Why Independent Coffee Shops Choose Lokaly
Built for Real Coffee Shops
Not another generic "points" system. Lokaly understands that cafes run on stamp cards - "Buy 9 coffees, get the 10th free." We've digitised exactly that, nothing more complicated.
- Quick setup: Create your first loyalty card in 5 minutes
- No staff training: If they can use a phone, they can use Lokaly
- Works offline: Stamps sync when connection returns
- Your branding: Upload your logo, choose your colours
Staff-Worn NFC = Fraud Protection
Unlike QR codes that customers can screenshot and share, or counter-placed tablets they can tap repeatedly, Lokaly's NFC tags are worn by your baristas on retractable lanyards.
This means:
- Staff control every stamp interaction
- No customers gaming the system
- Personal touch maintained (staff present the lanyard)
- You decide who gets stamps (not automated)
This is how Lokaly prevents fraud while keeping the personal connection that makes independent cafes special.
Want to understand the technical side? Read our complete guide to digital stamp cards.
How Lokaly Works for Your Cafe
For Your Customers (30 seconds)
- Download the free Lokaly app (iOS/Android)
- Tap their phone to your staff's NFC lanyard when they buy
- Collect stamps automatically - no typing, no scanning
- Redeem rewards when their card is full
That's it. No passwords to remember, no loyalty numbers, no complicated points calculations.
For You (5 minutes)
- Create your account at merchant.lokaly.co.uk
- Design your stamp card: "Buy 9 coffees, get the 10th free"
- Set your rules: Which drinks count? What's the reward?
- Clip the NFC tag to your baristas' lanyards
- Start gaining customer insights and building loyalty
Your staff just present the lanyard at the till. The Lokaly app handles everything else.
Digital Stamp Cards vs Paper Punch Cards
| Feature | Paper Punch Cards | Lokaly Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Lost cards | Customer starts over | Never lost, always on phone |
| Tracking customers | Impossible | See who visits, how often, what they buy |
| Marketing campaigns | Print flyers, hope they work | Automated win-back emails, birthday treats |
| Fraud prevention | Easy to forge/duplicate | HMAC-verified NFC, staff-controlled |
| Data insights | None | See peak times, popular drinks, trends |
| Remind customers | They forget their card | Push notifications when nearby |
| Cost per month | £15-30 in printing | Free to £25, no printing costs |
| Promotes repeat visits | Sometimes | 67% increase on average* |
*Based on Lokaly merchant data, independent cafes, 2024-2025
Paper cards worked in 2010. Your customers expect digital in 2026.
Perfect for Independent UK Coffee Shops
Artisan Cafes & Specialty Coffee
Challenge: Competing with Costa, Nero, and Pret's established apps
Lokaly Solution: Your personal touch + digital convenience
- Stamp cards for different drink types (filter coffee, espresso drinks, pastries)
- Highlight your specialty beans in reward descriptions
- Send notifications about new single-origin arrivals
- Track which specialty drinks drive loyalty
Example Setup:
- Card 1: "Buy 8 flat whites, get the 9th free"
- Card 2: "Buy 5 bags of beans, get £5 off your next bag"
- Birthday reward: "Free specialty drink on your birthday"
Cafe Chains (2-5 Locations)
Challenge: Managing loyalty across multiple sites
Lokaly Solution: Unified system, location-specific insights
- Customers collect stamps at any of your locations
- See which cafes are busiest when
- Compare performance across sites
- Location-specific promotions
Cafe-Bakeries & Brunch Spots
Challenge: Getting breakfast customers back for lunch
Lokaly Solution: Time-based campaigns and multiple card types
- Separate stamp cards for breakfast, lunch, all-day
- Automated "lunch deal" reminders to breakfast regulars
- Track meal-time preferences
- Promote slower periods with bonus stamps
Drive-Through & Takeaway Cafes
Challenge: Quick service, no time for app downloads
Lokaly Solution: Super-fast NFC tap (faster than card payment)
- NFC tap takes 0.5 seconds
- Works through car windows
- Staff can hold lanyard out
- Process while payment is processing
Benefits for Coffee Shop Owners
1. Automated Marketing (That Actually Works)
Stop posting on Instagram hoping someone sees it. With Lokaly, you message customers who've already bought from you:
Win-Back Campaigns (Automated)
- Haven't visited in 2 weeks? "We miss you! Here's 20% off your next coffee"
- Haven't visited in 1 month? "Come back and we'll double-stamp your next visit"
- Average result: 23% of lapsed customers return within 7 days
Birthday Campaigns (Automated)
- Lokaly automatically knows customer birthdays (if they provide them)
- Send "Free birthday coffee" the morning of their birthday
- 76% open rate vs 20% for regular email marketing
- Creates emotional connection: "They remembered me!"
Scratch-and-Win Gamification
- Send occasional "Scratch to reveal your reward" push notifications
- Prizes: Extra stamp, free pastry, 20% off, £1 off next visit
- Keeps your cafe top-of-mind
- 41% engagement rate
All of this runs automatically. You set it up once, Lokaly does the rest.
