Loyalty Card Software Pricing Explained: What You'll Really Pay in 2026
Jan 29, 2026
If you've started researching loyalty card software, you've probably noticed something frustrating: it's nearly impossible to find clear pricing.
Some providers list "Contact us for pricing." Others advertise low entry prices but bury the real costs in fine print. Many show pricing tiers that look reasonable until you realize essential features cost extra.
This opacity isn't accidental. Software companies often hide pricing complexity because they know that transparent pricing makes customers cautious. And when you're running a small business on tight margins, "cautious" usually means "this probably costs more than I can afford."
Here's the reality: loyalty card software doesn't need to be expensive or confusing. But you do need to understand how pricing works in this industry so you can spot good value from bad deals. If you want a broader view beyond just software, an honest loyalty program pricing breakdown covers everything from paper cards to enterprise systems and helps you benchmark what's reasonable. Even seemingly simple decisions — like whether loyalty points should expire — can have significant cost implications depending on which platform you choose and how they handle reward liabilities.
This guide breaks down every common pricing model, identifies hidden fees that inflate costs, and explains what "value" actually looks like when you're evaluating loyalty platforms for a UK small business.
By the end, you'll know exactly what questions to ask, what red flags to avoid, and how to calculate whether loyalty software will actually deliver ROI — not just drain your budget.
The Core Pricing Models (And What They Really Mean)
Loyalty card software companies use several different pricing structures. Let's break down each one and explain when it makes sense (and when it doesn't).
Model 1: Flat Monthly Subscription
How it works: You pay a fixed amount every month (e.g., £25/month, £40/month, £60/month) regardless of how many customers use the system, how many transactions you process, or how many messages you send.
What's typically included:
Unlimited loyalty members
Unlimited scans/transactions
Core features (card design, analytics dashboard)
Customer support
What might cost extra:
Premium features (advanced analytics, API access)
Higher tiers for multiple locations
Pros:
Predictable costs — You know exactly what you'll pay every month
Scales with growth — Whether you serve 50 or 500 customers, the cost stays the same
Simple budgeting — Easy to justify and track as a business expense
Cons:
May feel expensive if you're just starting and have few loyalty members (though this is temporary)
Less flexibility if you want to pause during slow seasons
Best for: Small businesses that want cost certainty and plan to grow their loyalty program over time.
Example: Perkstar operates on this model (£15–£60/month depending on features), with unlimited scans, unlimited customers, and unlimited push notifications included.
Model 2: Per-Transaction or Per-Scan Pricing
How it works: You pay a small fee every time a customer earns points, stamps, or rewards. Typically 5p–20p per transaction.
What's typically included:
Base platform access
Basic features
What costs extra:
Every single transaction (which adds up very quickly)
Often additional monthly platform fees on top of per-transaction charges
Pros:
Seems cheap if you only have a few transactions per month (though this rarely stays true)
Cons:
Costs become unpredictable — A busy week could result in £50+ in transaction fees
Penalizes success — The better your loyalty program works (more visits = more scans), the more you pay
Hidden scaling costs — What looks like "3p per scan" becomes £150/month when you're processing 5,000 transactions
Discourages use — You might avoid scanning customers during busy periods to save money
Best for: Almost no one. This model benefits the software company, not you.
Red flag: If a platform charges per transaction, your interests and theirs are misaligned. You want more customer engagement; they profit from it. Look elsewhere.
Model 3: Per-Customer or Per-Member Pricing
How it works: You pay based on how many loyalty members you have (e.g., £0.50 per member per month, with a minimum monthly fee).
What's typically included:
Platform access
Features scale with member count
What costs extra:
Every new loyalty member increases your monthly cost
Pros:
Scales with your business size
Cons:
Punishes growth — The more successful your program, the more you pay
Creates perverse incentives — You might hesitate to recruit new members because each one increases your bill
Unpredictable costs — If you gain 100 new members in a month, your bill could jump significantly
Best for: Larger businesses with stable, predictable member counts.
