Guide · digital loyalty card
A digital loyalty card is a shop’s stamp or points card kept on the customer’s phone. Customers get it from the counter QR code, without an app, and staff record stamps or points up to the reward. With Iterum it opens in the browser and, on every plan, in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet on compatible phones. The free trial lasts 7 days.
Updated by Radman Sattari, Founder of Iterum
Every plan begins with a 7-day free trial. You pay €0 today; a payment card is required at activation.
€29.99/month + VAT
€36.59/month incl. VAT
1 active card
€99.99/month + VAT
€121.99/month incl. VAT
2 active cards
€109.99/month + VAT
€134.19/month incl. VAT
3 active cards
Cancel before the trial ends to avoid starting the subscription. Otherwise, after 7 days, the chosen plan starts at the displayed price + VAT and renews monthly or yearly unless cancelled. You can cancel monthly billing at any time; with annual billing, you can cancel the renewal.
Read the trial termsThe customer scans the counter QR code.
It opens in the browser or in Wallet.
Staff record them in the «Al banco» app.
At the target, staff hand over the reward.
A digital loyalty card is the phone version of the stamp card: the rule stays the same, say «buy ten coffees, the eleventh is on us», but the count lives in a system and the customer reads it on screen instead of on a piece of card. It is also called a digital stamp card, a digital membership card or a virtual loyalty card; when it counts points rather than stamps, many call it a digital points card. Different names, same tool.
Every digital loyalty card has three parts. The rule, set by the owner: what earns a stamp or a point, how many are needed and what the reward is. The customer’s card, which opens as a web page or is saved to the phone’s Wallet. And the visit record, which staff update at the counter and the owner reviews in the dashboard.
It is not the same as the apps that store other shops’ cards: in Google Wallet, says its official help, you store «digital copies» of loyalty cards. Your shop’s digital loyalty card is the programme itself, with your name, your rule and your reward.
Why customers prefer it to card: in Stocard’s loyalty observatory, reported by PagamentiDigitali on 26 July 2022, 49% of Italian respondents left at least one physical card at home and 26% had declined to join a programme to avoid carrying another card. These are 2022 figures on cards from many shops; they do not describe Iterum customers.
Customers get the card from the shop itself: they scan the QR code at the counter or open a link sent by WhatsApp, email or social media, without searching an app store or making up a password. On a phone the card is created on the first visit; if the page opens inside another app, such as Instagram, or on a computer, a short sign-up page comes first, with no box to tick: by creating the card the customer accepts the card Terms and confirms they have read the privacy notice. Name, contact details and birthday are optional, and extra rewards and offers are a separate choice: without a «Yes, I want them» the shop sends no promotional messages.
On each visit the customer shows the card’s QR code, or reads out the code. Staff use the «Al banco» counter app, which opens in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer: they scan the QR code with the camera, or type the code, and confirm. The owner can set a minimum interval between two stamps on the same card, so one visit is not recorded twice. Set-up steps are in the Iterum how-it-works guide; where to display the code and how large to print it are covered on the QR code loyalty card page.
Iterum uses a QR code and a written code, not a barcode read by the till scanner. If the scanner matters at your counter, the differences are in the barcode loyalty card guide.
| Moment | Customer | Counter staff | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before launch | Nothing to do | Tries a visit with a test phone | Chooses stamps or points, target, reward and design; prints the counter QR code |
| Sign-up | Scans the QR code or opens the link; the card opens on the phone | Points to the QR code and explains the rule in one sentence | Sees the new customer in the list |
| Qualifying visit | Shows the card’s QR code or reads out the code | Scans it in the «Al banco» app and confirms the stamp or points | Finds the visit in the activity log |
| Target reached | Sees that the reward is ready | Checks the rule and records the reward as handed over | Counts rewards handed over and their cost |
A stamp card counts visits: it is the simplest choice when the bill hardly changes, as in a café, a barbershop or a pizzeria. A points card, often called a digital points card, builds a balance that grows with what the customer buys: it suits shops where spend varies a lot, such as a butcher’s, a wine shop or a clothes shop.
