How much does a loyalty card cost a small business?
A paper loyalty card costs a few cents per card to print, plus the stamp. A digital card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet ranges from free to around fifty euros a month depending on the tool and features. Either way, the biggest cost is often the rewards, which you control with the number of stamps.
The three cost items
Whatever the format, a loyalty card costs you in three ways:
- The medium: printing paper cards, or a digital tool’s subscription.
- The rewards: the free coffee, the discount, the gift.
- Time: stamping, finding cards, answering questions.
The first is the most visible, but rarely the biggest.
The paper card
| Item | What to budget for |
|---|---|
| Printing | A few cents per card, renewed for every full, lost or damaged card |
| Stamp | A custom stamp and its ink |
| Fraud | A look-alike stamp is easy to buy online |
| What you don’t know | Who comes back, how often, who has stopped coming |
The paper card is the cheapest to start. Its hidden cost is the lost information: you can neither measure the card’s effect nor get back in touch with your customers. The paper vs digital comparison goes into detail.
The digital card
Prices observed in October 2026 range from free to around fifty euros a month. What changes the bill:
- the number of customers included in the free plan;
- your logo and colours, free with some tools, paid with others;
- messages to customers, export and staff accounts, often kept for the most expensive plans;
- till integration, sometimes charged on top.
With Quardy: free up to 50 customers, then €9.99/month (unlimited customers, messages, gift cards, export, background image) and €24.99/month with team management. No commitment, no setup fees, no hardware. Other tools’ prices are in our comparisons.
The cost of rewards
This is often the heaviest item, and you control it. It depends on the reward’s cost price and the number of stamps:
| Setup | Cost to you |
|---|---|
| 10 coffees = 1 free (coffee costing €0.40) | €0.40 per 10 visits |
| 6 cuts = the 7th free (€25 cut) | Half an hour’s work for 6 paid cuts |
| 5% cashback | €5 per €100 spent |
The guide which rewards to offer helps you find the right setup, and the profitability calculator shows whether the card makes more than it costs.
In short
- To test without risk: a free plan that puts your logo on the card and lets you export your customers.
- To grow: a plan whose price is known in advance and doesn’t rise with every feature.
- In every case: set the reward so it costs little and arrives within three to six months.
For the big picture, see the digital loyalty card guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does printing paper loyalty cards cost?
A few cents per card depending on quantity, paper and printer, plus a custom ink stamp. You have to reprint regularly: every full, lost or damaged card needs a new one.
How much does a digital loyalty card cost?
From nothing to around fifty euros a month. Free plans are capped in customers or features; paid plans usually add messages to customers, export and staff accounts. Quardy is free up to 50 customers, then €9.99/month.
Are there setup fees or hardware to buy?
Not with a card in the Wallet: a smartphone is enough to scan cards. Be wary of offers that require a tablet, a reader or a paid till integration.
How much do the rewards cost?
Their cost price divided by what the customer spends to earn them, often 1 to 5% of their purchases. The "which rewards to offer" guide explains the calculation.
Start without paying anything
Free up to 50 customers, no bank card, no hardware.