2. Understand Your Customers (Finally)
With paper cards, you have no idea:
- Who are your regulars vs one-time visitors?
- What time of day do you get most repeat customers?
- Which drinks drive loyalty?
- How long until a customer stops coming back?
Lokaly shows you everything:
- See your top 50 customers by visits
- Average visit frequency (every 3 days? Once a week?)
- Busiest times for loyalty customers
- Which rewards they redeem most
3. Increase Customer Lifetime Value
Average results from UK coffee shops using Lokaly:
- 67% increase in repeat visits
- 34% increase in customer lifetime value
- 23% of lapsed customers return after win-back campaigns
- 5.2 visits per customer vs 2.8 with paper cards
4. No More Lost Paper Card Costs
Hidden costs of paper punch cards:
- Design & printing: £50-150 per batch of 1,000
- Reprint every 2-3 months as designs change
- Wasted cards (customers lose them)
- Staff time explaining the system
- Fraud (customers copying or forging cards)
Annual cost estimate: £300-600 for a single-location cafe
Lokaly free plan: £0/month for up to 50 customers
Lokaly paid plan: £10/month for up to 250 customers
Plus no reprinting, no waste, no fraud, and you get marketing automation and analytics included.
Pricing for Coffee Shops
Starter
Perfect for small businesses just getting started with digital loyalty.
£0
Per Month
Features
- 1 loyalty card design
- Background image
- Custom stamp icons
- Interim rewards
- Custom stamp issue limitation
- Customer engagement
Campaigns
- Birthday treat
- Win back X days
- Scratch and win
- Nearby notification
Dashboard
- Visit frequency chart
- Stamps vs rewards chart
- Recent activity
Analytics
- Basic analytics
- Weekly heat map
- Security analytics
Limits
- Up to 50 customers
- 1 staff account
- 2 NFC tags
- 0 offers
Growth
Designed for growing local businesses that want better engagement.
£10
Per Month
Features
- 1 loyalty card design
- Background image
- Custom stamp icons
- Interim rewards
- Custom stamp issue limitation
- Customer engagement
Campaigns
- Birthday treat
- Win back X days
- Scratch and win
- Nearby notification
Dashboard
- Visit frequency chart
- Stamps vs rewards chart
- Recent activity
Analytics
- Advanced analytics
- Weekly heat map
- Security analytics
Limits
- Up to 250 customers
- 5 staff accounts
- 5 NFC tags
- 1 offer
Power
For established businesses ready to scale and automate loyalty.
£25
Per Month
Features
- 5 loyalty card designs
- Background image
- Custom stamp icons
- Interim rewards
- Custom stamp issue limitation
- Customer engagement
Campaigns
- Birthday treat
- Win back X days
- Scratch and win
- Nearby notification
Dashboard
- Visit frequency chart
- Stamps vs rewards chart
- Recent activity
Analytics
- Full analytics
- Weekly heat map
- Security analytics
Limits
- Up to 1,000 customers
- 10 staff accounts
- 10 NFC tags
- 5 offers
Not sure which plan? Calculate your ROI
Getting Started (Takes 10 Minutes)
Step 1: Create Your Loyalty Card (5 minutes)
Log into merchant.lokaly.co.uk and design your stamp card:
- Card name: "Coffee Lover Card" (or whatever you prefer)
- Stamps required: 9 (customers get 10th free)
- Reward: Free coffee (any size)
- Which purchases count? All coffee drinks, or just certain ones
- Card colour: Match your brand
Pro tip for cafes: Create multiple cards - "Coffee Card" for hot drinks, "Iced Drink Card" for cold coffees, "Cake Card" for pastries. This gives customers more reasons to visit.
Step 2: Set Up Your NFC Tags (2 minutes)
- Clip the NFC tag to your barista's lanyard (or apron string)
- Tag comes with retractable cord - clips to any uniform
- Test by tapping your own phone to it
- Done! Staff just present it at checkout
How many tags do you need? 1 till = 1 tag minimum. 2-3 staff per shift = 2-3 tags ideal. Free plan includes 2 tags.
Step 3: Promote to Customers (3 minutes)
In-store:
- Print the QR code poster (provided in your dashboard)
- Place at till, on tables, in window
- Staff say: "We have a new loyalty app - scan here to download"
First-week tip: Offer double stamps for anyone who downloads the app in week 1. Creates urgency.
Step 4: Collect Your First Stamp (30 seconds)
- Customer downloads app (30 seconds)
- They tap your NFC tag (instant)
- Their first stamp appears
- They're now in your loyalty system forever
That's it. From zero to running a digital loyalty programme in 10 minutes.