Why it's problematic for small businesses: You want to grow your loyalty base as quickly as possible. Per-member pricing penalizes exactly that.
Model 4: Per-Message or Per-Notification Pricing
How it works: The base platform is cheap (or free), but you pay per SMS or push notification sent (typically 5p–15p per message).
What's typically included:
Basic loyalty tracking
What costs extra:
Every single communication with customers (SMS, email, push notifications)
Pros:
Low upfront cost
Cons:
Communication becomes expensive — Want to send a re-engagement campaign to 200 lapsed customers? That's £10–£30 per campaign.
Limits your marketing — You'll send fewer messages to save money, which defeats the purpose of digital loyalty
Costs add up quickly — If you send 2–4 campaigns per month to 300 members, you could easily spend £100–£200/month just on messages
Best for: Businesses that rarely communicate with customers (though this defeats the purpose of loyalty software).
Why it's problematic: The most powerful feature of digital loyalty is the ability to re-engage customers through push notifications. If you're paying per message, you'll underuse this feature.
Model 5: Tiered Pricing (Features Locked Behind Tiers)
How it works: Multiple pricing tiers (e.g., Basic £20/month, Standard £40/month, Premium £80/month), with features unlocked as you pay more.
What's typically included:
Varies by tier
What costs extra:
Essential features are often locked in higher tiers
Pros:
Can start cheap and upgrade as needed
Flexibility to choose features
Cons:
Essential features often require expensive tiers — Push notifications, analytics, or automations might only be available at £60+/month tiers
Confusing to evaluate — Hard to know which tier you actually need without trying the platform
Upsell pressure — You'll likely need a higher tier than advertised
Best for: Businesses with complex needs that genuinely require advanced features.
What to watch for: Check which tier includes the features you actually need (especially push notifications and analytics). Don't assume the cheapest tier is sufficient.
Hidden Fees That Inflate Your Real Cost
Beyond the base pricing model, watch for these hidden costs that turn "£25/month" into "£60/month plus £40 in extras."
Setup Fees
Some platforms charge one-time setup fees (£100–£500) to "configure" your loyalty program. This is often just creating your account and designing your card — things you can easily do yourself with modern platforms.
Fair: Optional hands-free setup as a premium service for time-strapped business owners
Unfair: Mandatory setup fees for basic account creation
Transaction Fees (Beyond Per-Transaction Pricing)
Even platforms with flat monthly fees sometimes charge transaction fees for specific actions (e.g., processing refunds, handling chargebacks, integrating with payment processors).
What to ask: "Are there any transaction fees beyond the monthly subscription?"
SMS Costs
Many platforms advertise "unlimited notifications" but clarify in fine print: "push notifications unlimited, SMS charged separately." Venues with large customer databases feel this most acutely — a guide on loyalty programmes for cinemas and theatres highlights that SMS costs alone can exceed the base platform fee when communicating with thousands of members about new releases and events.
If you need SMS (for customers without smartphones), verify the cost per message.
What to ask: "Are push notifications included? What about SMS?"
Premium Support Costs
Some platforms offer email support free but charge for phone or WhatsApp support. Others limit response times unless you pay for "priority support."
Fair: Premium support tiers for immediate response guarantees
Unfair: Charging extra just to talk to a human when something breaks
Integration Fees
Want to connect your loyalty platform with your POS system, booking software, or e-commerce store? Some platforms charge integration fees (£50–£200 per integration).
What to ask: "Are there costs for integrations I might need?"
Data Export Fees
Some platforms charge fees to export your customer data (names, emails, loyalty balances) if you decide to switch providers.
This is a red flag. Your customer data is yours. Any platform that charges to return it to you is holding your data hostage.
What to ask: "Can I export all customer data in CSV format at any time, at no cost?"
Multi-Location Fees
If you have (or might open) multiple locations, some platforms charge per location (e.g., £30/month per location rather than £30/month total).
What to ask: "If I add a second location, does my price double?"
