Paper stamp cards vs a digital loyalty card

Paper stamp cards cost money to print, get lost in wallets and washing machines, and can be filled in with a look-alike stamp. A digital card lives in your customer's Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, is stamped only when staff scan it, and shows you who your regulars are. On Rewardtree it is free.

We make Rewardtree, so weigh this page knowing that.

At a glance

Paper stamp cards price	Whatever your printer charges for each print run, plus any rewards claimed on faked cards
Over a year	A reprint every time you run out, and no list of who your regulars are
Rewardtree price	A$0 forever: your card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, the Merchant app, unlimited members. Growth (to message your members yourself) A$29/month + GST.

What Paper stamp cards does well

No technology at the counter: a stamp and ink pad never crash.
No sign-up of any kind: hand a card over, done.
Every customer already knows how one works.

Where Rewardtree differs

Lost cards: paper cards get lost, washed and forgotten. The digital card is on the phone they carry into your shop.
Fakes: a look-alike stamp can fill a paper card. Rewardtree stamps are added only by your staff (a scan, or a hand-added stamp that needs a manager or PIN and is recorded), one per customer every 4 hours by default, and checked against your shop's location and opening hours.
Your regulars: paper tells you nothing. Rewardtree gives you a member list with visit history and a spreadsheet download.
Cost: reprints cost money; the digital card is free.

Who should pick which

Pick Paper stamp cards if: You want no screens at all, and you're fine with lost cards, look-alike stamps and not knowing who your regulars are.

Pick Rewardtree if: You want the same ritual (visit, stamp, reward) without lost or faked cards, and with a member list you own.

Common questions

Are digital loyalty cards better than paper stamp cards?#

For most shops, yes: digital cards can't be lost or photocopied, they update on the customer's phone, and they build a member list you own. Paper still wins on one thing: no screens at all.

What does it cost to switch from paper to digital stamps?#

With Rewardtree, A$0: the free plan includes the wallet cards, the Merchant app, unlimited members and ready-made posters. Setup takes about 5 minutes, and a paper-card regular's balance can be honoured with a hand-added stamp the first time they join (it needs a manager or a staff PIN and is recorded). Add their old stamps and today's stamp in one go.