Best Loyalty Points Software for Small Businesses
Jan 23, 2025
If you're researching loyalty points software, you've already recognised something important: digital loyalty programs deliver benefits that paper punch cards simply can't match.
Even if you only want to offer a straightforward "buy 9, get 1 free" deal, digitising that process unlocks capabilities that transform how you understand and engage with your customers. The data collected from loyalty software reveals patterns in customer behaviour, enabling personalisation that drives genuine loyalty—not just repeat transactions.
Research consistently shows that consumers are significantly more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant, personalised offers. And businesses are responding: the vast majority of retailers are now investing in personalisation tools. If you're not personalising the customer experience, you're falling behind.
The good news? It's never been easier for small businesses to implement a professional loyalty program. Modern platforms handle the technical complexity while you focus on serving customers. But with numerous options available, how do you choose the right one?
This guide covers the ten essential features to look for when evaluating loyalty points software for your small business.
1. Quick and Easy Setup
Some loyalty platforms require complex integrations, special equipment, or extensive configuration before you can launch. For a small business with limited time and technical resources, this is a significant barrier.
What to look for:
Same-day launch: You should be able to go from signup to enrolling your first customer within hours, not weeks.
No special equipment required: While hardware options can be nice to have, they shouldn't be mandatory. QR code-based systems work with equipment you already own.
Self-service setup: You shouldn't need to wait for a support team to configure things. The best platforms let you set up your program yourself, with guidance available if needed.
Minimal ongoing maintenance: Once launched, the platform should run smoothly without constant attention. Your job is running your business, not managing loyalty software.
Perkstar was designed with this philosophy. Most businesses launch within an hour using self-service setup. No equipment to install, no integrations required to get started, no technical expertise needed.
2. Simple Interface for Customers
If your loyalty app confuses customers, they won't use it. The user experience needs to be intuitive enough that anyone—regardless of tech comfort—can participate without friction.
Evaluate critically:
Clean, uncluttered design: Can customers immediately see their progress toward rewards? Or is the interface busy and confusing?
Easy navigation: Can customers find what they need quickly, or does the app require hunting through menus?
Pleasant aesthetics: Does the app look professional and modern, or dated and clunky?
Quick actions: Can customers earn stamps and check rewards in seconds, or does every action require multiple taps?
Test any platform from the customer's perspective before committing. If you find it frustrating to use, your customers will too.
The gold standard is wallet integration—loyalty cards that save directly to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Customers don't need to download a separate app, create an account, or remember a login. Their card sits alongside their payment cards, always accessible. This is the approach Perkstar takes, and it consistently delivers higher engagement than app-based alternatives.
3. Customer Data and Actionable Insights
The key advantage of digital over paper is data. Every transaction builds a picture of your customers that helps you serve them better.
Data that matters:
Visit frequency: How often does each customer come in? Who are your regulars, and who's at risk of lapsing?
Spending patterns: What do customers typically buy? What's their average transaction value?
Timing: When do customers usually visit? Morning rush? Weekend afternoons?
Response to promotions: Which offers drive visits, and which fall flat?
Reward redemption: What rewards do customers actually want?
How to use these insights:
Good loyalty software doesn't just collect data—it makes that data actionable. Customer segmentation lets you send different messages to different groups: re-engagement offers to lapsed customers, VIP rewards to your best spenders, relevant promotions based on purchase history.
The best platforms automate much of this. You set the rules once; the system executes continuously without manual effort.
Perkstar's analytics dashboard makes customer data accessible without requiring technical expertise. See engagement at a glance, identify trends, and make informed decisions about your program.
4. Support for Multiple Locations and Offers
If you have more than one location—or plan to expand—your loyalty software needs to support this seamlessly.
Multi-location considerations:
Unified customer experience: A customer who visits two of your locations should have one loyalty account, earning and redeeming across both.
Centralised management: You should be able to manage all locations from a single dashboard.
Location-specific options: While the core program should be unified, you may want location-specific promotions or reporting.
Multiple offers:
Some businesses benefit from running several loyalty programs simultaneously. A salon might offer separate stamp cards for different services; a café might have one program for coffee and another for food.
Example structure:
A beauty salon could run:
Lash offer: Earn stamps for lash appointments, redeem for discounts on fills
Waxing offer: Earn stamps for waxing services, redeem for free treatments
General offer: Earn stamps for any service, redeem for percentage discounts
Customers can join whichever offers interest them—or all of them—and track progress on each.
Perkstar supports multiple card types and offers within a single account, making complex program structures manageable without requiring separate subscriptions.
5. Gamification Features
Gamification adds elements of fun and engagement to the loyalty experience, encouraging participation beyond simple transactional rewards.
Effective gamification approaches:
Progress visualisation: Showing customers how close they are to their next reward creates motivation to complete the journey.
Milestone celebrations: Acknowledging achievements ("Congratulations on your 50th visit!") creates positive emotional moments.
Surprise rewards: Unexpected bonuses—random free items, surprise bonus stamps—create delight that customers remember and share.
Challenges: Limited-time opportunities to earn bonus rewards for specific behaviours.
Research suggests that companies incorporating gamification into customer engagement see significantly higher interaction rates. People enjoy making progress, achieving goals, and being surprised—loyalty programs that tap into these motivations outperform purely transactional alternatives.