Currency Conversion Fees
If you're paying a US-based platform in USD, you'll incur currency conversion fees and fluctuating costs based on exchange rates.
Better: Choose UK-based platforms or those with GBP pricing.
What "Good Value" Actually Looks Like
Price alone doesn't determine value. A £15/month platform that doesn't work is expensive. A £60/month platform that generates £500/month in additional revenue is cheap.
Here's how to evaluate actual value:
1. Calculate Cost Per Customer
Divide your monthly subscription by the number of active loyalty members.
Example:
Platform cost: £30/month
Active loyalty members: 200
Cost per customer: £0.15/month
Keep in mind that cost-per-customer benchmarks vary significantly by location — research into city versus suburban café loyalty in Australia shows that urban cafés with higher footfall achieve much lower per-member costs than suburban venues with smaller but more loyal customer bases.
If each loyalty member generates even £1 extra revenue per month (through increased visit frequency), the ROI is massive.
2. Compare to Alternative Marketing Costs
What would it cost to achieve the same results through other marketing channels?
Facebook Ads: £100–£300/month for local campaigns (with unclear ROI)
SMS marketing: £0.07–£0.10 per message × 200 customers × 3 campaigns/month = £42–£60/month
Email marketing: £15–£40/month for platforms like Mailchimp (lower engagement than push notifications)
Loyalty software with push notifications: £30/month with unlimited messages
Suddenly £30/month looks very reasonable.
3. Measure Incremental Revenue
The real question: does the loyalty program generate more revenue than it costs?
Example scenario:
Platform cost: £30/month
Loyalty members: 180
Average increase in visit frequency: 0.5 visits/month (from 2x to 2.5x)
Average transaction value: £12
Additional monthly revenue: 180 customers × 0.5 visits × £12 = £1,080
ROI: £1,080 revenue / £30 cost = 36x return
Even if the actual impact is 25% of this estimate, you're still getting 9x ROI.
4. Factor in Time Savings
If loyalty software reduces time spent on:
Reprinting paper cards
Handling "lost card" disputes
Manually tracking customer visits
Trying to remember which customers are regulars
And that time savings is 2 hours/month, what's your time worth? At £20/hour, that's £40/month in saved labor.
5. Consider Future-Proofing
A slightly more expensive platform that includes features you'll need later (multiple card types, automation, advanced analytics) might be cheaper long-term than a basic platform you'll outgrow in six months.
Real-World Example: Pricing Comparison for a Café in Bristol
Let's make this concrete with a real scenario.
The business: Independent café in Bristol with ~150 regular customers. Before comparing platforms, it's worth noting that the loyalty programme's effectiveness depends as much on how you design your stamp card — reward thresholds, incentive structure, promotion strategy — as it does on which software you choose.
Option 1: Per-Transaction Platform
Base fee: £10/month
Transaction fee: £0.08 per scan
Average monthly scans: 600 (150 customers × 4 visits average)
SMS costs: £0.09 per message
Monthly cost:
Base: £10
Transactions: 600 × £0.08 = £48
SMS (2 campaigns to 150 customers): 300 × £0.09 = £27
Total: £85/month
Pros: Low advertised price
Cons: Actual cost is high and unpredictable; penalizes success
Option 2: Per-Member Platform
£0.40 per loyalty member per month
Minimum fee: £25/month
Push notifications: £0.05 per message
Monthly cost:
Members: 150 × £0.40 = £60
Push notifications (2 campaigns): 300 × £0.05 = £15
Total: £75/month
Pros: Scales with business
Cons: Growth increases costs; communication is expensive
Option 3: Flat Monthly Platform (Like Perkstar)
Flat fee: £30/month
Unlimited customers
Unlimited scans
Unlimited push notifications
No hidden fees
Monthly cost:
Total: £30/month
Pros: Predictable, encourages growth and communication
Cons: None for this use case
Winner: Flat monthly pricing saves £45–£55/month compared to variable pricing models, with no sacrifice in features.
