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Notes on loyalty, retention, and running a small business.

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Loyalty programs: a 2026 guide for small businesses

May 26, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 14 min read

What a loyalty program is, the five shapes they take, how much they cost, and which fit a café, salon, boutique, or restaurant. Real numbers, no marketing fluff.

Digital punch cards: the complete guide for small businesses (2026)

Sep 1, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

A digital punch card puts the classic buy-ten-get-one loop in your customer's phone wallet. How they work, what they cost, and how to design one that gets completed.

Fitness studio loyalty programs that keep members past January (2026)

Sep 1, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

A fitness studio loyalty program works when it counts visits, not points: stamp cards that match the class-pack mindset, plus the math behind a free 11th class.

How to get customers to actually join your loyalty program

Sep 1, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Get customers to join your loyalty program by cutting signup to one scan, scripting a 5-second counter ask, and pre-stamping the first visit. Scripts inside.

Loyalty app vs wallet pass: why customers won't download your app

Sep 1, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Most customers never download a small shop's loyalty app. Here's the app vs wallet pass comparison: enrollment friction, real costs, and when each one wins.

15 loyalty program ideas for small businesses that fit a counter (2026)

Sep 1, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 9 min read

The best loyalty program ideas for small business: visit stamp cards, pre-stamped head starts, double-stamp hours. Each with the cost math, per vertical.

Bakery loyalty programs that work: a counter-speed guide for 2026

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

A bakery loyalty program has to survive the morning rush: 2-second stamps, rewards that fit a €4 ticket, and a card nobody loses. Here's the working formula.

How to create a Google Wallet loyalty card for your shop: the merchant guide (2026)

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Create a Google Wallet loyalty card your customers save in one tap. The merchant guide: how the save flow works, DIY vs platform, costs, and setup steps.

Lifetime vs monthly loyalty software: when does paying once actually pay off?

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

A €199 lifetime loyalty plan breaks even against €9/month in 22 months, and against $49/month tools in 4. Here's the full payback math, risks included.

Paper vs digital loyalty cards: what actually changes when you switch

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Paper loyalty cards get lost; digital ones live in the phone wallet and remember your regulars. The honest comparison: costs, trade-offs, and when paper still wins.

QR code loyalty programs for small business: how they work in 2026

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

A QR code loyalty program lets customers scan a code and collect stamps in their phone wallet. Here's how it works, what it costs, and when to skip it.

How to run a retail loyalty program without a POS system (2026 guide)

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

You don't need a POS system to run a retail loyalty program. A wallet-pass stamp card works with any till, from €9/month. Here's the full standalone setup.

How to set up a digital loyalty card in 10 minutes (2026 walkthrough)

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Set up a digital loyalty card between two customers: reward design, brand color, printable QR kit, first scan. The full 10-minute walkthrough, step by step.

Square Loyalty alternatives for small shops: what to use instead in 2026

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Square Loyalty runs ~$45/month per location on top of your POS fees. Here are the alternatives that do loyalty alone, from €9/month, with no POS required.

Best Stamp Me alternatives in 2026: 5 stamp card tools compared honestly

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 9 min read

Looking for a Stamp Me alternative? Compare 5 stamp card tools on price, wallet support, and features. From €9/month vs Stamp Me's $49. Verified July 2026.

Why customers forget your loyalty program (and the five fixes that work)

Jul 27, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Customers sign up for loyalty programs and forget them in a week. Here's why it happens and five fixes: wallet placement, head starts, prompts, and reminders.

Apple Wallet vs Google Wallet for loyalty programs in 2026: the merchant guide

Jun 3, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Side-by-side comparison of Apple Wallet and Google Wallet for digital loyalty cards — adoption, merchant requirements, customer add-flow, push notification limits, and which one to launch with first.

Best free and cheap digital punch card alternatives in 2026 (under $15/month)

Jun 3, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Honest comparison of the cheapest digital punch card and loyalty card alternatives in 2026, from truly free trials to under-$15/month paid tools. With per-tool verdicts and the hidden costs that decide which one fits.

Best loyalty card software for cafés in 2026: 7 tools compared honestly

Jun 3, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 9 min read

Café-specific comparison of 7 loyalty card platforms — wallet-pass, POS-integrated, and punch-card alternatives. With per-tool verdicts, hidden costs, and the visit-cadence math that decides which one fits.

Best loyalty card software for salons, barbers, and wellness studios in 2026

Jun 3, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 9 min read

Salon-and-barber-shaped comparison of 7 loyalty card tools — the visit-cadence math that decides which one fits, why most tools designed for cafés don't translate, and per-tool verdicts for hair, beauty, and wellness shops.

Best Loopy Loyalty alternatives in 2026: 6 wallet-pass tools compared

Jun 3, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 8 min read

Side-by-side pricing, features, and the 3 specific reasons merchants leave Loopy Loyalty. Six wallet-pass alternatives compared honestly — including where each one is better than Stampo.

Digital loyalty program for full-service restaurants: the 2026 playbook

May 26, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 10 min read

Why most restaurant loyalty programs fail, the three shapes that actually work, and how to design one for a single-location indie restaurant. With a worked 80-cover example.

How many stamps should a loyalty card have? The math behind the right count.

May 26, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 6 min read

The math behind 5, 8, 10, or 12 stamps on a loyalty card. Per-vertical recommendations for cafés, restaurants, salons, boutiques, and small shops. Real numbers, no guesswork.

How to add a loyalty card to Apple Wallet: the merchant guide (2026)

May 26, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 7 min read

A small-shop owner's guide to adding a loyalty card to Apple Wallet. What customers do, what merchants do, what Apple allows, what breaks. Real screenshots, no jargon.

Is a digital loyalty card worth it for a small business?

May 25, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 9 min read

Loyalty card software pricing, time savings, and ROI math for cafés, salons, bakeries, and small shops. Real numbers, honest comparison, no marketing fluff.

Loyalty card software cost comparison 2026: Stampo vs Square, Toast, Stamp Me, Loopy & 7 more

May 25, 2026 · Antoine Pedretti · 7 min read

Side-by-side pricing and feature matrix for 11 loyalty card platforms in 2026. Standalone wallet-pass tools, POS-integrated modules, and e-commerce options compared. Honest verdicts.