Combining programs
21%earned a reward with one program
27%with two or more programs
55% of the cafés combine two or more programs. In those, a larger share of customers earns a reward: 27% against 21% with a stamp card alone.
Based on anonymous BonusQR app data, 2026
The Coffee Shop Loyalty Program Setup That Works
Everyone says a café needs a stamp card. Here is how to set one up, from the cafés that actively run their loyalty program on BonusQR: how many stamps, what to add next to it, and what the numbers say about welcome coupons.
- 47%of customers come back
- 11days between visits (median)
- 9stamps on the typical café card
Key findings
From anonymous BonusQR app data, 2026. Shares of customers are medians across businesses: a typical business, not a total.
- 1
The stamp card is the main loyalty program in 92% of the active cafés on BonusQR, and the typical café card asks for 9 stamps.
- 2
In cafés with a 9- or 10-stamp card, 49% of customers come back and 27% earn a reward; with 6 stamps or fewer, 39% come back.
- 3
The typical café customer returns about every 11 days, more often than in any other kind of business on BonusQR.
- 4
Cafés that run a second program next to the stamp card see 27% of customers earn a reward, against 21% with a stamp card alone. A welcome coupon can be small: only about 40% of them are redeemed.
Quote these figures with a link to this page: BonusQR (2026): The Coffee Shop Loyalty Program Setup That Works bonusqr.com/p/coffee-shop-loyalty-program-setup
How many stamps should a coffee card have?
The stamp card is the main program in 92% of the active cafés on BonusQR. This is how long their cards are, and how stamp cards of each length do across all businesses.
Stamps needed for the reward – cafés
The most common card lengths among the cafés with a stamp card.
Half of the cafés ask for 6 to 10 stamps; the median is 9.
Stamp cards by length – all businesses
All active BonusQR businesses with a stamp card, grouped by the number of stamps the card needs.
| Stamps needed | Customers who came back | Customers who earned a reward | Coupons redeemed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or fewer | 32% | 17% | 50% |
| 7–8 | 40% | 25% | 68% |
| 9–10 | 48% | 18% | 63% |
| 11 or more | 45% | 16% | 35% |
Medians across businesses. A shorter card is not automatically better: the 7–8 group sees the most rewards earned and redeemed, while very short cards see the fewest customers come back.
A café card of 9 or 10 stamps is the norm, and it works: in cafés with such a card, 49% of customers come back and 27% earn a reward. Cards of 6 stamps or fewer attract more sign-ups, but only 39% of those customers come back.
So, the verdict: the exact loyalty setup the numbers say works best
For a café, this is the combination to set up in BonusQR, setting by setting, with the figure behind each one. On the right, what a regular with 6 of 9 stamps sees in the app.
- Main program
Stamp Card
- How many items to collect
- 9 × coffee
- Coupon the customer gets
- A free coffee
In cafés with a 9- or 10-stamp card, 49% of customers come back and 27% earn a reward; with 6 stamps or fewer, 39% come back.
- Next to it
Fixed Discount
- Discount rate
- 10%
- Valid only at these hours
- Your quietest hours, e.g. 14:00–16:00
Cafés that run a second program next to the stamp card see 27% of customers earn a reward, against 21% with one program.
- Welcome coupon
Onboarding Promo
- The name of the coupon customer receives
- Something small and pleasant, e.g. a free cookie
Only about 40% of café welcome coupons are redeemed, so a small, pleasant one is enough.
- Plan
Free
The stamp card and the fixed discount are both in the free plan, free forever, with unlimited customers.
Match the card to how often your guests come
The typical café customer comes back about every 11 days, more often than in any other kind of business on BonusQR.
At that rhythm, a 9-stamp card takes a regular about three months to fill, which keeps the next reward close enough to matter. A salon visited every three to five weeks needs a much shorter goal for the same effect.
Days between visits, typical business
Median of the average gap between a customer’s first and last visit, per business.
One program or several? And the welcome coupon
What the cafés on BonusQR that run more than a stamp card see, and what the welcome coupon does.
The welcome coupon
49%came back without a welcome coupon
33%came back with one
27% of the cafés also give a welcome coupon, mostly a percentage off. Only about 40% of them are redeemed, so something small and pleasant is enough – the stamp card stays the reason to return.
Set it up in BonusQR in a few minutes
The setup above, step by step, on the free plan.
- 1
Start from Google Maps
Type your café’s name as it appears on Google Maps. BonusQR fills in the name, address and photo and creates a starter program that you can change.
- 2
Make the stamp card your main program
Add a stamp card with 9 stamps and a free coffee as the reward. Staff add a stamp for each coffee when they scan the guest’s code.
- 3
Add a second program
For example a percentage off in the hours you choose, such as 14:00–16:00 every day. Staff see it when they scan the guest’s code.
- 4
Print the QR code for the counter
Print the free counter stand or sticker. Guests join from the QR code and keep the card in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or the BonusQR app.
How we counted
Anonymous data from the BonusQR app, 2026: active cafés, classified by the Google Maps category they chose or, without one, by their name.
- Active business: at least 10 different customers scanned and a scan in the last 12 months; staff scanning their own account are not counted.
- Came back: the customer was scanned on at least 2 different days. Reward: the customer earned at least one coupon from the program (welcome coupons and prepaid items not counted).
- Every figure is a median across businesses – a typical business, not a total – and is rounded. No single business can be identified.
- The figures describe what businesses do and see; they do not prove that a setup causes a result. Location, size and how consistently staff scan matter too.
Coffee shop loyalty program: questions
What owners ask before they set up their card.
How many stamps should a coffee shop loyalty card have?
Most cafés on BonusQR use 9 or 10 stamps (the median is 9). In cafés with a 9- or 10-stamp card, 49% of customers come back and 27% earn a reward, while cards of 6 stamps or fewer see 39% come back.
What is the best loyalty program for a coffee shop?
A stamp card, the main program in 92% of active cafés on BonusQR, with a free coffee as the reward. Cafés that run a second program next to it see more customers earn a reward: 27% against 21%.
How often do coffee shop customers come back?
The typical café on BonusQR sees its returning customers about every 11 days, and 47% of its customers come back at least once.
Should a café give a welcome coupon?
Yes – something small and pleasant, such as a free cookie with the first coffee, is enough: only about 40% of café welcome coupons are redeemed. The stamp card is what brings guests back.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the BonusQR app, anonymised, 2026: cafés with at least 10 customers and a scan in the last 12 months. Every figure is a median across cafés, and no single café can be identified.
How much does a coffee shop loyalty program cost with BonusQR?
The setup on this page runs on the free plan, free forever, with unlimited customers. Basic and Premium add more programs and features; the pricing page shows them in your currency.
