# How to set up a café loyalty program (2026) — Nearily > Stamps or cashback, the reward threshold, paper vs app vs shared app, hardware, offline, cost and step-by-step setup. A guide for café owners, with FAQ. - Page: https://nearily.com/guides/cafe-loyalty-program-setup - Markdown: https://nearily.com/guides/cafe-loyalty-program-setup.md - Language: English (en) - Other languages: [Русский](https://nearily.com/ru/guides/cafe-loyalty-program-setup.md) · [Türkçe](https://nearily.com/tr/guides/cafe-loyalty-program-setup.md) · [Қазақша](https://nearily.com/kk/guides/cafe-loyalty-program-setup.md) - Site index for AI: https://nearily.com/llms.txt --- Guide · for cafés ## How to set up a café loyalty program (2026) In short - A café loyalty program is three decisions: the mechanic (stamps or cashback), the reward threshold, and where the guest carries the card. - A digital program needs no hardware; the barista scans the guest’s QR code with their own phone. - On Nearily the Free plan is free forever: 1 location, no limit on stamps or guests; setup happens inside the app. Last updated: 7 October 2026 ### What is a café loyalty program and what is it for? A loyalty program is a rule that rewards a guest for coming back to the same café: a free drink after N purchases (a stamp card) or a small return on every purchase (cashback). For an independent café the goal is the same as the chains’ apps: shorten the distance from “nice coffee” to “my café”. Advertising rents attention for a day; a habit keeps a guest for months. ### Stamps or cashback: which mechanic should you choose? A café with a narrow menu and frequent visits is better served by a stamp card; a café where basket size varies a lot is treated more fairly by cashback. Stamps: “buy N coffees, the (N+1)th is on the house.” The guest sees where they stand at a glance and the reward is tangible. Cashback: a percentage of every purchase accumulates, and the guest spends it as a discount on a later order. Nearily supports both; the café picks one and sets its own reward. ### How do you set the reward threshold? The threshold should be close enough for a guest to reach within a month, and far enough to stay profitable for the café. The most common patterns in cafés are 10+1, 8+1 and 6+1. A guest who comes twice a week fills a 10+1 card in about five weeks. The most common reward is a filter coffee or a standard espresso-based drink; you can change the threshold and the reward at any time, and the change applies to new stamps. ### Paper card, your own app or a shared app: where does the guest carry the card? There are three options with very different costs: a paper card (printing + losses), your own branded app (development + maintenance + one more app for the guest to install) or one app shared by many cafés. In a shared app the guest installs it once and uses it at every partner café, and the café is visible on the map to the regulars of other cafés. Nearily works this way: on iPhone the card can be added to Apple Wallet, on Android to Google Wallet, so the guest does not even have to open the app. - Paper card: zero setup, but cards get lost and you cannot see who comes back. - Your own app: full brand control, but built for chains, with setup and monthly costs to match. - Shared app: a free plan is possible, with a discovery map and analytics included; the app’s brand is shared, not yours. ### What hardware do you need? A digital stamp program needs no extra hardware; a phone or tablet you already own is enough. On Nearily the barista scans the guest’s QR code with the Nearily app, or the guest says a 4-digit code. No terminal, reader, printer or plastic. Cafés on iiko can also stamp from the iikoFront order screen (the plugin is included in Cafe Ultra). ### Does the loyalty program work when the internet is down? On Nearily, yes: offline scanning queues stamps on the barista’s device and sends them when the connection returns, with the real scan time. No stamp is lost or counted twice. Redeeming a reward and finding a guest by 4-digit code need a connection. The feature was tested in the field during the 2026 internet outages in Saint Petersburg. ### How do you set the program up, step by step? On Nearily, setup happens inside the app, from the owner’s own phone, and usually takes less than an hour. - Install Nearily (App Store, Google Play, RuStore or AppGallery) and apply via Profile → Settings → Become a partner; the web form works too. - Pick the mechanic, stamps or cashback; enter the threshold and the reward. - Add the café’s name, address, opening hours and logo: it appears on the Nearily map and on nearily.com/cafes. - Show the baristas the scanner: scan the QR or type the 4 digits. That is the whole training. - One sentence at the counter: “Do you have Nearily?” The guest installs the app and gets the first stamp right away. ### What does it cost the café? On Nearily the Free plan is free forever with no commission on sales: stamps or cashback, offline scanning, unlimited guests, basic analytics, 1 location. Optional Cafe Pro ($11 / 999 ₽ a month; ₺499 in Türkiye) adds up to 2 locations, a multi-barista scanner, detailed AI analytics and guest messaging; Cafe Ultra ($22 / 1,999 ₽ a month; ₺999 in Türkiye) adds up to 3 locations, deeper AI analytics and the iiko integration. Current prices are kept at nearily.com/pricing. ### How do you measure whether it works? Watch three numbers: how many guests came back this week, how many cards were completed, and how many purchases there are per reward. Nearily Platform (platform.nearily.com) brings these numbers to the café panel; the café sees the guest’s name and their activity at your café, not their phone number or their visits elsewhere. ### Frequently asked questions ### How do I make a digital stamp card for my café? Install Nearily and apply via Profile → Settings → Become a partner; choose the mechanic (stamps or cashback), the threshold and the reward. No hardware is needed and the Free plan is free forever. ### How long does setup take? On Nearily, usually less than an hour from application to first stamp; a barista learns the scanner in a minute (scan the QR or type the 4-digit code). ### Do guests have to install an app? Yes, the free Nearily app, one app for every partner café. On iPhone the card goes into Apple Wallet and on Android into Google Wallet, so it can be shown without opening the app. ### How many stamps before a reward? Most cafés use 10+1, 8+1 or 6+1; a guest who comes twice a week fills a 10+1 card in about five weeks. You can change the threshold later. ### Is a POS integration required? No. Everything runs in the Nearily app; cafés on iiko can optionally stamp from the order screen with the iikoFront plugin (included in Cafe Ultra). ### Are stamps lost when the internet goes down? No. Offline scanning queues stamps on the device and sends them when the connection returns; nothing is lost or counted twice. ### Which cities is Nearily in? As of October 2026, 13 partner cafés in Saint Petersburg, Istanbul and Semey, and 580+ users. A café in another city joins through the same steps. ### If you would like to try it at your café The Free plan never expires. Apply inside the app (Profile → Settings → Become a partner) or with the form below; if you need help with setup, write to us and we will gladly help. [Register your café](https://nearily.com/for-cafes#apply) · [Compare with other loyalty apps](https://nearily.com/compare) ### More guides - [Coffee loyalty apps in Istanbul](https://nearily.com/guides/istanbul-coffee-loyalty-apps) - [Digital stamp card vs plastic card](https://nearily.com/guides/digital-stamp-card-vs-plastic)