The key is subtlety. Gamification should enhance the experience, not feel gimmicky or manipulative.
6. Automated Birthday Rewards
Everyone appreciates being remembered on their birthday. An automated birthday reward is a small gesture that creates meaningful connection.
Why birthday rewards work:
They feel personal, not promotional
They demonstrate that you value the customer as an individual
They drive a visit during a specific window
They create positive association between your brand and celebration
Implementation requirements:
Your loyalty platform should collect birth dates during signup (just the date, not the year—many customers prefer not to share their age) and automatically trigger rewards when birthdays arrive. No manual tracking or sending required.
Perkstar includes automated birthday rewards as a standard feature. Set up once, and every customer receives their birthday gift without any ongoing effort from you.
7. Integration Capabilities
Depending on your business, you may use other platforms for e-commerce, email marketing, point-of-sale, or customer management. Your loyalty software should work alongside these systems, not in isolation.
Common integration needs:
E-commerce platforms: Customers who shop online should earn rewards just like those who shop in-store.
Email marketing: Sync your loyalty member list with your email platform for coordinated communications.
POS systems: Automated stamp allocation through your point-of-sale can speed checkout and reduce staff workload.
Integration reality check:
Not every integration is essential for every business. Many small businesses run excellent loyalty programs without any integrations at all—QR code scanning works fine for in-person stamp allocation, and the loyalty platform handles its own communications.
Evaluate what you actually need versus what sounds nice to have. Simple, standalone operation is often perfectly sufficient; complex integrations add cost and potential failure points.
Perkstar works standalone out of the box. POS integrations are in development for businesses that need automated allocation, but most customers launch successfully without any integrations.
8. Fast, Contactless Stamp Allocation
The process of earning stamps or points needs to be quick and frictionless. Any system that slows down your checkout queue or creates awkward moments will frustrate both staff and customers.
Speed matters:
Allocation should take seconds, not minutes
Customers shouldn't need to fumble with apps or navigation
Staff shouldn't need to perform complex procedures
Contactless options:
Modern loyalty platforms offer various contactless methods:
QR code scanning: Customer scans a code displayed at checkout; stamp allocated instantly
Wallet integration: Customer's loyalty card is already open when they pull out their phone to pay
NFC tap: Customer taps phone against a device
Wallet-based loyalty (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet) is particularly effective because the card is already accessible when customers reach for their phone—no app to open, no searching for the right screen.
9. Free Trial and Flexible Terms
You shouldn't have to commit to loyalty software without testing it first. And once you're using it, you shouldn't be locked into long-term contracts that make leaving difficult.
What to expect:
Free trial: A genuine trial period (at least 14 days) with access to full features, letting you test the platform with real customers before committing.
No setup fees: Your trial shouldn't cost anything to start.
Month-to-month billing: After the trial, you should be able to cancel anytime without penalties or lengthy notice periods.
No lock-in contracts: Annual contracts might offer discounts, but they shouldn't be mandatory.
This flexibility protects you from being stuck with software that doesn't work for your business. It also signals confidence from the provider—they're betting that you'll stay because the product is good, not because you're contractually trapped.
Perkstar offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features, no credit card required. After that, month-to-month billing with no contracts or cancellation penalties.
10. Affordable, Transparent Pricing
Digital loyalty software should be accessible to businesses of all sizes, including those with tight margins or just starting out.
Pricing red flags:
Hidden fees: Setup costs, per-transaction charges, per-member fees that increase as your program succeeds
Feature gating: Essential features (like push notifications) locked behind expensive tiers
Opaque pricing: Having to "contact sales" just to learn what it costs
What affordable looks like:
For most small businesses, loyalty software should cost between $15-60 per month. At that price point, retaining just a few customers who would otherwise have left pays for the entire program many times over.
Start small, scale up:
If budget is tight, start with a basic plan. As your loyalty program grows and proves its value, you can upgrade to access additional features. There's no need to pay for enterprise capabilities when you're just getting started.
Perkstar's pricing starts at $19/month (or £15/month) with no hidden fees, no per-transaction charges, and no per-member costs. All core features—including unlimited push notifications—are included from the start.
Bringing It All Together
The best loyalty points software for your small business is the one that matches your specific needs while excelling at the fundamentals: easy setup, simple customer experience, useful data, and reliable operation.
When evaluating options, use this checklist:
[ ] Can I launch within 24 hours without technical help?
[ ] Will my customers find it easy to use?
[ ] Does it provide actionable customer insights?
[ ] Does it support my current (and future) locations?
[ ] Does it include engagement features beyond basic stamps/points?
[ ] Are birthday rewards automated?
[ ] Does it integrate with platforms I actually use (if needed)?
[ ] Is stamp allocation fast and contactless?
[ ] Is there a genuine free trial with no commitment?
[ ] Is pricing transparent and affordable?
Any platform that checks all these boxes is worth serious consideration. One that fails on fundamentals—like complicated setup, confusing interface, or opaque pricing—should be avoided regardless of its other features.
Perkstar was built to check every box. The 14-day free trial lets you verify this for yourself, with your own customers and your own workflow, before making any commitment.