Iterum includes both on every plan. With points, you decide what a point is worth and staff type the points into the counter app: Iterum does not calculate them from the receipt total. The full comparison, including cashback, tiers and prepaid punch cards, is in the stamps vs points guide; worked examples are in the guides for cafés, pizzerias and butchers. If you are preparing a loyalty points sheet, on paper or digital, the guide explains what it has to say.
| If your shop… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| has a bill that is nearly always similar (coffee, haircut, car wash) | Stamps | It counts the visit: the rule fits in one sentence at the counter |
| sees spend vary a lot from one customer to the next (butcher, wine shop, clothes) | Points | It rewards those who spend more, not only those who come more often |
| wants to reward people who come back often, even for small purchases | Stamps | Every visit counts the same: frequency matters, not the bill |
| needs staff to do the sum in their head | Stamps, or points with a round rule | Staff type the points in: 1 point per 10 euros is worked out at once |
| sells both small items and large orders (coffee and cakes to order) | Two cards: one for stamps, one for points | The Base plan has 1 active card, Pro 2 and Premium 3 |
Stamps and points are not the only mechanics around: Stripe lists stamp cards, points cards, status-based cards and subscription cards as the main formats. The table compares them; Iterum has stamps and points, while cashback and gift cards are not offered.
| Mechanic | How it rewards | Fits when | In Iterum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamps | Counts visits: after N stamps, a reward | The bill hardly changes (coffee, haircut, pizza) | Yes |
| Points | Builds a balance that grows with spend | Spend varies a lot (butcher, wine shop, clothes) | Yes: staff type the points in, they are not calculated from the receipt |
| Cashback | Returns a share of the spend as credit | You have an integrated till that reads the amount | No |
| Tiers (status) | Unlocks growing perks with tenure or spend | You have many regulars to tell apart | No |
| Subscription | The customer pays a fee for fixed perks | The service is recurring (gym, car washes) | No |
A digital loyalty card can live in two places on the phone. In the browser it is a web page with its own link: it works on any connected smartphone and needs nothing installed. In the Wallet it is a pass saved in Apple Wallet on iPhone or Google Wallet on Android, where the customer finds it next to tickets and boarding passes.
At the counter the gesture is the same: according to the iPhone User Guide, you go to the Wallet app, tap the card and present the code to the reader. With Iterum the pass updates by itself when staff record a stamp, and the shop can send messages to the pass only to customers who gave consent, up to 2, 4 or 8 messages a month per location depending on the plan. The pass stays optional: without a Wallet, the card is always available from its link.
For each system’s details, read the guides on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet; why a no-download path matters at the counter is explained on the loyalty card without an app page; what a digital stamp card app needs and how to choose one is in its own guide.
A paper card is cheap, everyone understands it and it works for customers who do not use a smartphone. A digital card solves other problems, above all forgotten cards and copied stamps, and in return needs a phone and a connection.
The full guide, with Italian data on internet use by age and how to switch without customers losing their stamps, is paper vs digital loyalty card.
| Aspect | Paper card | Digital loyalty card |
|---|---|---|
| To get started | Printed cards and a stamp | A subscription and a phone or computer at the counter |
| Forgotten or lost card | The stamps collected are lost | The card is on the phone; the link or the Wallet brings it back |
| Fake stamps | A similar stamp is enough to fill it | Staff record the stamp on their own device |
| Changing the target or reward | New cards are needed | It changes in the system, with no reprint |
| Data for the owner | None, apart from counting returned cards | Sign-ups, visits and rewards in the dashboard |
| Customers without a smartphone | Take part with no problem | Need an alternative, such as a paper card |
| Connection | Not needed | Needed to sign up and to record the visit |
For a small shop, a paper card costs less money than a digital one. In the table’s example, with 400 cards handed out in a year, printing costs about 136 euros plus VAT, while a year of Iterum Base costs twelve monthly payments, or ten on the annual plan: the amounts are in the plans shown above and on the pricing page. Rewards weigh the same either way: work them out with the reward cost calculator.
The difference is not only the price. With a digital card, stamps are not lost with the card, cannot be copied with a similar stamp because staff record them, the rule changes without a reprint, and you can message customers who gave consent. If your counter has none of these problems, a paper card is still a sensible choice.
The print price is the one published by MOO, a single online printer using thick card stock, read on 27 October 2026: other printers may cost less. The figures are an example, not a market average.
| Item over a year | Paper card | Digital card with Iterum Base |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | 400 square MOO cards: 136 euros (165.92 euros including VAT) | No cards to print; up to 300 new customers a month included |
| At the counter | A rubber stamp (price not checked) | The «Al banco» app on the phone, tablet or computer you already have; you print the counter QR code from the dashboard |
| Subscription | None | Twelve monthly payments of the Base plan paying month by month, or ten on the annual plan |
| Changing the target or reward | Reprint the cards | Changed in the dashboard, no reprint |
| Rewards handed over | Depend on the rule | Depend on the rule, as with paper |
| First-year total, rewards excluded | About 136 euros, plus the stamp | Ten to twelve monthly payments of the Base plan |
The examples are starting rules made up for illustration, not results from real customers: adjust the target and reward to your margins. Each trade has a guide with the practical case and numbers.
| Sector | Example rule | Mechanic | To decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café | Ten coffees, the eleventh on us | Stamps | A minimum interval, so breakfast and lunch on the same day do not count twice |
| Pizzeria | One stamp per order, after eight a pizza or dessert free | Stamps | Whether takeaway and table orders count the same |
| Butcher | One point per 10 euros spent, a voucher at a target | Points | Staff type the points in: pick a rule easy to work out in your head |
| Hair salon | One stamp per completed service, a free treatment after six | Stamps | Count the service done, not the booked appointment |
| Car wash | Five washes, the sixth free | Stamps | Whether the full wash and the basic one earn one stamp each |
A digital loyalty card mainly costs a monthly or annual subscription, which varies with the number of customers, locations and the features included. Then come costs a paper card has too: the rewards you hand over, a few seconds of staff time per visit and printing the counter QR code.