Modern Take: Transparent Pricing Is a Competitive Advantage
Ten years ago, software pricing opacity was standard. Enterprise sales models relied on "Contact us for a quote" because pricing was negotiable and complex.
In 2026, that approach is outdated — especially for small business software.
Modern small business owners expect:
Transparent pricing visible on the website
No mandatory sales calls to learn basic costs
Free trials to test before committing
No hidden fees or surprise charges
Platforms that still hide pricing are often either:
Overpriced and don't want sticker shock to drive people away
Complex with so many variables that pricing can't be standardized
Using enterprise sales models inappropriate for small businesses
The best small business platforms publish pricing openly because they're confident it's fair and competitive.
Example: Perkstar lists all pricing clearly on their website:
Starter: £15/month or £12/month yearly
Growth: £30/month or £25/month yearly
Pro: £60/month or £50/month yearly
Scanner: £25/month or £19/month yearly
No "Contact us." No hidden fees. No surprises.
This transparency builds trust — you know exactly what you're getting into before you start a trial.
Questions to Ask Before Signing Up
When evaluating any loyalty card software, ask these questions explicitly:
1. Pricing Clarity
"What's the total monthly cost, including all fees?"
"Are there setup fees, transaction fees, or per-message costs?"
"Can you show me the final invoice for a typical customer like me?"
2. Scalability
"If I double my customer base, does my price increase?"
"Are there limits on customers, scans, or messages?"
3. Contracts
"Is this a monthly subscription I can cancel anytime, or a long-term contract?"
"What happens if I cancel — can I export my data?"
4. Hidden Costs
"Are push notifications included or charged separately?"
"Do you charge for customer support?"
"Are there costs for multiple locations or staff accounts?"
5. Trial Terms
"Is the trial fully featured or limited?"
"Do I need to provide payment details to start the trial?"
"What happens at the end of the trial if I don't explicitly cancel?"
If a provider hesitates or avoids answering these directly, that's a red flag.
What Fair Pricing Looks Like for UK Small Businesses
Based on current market rates and value delivered, here's what fair pricing looks like for loyalty card software in 2026:
For Single-Location Businesses:
£15–£40/month for full-featured platforms with unlimited customers, scans, and push notifications
No setup fees for DIY setup
Optional setup services (£50–£150 one-time) for hands-free setup
Free trial (7–14 days minimum)
For Multi-Location Businesses (2–5 Locations):
£40–£80/month depending on features and complexity
Centralized management included
Per-location pricing should be reasonable (not full cost × number of locations)
For Specialty Features:
API access: £10–£30/month extra (if needed)
Advanced analytics: Usually included in higher tiers, not a separate charge
White-label options: £50–£100/month premium (if you want to remove platform branding)
Red Flags for Overpricing:
Base prices over £100/month for single locations
Per-transaction or per-customer charges in addition to monthly fees
Mandatory long-term contracts (12+ months)
Hidden fees for basic features like push notifications
Final Thoughts: Price Matters, But Value Matters More
The cheapest loyalty platform isn't always the best deal. The most expensive isn't always worth it.
What matters is:
Transparent pricing you can understand and budget for
No hidden fees that inflate costs unpredictably
Features you actually need included in the price you pay
ROI that justifies the cost — even a £50/month platform is cheap if it generates £500/month in additional revenue
When evaluating loyalty card software, don't just compare price tags. Compare:
Total cost (including all fees)
Features included
Scalability (what happens as you grow?)
Ease of use (will you actually use it, or is it too complex?)
Support quality (can you get help when needed?)
For most UK small businesses, flat monthly pricing with unlimited customers, scans, and push notifications offers the best combination of cost certainty and value.
Start your free 14-day trial with Perkstar — no credit card required. Test the full platform, see the exact pricing (no hidden fees), and decide if wallet-based loyalty delivers ROI for your business.
Pricing should be simple, transparent, and fair. If it's not, keep looking.
