop mentioning it, the customer forgets the card, and the whole thing quietly dies while still appearing on your marketing. Points should build against the customer record automatically and the reward should appear at checkout on its own. If somebody has to be told how it works, it will not survive service.
How to tell whether it is working
Redemption rate is the wrong measure and the one every provider reports. High redemptions only prove you are giving things away. The number that matters is order frequency among enrolled customers compared with a similar group who are not enrolled, measured over a few months. If frequency has not moved, you have a discount scheme with extra steps, and you should either change the threshold or stop.
- Watch frequency, not redemptions
- Compare against a group who are not enrolled
- Give it three months before judging it
The honest limitation
Loyalty schemes work on restaurants people already like. They will not fix food that is inconsistent, a delivery that arrives cold, or a rating sliding under four. If the last few visits were not good enough, points will not bring anybody back, and you will be paying to accelerate churn. Fix the visit first. The scheme is an amplifier, not a repair.
Questions, answered straight.
Not covered here? Just ask us.
Points or stamps?
Points scale better because they track spend rather than visits, so a large order counts for more than a coffee. Stamps are simpler to explain and suit a cafe where the basket barely varies. Pick for your basket, not for the technology.
Should the reward be a discount or a free item?
A free item, almost always. A free side costing you €1.20 in food feels like more to the customer than €4 off, and it costs you less. Discounts also train people to wait for the discount.
Does it work for delivery customers?
Only on your own ordering channel. Marketplace orders generally do not carry the customer identity through, so you cannot attach points to them. That is one of the practical reasons to move repeat customers direct.
How long should points last?
Long enough not to feel mean, short enough to create a reason to return. Six to twelve months suits most restaurants. Expiring points quietly with no warning is the fastest way to turn a loyalty scheme into a complaint.
See it run your restaurant.
Twenty minutes on your menu and your numbers. We'll show you what actually changes in the first month and exactly what it costs. If it's not right for your restaurant, we'll tell you that instead.
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