Some services have a free tier with limits on customers or active cards; others, like Iterum, offer a timed trial. Public prices of several services, with the date they were checked, are in the guide how much does a loyalty card cost; the reward cost calculator divides the reward’s cost by the visits required.
The reward weighs on the bill in a simple way. With the rule «N paid visits and one free», the reward is 1 visit out of N+1: it is arithmetic, not a result (our calculation, if the reward is worth an average visit).
Iterum plan prices are on the pricing page, excluding VAT. Plans differ by new customers included each month (300, 1,000 or 5,000, with unlimited total customers on every plan), active cards (1, 2 or 3) and messages a month per location; each extra location costs extra. Iterum has no free version: there is a 7-day trial, you pay €0 today and a payment card is required at activation.
If you are looking for a free digital loyalty card, the dedicated guide compares the free tiers of several services and explains their limits.
| Rule | Paid visits | Free visit | Reward as a share of all visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 in 6, i.e. 16.7% |
| 8 + 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 in 9, i.e. 11.1% |
| 10 + 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 in 11, i.e. 9.1% |
| 12 + 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 in 13, i.e. 7.7% |
There is no best app for everyone: the right choice depends on who records the visit, how much the bill varies and what it costs with your numbers. Before comparing brands and prices, write one line on how your counter works: who is on each shift, how much the bill varies and how many regulars you have. Then go through this checklist; the comparison between product families, with the features to check, is in the customer loyalty software guide. The most common services, with prices and the date they were checked, are in the 2026 digital loyalty card buyer’s guide.
A digital loyalty card works when the person at the counter offers it. This list takes you from plan to first week, without promising results: those depend on the rule, the reward and the habits of your shop.
A digital loyalty card does not bring in new customers by itself: it gives people who already come back one more reason to return, if the rule is clear and staff mention it. Here is what is left out, including with Iterum.
Iterum offers a digital loyalty card to local businesses; it is built by FIDUS S.R.L. in Rome. Every plan includes Apple and Google Wallet, stamp or points cards, QR sign-up, the «Al banco» staff app, a team with no user limit and roles and permissions, a customer list and profiles with export, statistics, an activity log and privacy tools. On every plan you can also switch on, card by card, the «Porta un amico» referral programme, which rewards customers who bring in a new one.
You can design the card and preview it before paying in the card designer, and watch the 39-second video demo of the QR code, card and stamp: the demo’s cards and figures are examples. If you work by appointment, the hair salon guide shows how to count a completed service.
By sector: cafés · restaurants · pizzerias · ice cream shops · bakeries · pastry shops · food trucks · wine shops · butchers · shops · pharmacies · florists · laundrettes · car washes · hair salons · barbershops · beauty salons · gyms · dog groomers · mobile services.
Compare: the 2026 digital loyalty card buyer’s guide and the Iterum vs Quardy, Iterum vs BonusQR and Iterum vs SMSHosting comparisons.
Public pages read on 12 October 2026: Google Wallet Help, «Loyalty cards and gift cards», and the iPhone User Guide, «Use passes, cards, and keys in Wallet on iPhone». Iterum information describes the product as of 12 October 2026, as shown on its public pages and its pricing page.
Public pages read on 23 October 2026: PagamentiDigitali, 26 July 2022 for the Stocard loyalty observatory percentages (49% and 26%, 2022 data) and Stripe, «Digital loyalty cards: what French businesses need to know» (Italian edition) for the list of formats (stamps, points, status, subscription). The percentages in the reward table are our own arithmetic; the sector examples are illustrative rules, not results. No figure on returns or revenue is reported.
Public pages read on 27 October 2026: MOO, «Carte fedeltà» (Italian price list) for the price of 400 square cards (136.00 euros excluding VAT, 165.92 including VAT), and PagamentiDigitali, 26 July 2022 again for Klarna’s 2021 acquisition of Stocard. Iterum prices, active cards, new customers a month and Wallet describe the product as of 27 October 2026, as on the pricing page. The first-year cost is our own example with 400 cards, not a market average. Iterum has no relationship with MOO or Klarna.
These are demonstration previews made with the Iterum card catalog. Names, rewards and stamps are examples.