Free loyalty card: what you really get
Yes, you can launch a loyalty card without paying: a paper card you print yourself, or the free plan of an app that puts the card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Free plans are always limited somewhere: number of customers, branding or features. The right choice depends on which limit you'll hit first.
Three ways to start without paying
| Paper card | App, free plan capped in customers | App, free plan capped in features | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | Printing and a stamp | €0 | €0 |
| What the customer keeps | A piece of cardboard | A card in their Wallet | A card in their Wallet |
| Your logo and colours | Yes | Depends on the tool | Often paid |
| Messages to customers | No | Usually paid | Usually paid |
| What makes you pay | Nothing, but cardboard wears out and gets lost | The number of customers | The feature you’re missing |
No model is better in absolute terms. If you plan to stay small, a plan capped in customers but complete can last a long time. If you aim for many customers without ever paying, a plan with no customer cap but stripped down may be enough.
What to check in a free plan
- The limit: how many customers, how many rewards, how many messages. And what happens the day you reach it: do existing customers keep their card?
- Your brand: are your logo and colours on the card, or does it mainly show the tool’s brand?
- Your data: can you export your customer list? You’ll need it if you ever switch tools.
- The price of what comes next: look at the paid plan from the start. A generous free plan followed by an expensive one, or a paid plan “coming soon” with no price announced, can cost more than a small subscription known in advance.
- Hardware: a good solution needs none. Your smartphone is enough to scan cards.
What Quardy’s free plan includes
Quardy is free up to 50 customers, with no time limit and no bank card. Within that limit, nothing is held back:
- the card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, with no app for your customers;
- stamps, points or cashback in euros, with your own rules;
- your logo, your colour, the text colour and a line on the card;
- the dashboard: new customers, visits, history.
Beyond 50 customers, the Pro plan at €9.99/month adds unlimited customers, targeted messages, gift cards, the background image and export. Other tools’ prices are in our comparisons.
What about paper cards?
They remain the cheapest to print, and the only option that needs no smartphone. But they have hidden costs: forgotten cards (the customer stops collecting, so stops coming back for it), stamps that are easy to imitate, and no information at all about your regulars. Our paper vs digital comparison goes into detail.
For the big picture, see the digital loyalty card guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a truly free digital loyalty card?
Yes, several apps have a free plan with no time limit. They are limited in other ways: number of customers, logo, number of rewards or messages. Quardy's free plan is complete (branding, stamps, points or cashback) up to 50 customers.
What happens when I go over Quardy's free limit?
Your first 50 customers keep their card and keep collecting. To welcome new ones, you move to the Pro plan at €9.99/month, with no commitment.
Is a paper card really free?
Almost: you need to print cards, buy a stamp and reprint regularly. The real cost is elsewhere: forgotten cards, stamps that are easy to copy, and no way of knowing who comes back or getting back in touch.
Can I take my customers with me if I change tools?
Check before you start: some tools let you export your customer list, others only on request or on a paid plan. At Quardy, CSV export is in the Pro plan.
Do I need a bank card to get started?
Not with Quardy: the free plan needs no payment method. You download the app, create your card and display your QR code.
Launch your card for free
Free and complete up to 50 customers, no bank card, ready in 2 minutes.