Real Coffee Shop Results
"We increased repeat customers by 54% in 3 months"
The Grind House, Brighton - Small specialty coffee shop, 1 location
Before Lokaly:
- Paper punch cards (constant reprinting)
- No idea who their regulars were
- Customers forgot their cards at home
- Average customer: 2.4 visits before never returning
After Lokaly:
- 127 customers signed up in first month
- Average customer now: 5.8 visits (up 142%)
- Win-back campaigns brought back 29% of lapsed customers
- Birthday rewards generated £340 in sales in first month
"The automated birthday rewards alone pay for the subscription. Customers love getting a free coffee on their birthday, and they usually bring friends."
"Paper cards were costing us £40/month. Lokaly costs £10 and does 10x more"
Bean & Brew, Manchester - Cafe-bakery, breakfast and lunch trade
Results after 6 months:
- £240 saved in printing costs
- 34% increase in lunch visits (thanks to targeted campaigns)
- 412 customers now in their system (vs unknown with paper)
- Average customer value up from £8.40 to £12.30
"I wish we'd switched sooner. The amount of customer insight we were missing with paper cards is embarrassing in hindsight."
Want to see detailed cafe case studies? Visit our case studies page
Compare Lokaly to Other Coffee Shop Loyalty Apps
| Feature | Lokaly | Stamp Me | SQUID Loyalty | Magic Stamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | Varies |
| NFC tap-to-collect | ✓ Staff lanyard | Counter pod | Counter tag | ✗ |
| Fraud protection | ✓ Advanced | ✓ Basic | ✓ Basic | Limited |
| UK-focused | ✓ Yes | Global | Ireland/UK | Varies |
| Discovery feature | ✓ Nearby | ✗ No | ✓ Map | ✗ No |
| Push notifications | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Varies |
| Monthly pricing | From £0 | From £25 | Contact | Varies |
Frequently Asked Questions
Lokaly is designed specifically for independent UK coffee shops. Unlike generic apps, it uses staff-worn NFC tags for tap-to-collect stamps, preventing fraud while staying personal. The free plan supports up to 50 customers, perfect for starting out.
Lokaly starts free for up to 50 customers. Paid plans are £10/month (up to 250 customers) or £25/month (up to 1,000 customers). This includes NFC tags, automated marketing, analytics, and support. No setup fees or contracts.
Yes, customers download the free Lokaly app once (30 seconds). After that, they just tap their phone to your staff's NFC tag to collect stamps. Unlike QR codes, there's no scanning or typing required - it's instant.
Yes. Your staff simply wear the NFC tag on their lanyard and hold it out for customers to tap. There are no buttons to press or screens to navigate. It's faster and easier than handling paper punch cards.
Lokaly uses staff-worn NFC tags (not counter-placed), so your baristas control every stamp interaction. The system also uses HMAC cryptographic verification to prevent stamp duplication or replay attacks. Unlike QR codes, NFC can't be screenshot and shared.
Yes. You can create unlimited loyalty cards (on paid plans). Examples: "Coffee Card" for hot drinks, "Iced Drink Card" for cold coffees, "Cake Card" for pastries. This gives customers more reasons to visit.
Their stamps are stored in the cloud, not on their device. If they get a new phone, they simply download the Lokaly app again, log in, and all their stamps are still there. This is a huge advantage over paper cards.
Yes. Your merchant dashboard shows exactly who your top customers are by visit count, how often they visit on average, what times they come in, and when they're at risk of stopping. Paper cards can't tell you any of this.
You set up campaigns once (e.g., "Send birthday reward on customer's birthday" or "Send win-back message if customer hasn't visited in 2 weeks"). Lokaly then runs them automatically. You can edit or pause campaigns anytime.
Stamps still work offline. NFC tags store cryptographic data locally, and the customer's phone records the stamp. When internet returns, everything syncs automatically. No stamps are lost.
97% of UK adults own a smartphone in 2026. For the small percentage who don't, you can manually track their stamps in your merchant portal or offer a traditional paper card as an exception.
Yes, if you have multiple cafes, customers can collect stamps at any location. You set up multiple locations in your merchant dashboard, each gets its own NFC tags, and customer stamps work across all your sites.
You have full control in your merchant dashboard. You can add stamps manually, remove accidental stamps, adjust rewards, or block suspicious accounts. Everything is logged for review.
Day 1: Sign up and create your loyalty card (10 minutes). Days 2-3: NFC tags arrive in the post. Day 4+: Start promoting to customers. Total time from decision to live: 3-4 days.
Lokaly manages all customer data professionally and handles GDPR compliance for you - this protects you from liability. You get full access to customer insights (visit patterns, frequency, preferences) via your dashboard. We store data on UK/EU servers, never sell it, and customers can delete their account anytime.
Next Steps
Try the ROI Calculator
See exactly how much revenue Lokaly could generate for your cafe based on your current customer numbers.
Calculate Your ROI →Read the Complete Guide
Want to understand digital loyalty systems in depth before committing?
What is a Digital Stamp Card? →Ready to Get Started?
Digital stamp cards are the modern way to reward loyal coffee shop customers. Faster for customers, more valuable for your business, and impossible to lose.