Loyalty cards: the types, the differences, and which fits your business
A loyalty card is what makes a customer come back to you instead of a competitor: every visit or every riyal brings them closer to a reward. There are five types, which differ in how the customer earns, not in the idea. This page explains each in two lines, who it suits, and which ones BTAQA offers today.
The types of loyalty cards
| Type | How the customer earns | Suits | Example | In BTAQA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp card | A stamp per visit or per product, a reward when the count is complete | Cafes, car washes, barbers, salons: similar prices and frequent visits | Buy 9 coffees, the 10th is free | Yes |
| Points card | Points from the bill amount, redeemed at reward levels | Restaurants and shops: varying bills and group orders | 10 points per riyal, rewards at 150, 300, and 600 points | Yes |
| Cashback | A share of every bill returns as credit to spend later | Large chains and e-commerce | 5% of every order as credit | No |
| Subscription or prepaid package | Pays up front for a number of services or an unlimited month | Car washes and gyms: a repeated service at a fixed price | 4 washes for the price of 3 | No; a package can be shown as stamps |
| Tiers (silver, gold) | Perks that grow with yearly spend | Airlines, hotels, and big brands | 10% off at the gold tier | No |
The two types BTAQA offers cover most small and medium businesses: stamps where prices are similar, points where bills vary. Both cards are stored in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet with no app. How the points card works
Paper, an app, or the phone wallet?
Paper card
Cheapest to start. It gets stained, lost, and forgotten, gives you no data on who returns and who disappeared, and can be stamped with no oversight.
Standalone app
The most control, but it asks the customer to download an app for a coffee or a car wash. That barrier alone loses most of the people who would have joined.
A card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet
The customer scans a QR code and the card lands in the wallet already on their phone in seconds. No download and no account, with the same stamps, notifications, and data. This is what BTAQA offers.
Which card for your business
- Cafes and coffee shops
Stamps, 9 drinks and the 10th free, on a card with your own cup
- Car washes
Stamps, on a card that carries the customer's car and real plate
- Nail salons
Stamps that show a package of sessions, 4 sessions and the 5th free
- Barbershops
Stamps, 5 haircuts and the 6th free, every stamp in the barber's name
- Restaurants
Points from the bill amount, with reward levels you set
- Beauty salons and aesthetic clinics
Stamps for repeated sessions, with no medical data
Loyalty cards in your country
Frequently asked questions about loyalty cards
A stamp card counts visits or products: a stamp per coffee, a reward at the tenth. A points card counts money: points from the bill amount, redeemed at levels you set. Choose stamps if your prices are similar, points if your bills vary.
Between 5 and 10, depending on how often people visit. Coffee is daily, so nine stamps complete in two to three weeks. Haircuts are monthly, so five is enough. The rule: close enough that the reward feels real, far enough to secure paid visits before it.
Yes, when they are stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The customer scans a QR code once, the card lands in their wallet, and every stamp updates it with a lock-screen notification. No app to download and no account to create.
With BTAQA: 108 SAR a month for one card, 250 SAR for three cards, and 380 SAR for ten, before VAT, with a cheaper annual option. Customers and notifications are unlimited on every plan, and the trial is 14 days with no credit card.
Yes. Each business has its own card in the customer's wallet, the same way they hold several bank cards. Your cafe's card shows your name, logo, and colours, not a platform's.
Create a loyalty card for your business
Free for 14 days, no credit card. Stamps or points, in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.