Combining programs
7%earned a reward with one program
11%with two or more programs
61% of the shops run two or more programs. In those, 11% of customers earn a reward, against 7% in shops with a single program.
Based on anonymous BonusQR app data, 2026
Retail Loyalty Program Ideas: the Setup That Works
A shop can reward its regulars in many ways. Here is what the retail, grocery and pet shops that actively run their loyalty program on BonusQR set up, and what their numbers show about card length and welcome coupons.
- 48%of customers come back
- 18days between visits (median)
- 9stamps on the typical shop 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 55% of the active shops on BonusQR, and the typical shop card asks for 9 stamps.
- 2
In the typical shop, 48% of customers come back, but only 10% earn a reward – fewer than in cafés (25%) or restaurants (11%).
- 3
About 38% of shop welcome coupons are redeemed, so something small and pleasant, such as 10% off the first purchase, is enough; the stamp card is what brings shoppers back.
- 4
Shops that run two or more programs see 11% of customers earn a reward, against 7% with one; across all businesses, 7–8-stamp cards see the most rewards earned (25%).
Quote these figures with a link to this page: BonusQR (2026): Retail Loyalty Program Ideas: the Setup That Works bonusqr.com/p/retail-store-loyalty-program-setup
How many stamps should a shop card have?
The stamp card is the main program in 55% of the active shops on BonusQR; cashback in 29%, a reward for visits in 23% and a reward for spend in 19%. This is how long their stamp cards are, and how stamp cards of each length do across all businesses.
Stamps needed for the reward – shops
The most common card lengths among the shops with a stamp card.
Half of the shops ask for 7 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.
Shoppers come back – 48% in the typical shop – but few reach a reward: 10% of customers earn one, fewer than in cafés (25%) or restaurants (11%). Across all businesses, cards of 7–8 stamps see the most rewards earned (25%), which is why we suggest 8 stamps.
So, the verdict: the exact loyalty setup the numbers say works best
For a shop, this is the combination to set up in BonusQR, setting by setting, with the figure behind each one. On the right, what a customer with 5 of 8 stamps sees in the app.
- Main program
Stamp Card
- How many items to collect
- 8 × purchase
- Coupon the customer gets
- A gift from your shop
Only 10% of shop customers reach a reward today; across all businesses, cards of 7–8 stamps see the most rewards earned (25%).
- Next to it
Fixed Discount
- Discount rate
- 10%
- Valid only at these hours
- Your quietest hours, e.g. 10:00–12:00
Shops that run two or more programs see 11% of customers earn a reward, against 7% with one.
- Welcome coupon
Onboarding Promo
- The name of the coupon customer receives
- Something small and pleasant, e.g. 10% off the first purchase
About 38% of shop 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 shoppers come
The typical shop customer comes back about every 18 days – less often than in a café or a restaurant, more often than in a salon.
If a regular earns one stamp a visit, an 8-stamp card takes about five months to fill and a 10-stamp card about six. A goal that close keeps the reward in sight between purchases.
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
Shops combine programs and give welcome coupons more often than any other industry on BonusQR. This is what they see.
The welcome coupon
51%came back without a welcome coupon
27%came back with one
45% of the shops give a welcome coupon, mostly a percentage off – more than any other industry. About 38% 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 shop’s name as it appears on Google Maps and choose “Other”. BonusQR fills in the name, address and photo and creates a starter program – a 10% welcome discount and 5% cashback – that you can change.
- 2
Make the stamp card your main program
Add a stamp card with 8 stamps and a gift from your shop as the reward. Staff add a stamp for each purchase when they scan the customer’s code at the till.
- 3
Add a second program, keep the welcome coupon small
For example a percentage off for members in the hours you choose. The starter’s 10% welcome discount is a small, pleasant gift you can keep; its 5% cashback cannot be changed once saved, so remove it if you do not want it.
- 4
Print the QR code for the till
Print the free counter stand or sticker. Customers 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 retail, grocery and pet shops, 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.
Retail loyalty program ideas: questions
What owners ask before they set up their card.
What is a good loyalty program idea for a retail shop?
A stamp card – the main program in 55% of active shops on BonusQR – with a gift after 8 stamps, plus a second program such as a members’ discount. Shops that combine programs see 11% of customers earn a reward, against 7% with one program.
How many stamps should a shop loyalty card have?
Shops on BonusQR ask for 7 to 10 stamps in the middle half (the median is 9; 10 is the most common). Because few shop customers reach a reward, we suggest 8: across all businesses, 7–8-stamp cards see the most rewards earned.
Should a shop give a welcome coupon?
Yes – something small and pleasant, such as 10% off the first purchase or a small gift, is enough: about 38% of shop welcome coupons are redeemed. The stamp card is what brings shoppers back.
How often do shop customers come back?
The typical shop on BonusQR sees its returning customers about every 18 days, and 48% of its customers come back at least once.
Can a shop reward online purchases too?
Yes. With WooCommerce or Shopify connected on a paid plan, members earn from online orders on the same loyalty account they show in the shop.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the BonusQR app, anonymised, 2026: shops with at least 10 customers and a scan in the last 12 months. Every figure is a median across shops, and no single shop can be identified.
