Digital stamp card vs plastic card: the real cost for a café

What does a paper or plastic stamp card really cost?

The real cost is the sum of four items: printing, reprinting, loss and invisibility.

The print price depends on the print shop, the quantity and paper versus plastic; we do not invent numbers here, use your own quote. The other three items rarely show up on an invoice but repeat every month.

• Printing: unit price × quantity; plastic cards also need a stamp, pen or hole punch.
• Reprinting: when the design, logo, rule or price changes, the remaining stock goes in the bin.
• Loss: cards forgotten in pockets, washed, lost; the guest does not want to start over and drops out.
• Invisibility: you cannot see how many guests came back, which reward works, or how many cards are full.

What does a paper card cost the barista?

Every stamp means finding the stamp, pen or punch; when a full card arrives, the barista has to count it and check it.

With a digital card the barista scans the guest’s QR code or types a 4-digit code, and the app decides whether a reward is due. On Nearily this step is shorter than writing a name on a cup.

What does a digital stamp card cost?

The cost of a digital card is a plan, not a print invoice; on Nearily the Free plan is free forever with no commission on sales.

Free includes stamps or cashback, offline scanning, unlimited guests, basic analytics and 1 location. Cafe Pro ($11 / 999 ₽ a month; ₺499 in Türkiye: up to 2 locations, multi-barista scanner, detailed AI analytics, guest messaging) and Cafe Ultra ($22 / 1,999 ₽ a month; ₺999 in Türkiye: up to 3 locations, deeper AI analytics, iiko integration included) are optional. Prices are at nearily.com/pricing.

Do you have to buy hardware for a digital card?

No; on Nearily the phone or tablet you already own is the scanner.

No terminal, reader, printer or plastic. Cafés on iiko can also stamp from the iikoFront order screen; the plugin is included in Cafe Ultra.

What is the difference for the guest?

A paper card goes into a pocket and usually stays forgotten there; a digital card lives on the phone, and on Nearily also in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Google Wallet on Android.

The guest gets a notification when the card is full and redeems the reward by showing a QR at the counter; at other partner cafés they use the same app and find your café on the map.

How do you calculate it for your own café?

Two columns are enough to compare a year’s total cost.

• Paper/plastic: (yearly print quantity × unit price) + number of reprints × batch cost + the estimated value of guests lost to lost cards.
• Digital: the plan’s monthly fee × 12 (0 on Nearily’s Free plan) + zero hardware.
• Add one row to both columns: can you see who comes back? On paper no, digitally yes.

How do you switch from paper to digital?

Accept the old cards until they run out and record new visits digitally; the two systems can run side by side for a few weeks.

Since the Free plan costs nothing, the transition period adds no cost. You can reproduce the current rule (say, 10+1) exactly; on Nearily you apply inside the app via Profile → Settings → Become a partner.

Frequently asked questions