Digital stamp cards: how they work and how to start one free

Published 27 September 2026 · Updated 28 September 2026 · Reviewed quarterly

A digital stamp card is a loyalty card that lives in your customer's phone instead of their pocket. They scan the QR on your counter, the card lands in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, and your staff add a stamp by scanning it. On Rewardtree it is free forever, with unlimited customers.

The steps#

1. Set the reward and the number of stamps. Name one reward people want, like Free coffee or Free cut, and set how many stamps unlock it. For a shop people visit weekly or more often, 8 to 10 stamps is a good place to start.
2. Add head-start stamps. Give new members a stamp or two on their card the moment they join. The join page tells them their card comes with stamps already on it.
3. Put the QR where the queue waits. Print the counter kit from the Share page in your dashboard and stand the QR by the till, where people wait with their phone in hand.
4. Staff scan to stamp. Staff open the free Rewardtree Merchant app, scan the QR on the customer's card and tap Add stamp. The card on the customer's phone updates to show it.
5. Confirm rewards with a one-time code. When the card is full, staff scan it and tap Redeem. Rewardtree's server confirms the reward once, shows staff the customer's first name, and the card starts again.

How a digital stamp card works, in 3 steps#

1. Your customer joins. They scan the QR on your counter, or open your link, then type their first name and mobile, enter the code we text them, and tap Add to Apple Wallet or Add to Google Wallet. It takes about 20 seconds, and there's no app to download.
2. Staff stamp it. At the till, the customer shows the QR on their card. Staff scan it with the free Rewardtree Merchant app and tap Add stamp. The card on the customer's phone updates to show the new stamp.
3. The reward. When the card is full, it shows the reward is ready. Staff scan it and tap Redeem, hand it over, and the card starts again. Extra stamps carry over.

The counter routine is the same as paper: they show, you stamp. The difference is everything around it.

Digital vs paper#

The idea behind a paper stamp card is sound: visit, stamp, reward. The paper is the weak part. Cards go through the wash, get left in another wallet, or turn up with a suspiciously neat row of stamps. And a stack of paper cards tells you nothing about who your regulars are.

A digital stamp card fixes each of those:

• It lives in the phone your customer always has on them.
• Only your staff can add a stamp, using the Merchant app.
• You get a member list: when each person joined, how many visits, when they last came in, and how close they are to a reward. You can download it as a spreadsheet any time.

We've set the two side by side in digital stamp cards vs paper cards.

Stopping fake stamps#

You shouldn't have to watch every stamp. Rewardtree checks each one for you:

• Only staff can stamp. Stamps go on through the Merchant app, signed in to your business: by scanning the customer's card, or added by hand, which is always recorded (see the next section).
• One collect per visit. By default a customer can collect once every 4 hours at your business. If staff try again too soon, the app says so and nothing is added. You can change the wait in Settings, under Hours between visits.
• Location and opening hours. Every scan is checked against where your shop is and when it's open. Anything unusual still counts and is listed under Fraud alerts for you to look at. You can choose to refuse those scans instead, but phones sometimes get their location a little wrong, so the standard setting never embarrasses a real customer. Only a scan more than 5 km from the shop, or more than 2 hours outside opening hours, is always refused. Keep your opening hours up to date in Settings.
• One-time reward codes. Every reward is confirmed by Rewardtree's server with a one-time code, and staff see the customer's first name before handing it over. If a customer reads out a 6-digit code instead of showing their card, that code works once and expires after 60 seconds. A screenshot can't claim the same reward twice.
• Stamps added by hand are recorded. See the next section.

Bringing paper regulars across#

Your paper-card regulars shouldn't lose what they've already earned. Once they've joined with the QR:

1. In the Merchant app, open the Members tab and tap Award a stamp manually.
2. Look them up by their mobile number.
3. Type how many stamps their paper card had, plus today's stamp if they're buying something now. Add it all in one go: by default a customer can collect once every 4 hours, so a second entry straight after a scan won't go through.
4. Tap Award. On a shared counter phone, type your own PIN.

Adding stamps by hand needs an owner or manager, or a staff member's own PIN, and every one is recorded under that person's name. Anything unusual shows up for the owner under Fraud alerts. Then keep or bin the paper card: the digital one has taken over.

How many stamps?#

A good rule of thumb: a daily or weekly regular should reach the reward within weeks, and a monthly client within 6 to 9 months. If the finish line is too far away, the card stops pulling them back.

• Daily or weekly visits (coffee, juice, bread): 8 to 10 stamps. Buy 9, get the 10th free is the classic.
• Visits a few weeks apart (haircuts, washes, nails): 5 to 10, with a smaller number for higher prices.

The café guide and the barber guide go deeper for those two. If your sales vary a lot in size, read stamp card or points first.

Head-start stamps#

You can start new members with a stamp or two already on the card. The join page tells them their card comes with stamps already on it, which is a nice welcome, and a card that's already underway feels worth finishing. That's the goal-gradient idea: people put in more effort the closer they get to a goal.

Set it in the setup, under Head-start stamps. It's free on every plan and applies to stamp cards.

A small treat along the way#

If your card is on the longer side, add a treat partway, like a free cookie at stamp 5. You can add up to three. Each can be used once per card, and they all come back after the main reward.

Printing a paper version in the meantime#

Not ready to switch today? The free punch card maker designs a printable card in your colours, with no sign-up. It's a fine way to start, and when you're ready, the digital card is free too.

What it costs#

On Rewardtree the digital stamp card is free forever: unlimited customers, locations and staff, the Merchant app, the counter kit and every card update. Growth, A$29/month + GST, is only for when you want to send your members messages yourself. See the pricing page for the details, or set up your free card now. It takes about 5 minutes.

Questions, answered#