Loyalty Software with Push Notifications: Fill Slow Days & Bring Customers Back
Jan 26, 2026
You know the feeling: it's Tuesday at 2pm, and your café is quiet. Or it's Thursday morning, and you've got three appointment slots unfilled at your salon. Or it's a rainy Monday, and your barbershop has tumbleweeds blowing through.
You have hundreds of customers who've visited before. People who like your business. People who would probably come back if they just... thought about you at the right moment.
But they're busy. They've got a million things on their minds. And unless they happen to walk past your shop or actively remember you exist, they go somewhere more convenient or just skip the purchase entirely. The real challenge isn't reaching customers — it's finding communication strategies that stay top-of-mind without becoming background noise they've trained themselves to ignore.
Email doesn't work — it sits unread in inboxes. SMS is expensive (7–10p per message adds up fast when you're sending to hundreds of people). Social media posts disappear in newsfeeds within minutes.
What you need is a way to appear on customers' phones at the exact right moment — visibly, immediately, and cost-effectively.
This is where loyalty software with push notifications changes everything.
This guide explains what push notifications actually are (in plain English, not tech jargon), why they work so well for bringing customers back, and how UK small businesses are using them to fill quiet periods, drive last-minute bookings, and increase revenue without spending on expensive marketing.
What Push Notifications Actually Are (No Tech Jargon)
Let's demystify this.
A push notification is a message that appears directly on someone's phone screen — specifically on their lock screen, where they can't miss it.
You've seen them constantly:
Your bank alerts you to a transaction
An airline notifies you that your gate has changed
A delivery service tells you your package is arriving in 10 minutes
Those are push notifications. They appear instantly. They're impossible to ignore. They feel important.
When you use loyalty software with push notifications, you get the ability to send these same types of messages to customers who've joined your loyalty program. Because wallet-based notifications come through Apple Wallet or Google Wallet — apps already on every phone — customers never need to download anything extra, which is why wallet-based loyalty alternatives consistently outperform standalone apps in adoption rates.
Here's what makes this powerful: these notifications don't come from "yet another business app" the customer downloaded and will probably delete. They come from Apple Wallet (for iPhone users) or Google Wallet (for Android users) — the same trusted apps customers use for bank cards, boarding passes, and tickets.
Because the notification comes from their wallet (not from a random business), it:
Appears on their lock screen immediately
Feels legitimate and trustworthy
Gets actually read (not ignored like emails)
Doesn't cost you anything per message (unlike SMS)
Think of it as a direct line to customers' attention, delivered through a channel they already check 50+ times per day.
Why Push Notifications Work Better Than Everything Else
Let's compare push notifications to the other marketing channels you've probably tried:
Email Marketing
The problem: People receive 100+ emails per day. Your loyalty message gets buried. Even if someone opens it, they often don't act immediately — they think "I'll do that later" and then forget.
Open rates: 15–25% on average (and trending downward)
Cost per message: Usually low, but effectiveness is poor
SMS Marketing
The problem: SMS feels intrusive when it's promotional. Customers tolerate it from banks and delivery services, but marketing texts from local businesses often feel spammy.
Cost per message: 7–10p in the UK, which adds up quickly when you're messaging hundreds of customers
Effectiveness: Declining as people get overwhelmed by marketing texts
Social Media Posts
The problem: Organic reach is abysmal. Unless customers happen to be scrolling at the exact moment you post, they'll never see it. Even followers miss 90%+ of posts due to algorithms.
Cost: Free to post, but effectiveness is so low it's often not worth the time
Reach: 2–5% of your followers actually see any given post
Push Notifications (Wallet-Based)
The advantage: Appear on lock screen immediately. Come from a trusted source (Apple Wallet or Google Wallet). Customer sees them within minutes. No cost per message.
Visibility rate: 90%+ (people see their lock screen constantly)
Cost per message: £0 with platforms like Perkstar (unlimited free push notifications included)
Trust level: High (wallet notifications feel important, not spammy)
The difference isn't marginal. It's transformational.
Real Scenarios: When Push Notifications Drive Immediate Action
Let's get specific about how UK small businesses actually use push notifications to solve real problems.
Scenario 1: Filling Quiet Periods (The Tuesday Afternoon Problem)
The situation: It's 1:30pm on Tuesday. You run a café. You've had decent morning traffic, but the afternoon is dead. You've got staff standing around, inventory that needs to move, and overhead costs ticking whether you're busy or not.
The push notification:
"Quiet Tuesday afternoon? ☕ Stop by in the next 2 hours and get 15% off your order. We'd love to see you!"
What happens: The message appears on lock screens of all your loyalty members within a 2-mile radius (geo-fenced). Twelve people see it. Four of them think, "Actually, I could use a coffee break" or "I was going to grab lunch anyway. This is one of the most practical ways to increase customer loyalty at your café — turning dead hours into revenue without discounting your way to zero margin."
Four customers walk in that afternoon who wouldn't have otherwise. Average transaction: £8. That's £32 in revenue from a message that took 2 minutes to create and cost £0 to send.
Why it works: The notification caught people at the right psychological moment — they were already near your area, already somewhat interested in coffee/lunch, just needed a gentle nudge and a reason (the discount).
Scenario 2: Last-Minute Appointment Fills (The Cancellation Problem)
The situation: You run a hair salon. A client cancels their 3pm appointment at 1pm. You've got a two-hour gap that's now empty. Normally, that time is just lost revenue.
The push notification:
"Last-minute availability! We've got a slot at 3pm today. Reply 'YES' or call to book. First come, first served!"
What happens: The message goes to loyalty members who are due for a haircut (haven't visited in 4+ weeks). This is why the best loyalty programs for barbers include push notification tools — they turn cancellations from lost revenue into same-day rebookings. Three people see it immediately. One replies within 5 minutes and books the slot.
That's £45 in revenue that would have been £0 without the notification.
Why it works: You reached people who already needed a haircut soon anyway. The urgency ("first come, first served") and convenience ("today at 3pm") made it easy to say yes.
Scenario 3: Re-Engaging Lapsed Customers (The Silent Churners)
The situation: You run a barbershop. You notice in your loyalty software dashboard that 18 customers haven't visited in 60+ days. These are people who used to be regulars. Something's changed — they've gone elsewhere, gotten busy, or just forgotten about you.
The push notification:
"It's been a while! We miss you. Here's 20% off your next haircut to welcome you back. Valid for the next 2 weeks."
What happens: The notification goes to all 18 lapsed customers. Six of them see it and think, "Oh yeah, I do need a haircut actually. This kind of automated re-engagement is exactly why loyalty software built for UK barbers pays for itself within weeks — you're recovering revenue that would otherwise walk out the door permanently." Four of them book appointments within the week.
Four customers × £30 average = £120 revenue from people who had effectively churned.
Why it works: The notification reminded people you exist at the exact moment they were thinking about getting a haircut. The discount gave them a reason to choose you over whoever they went to last time.
Scenario 4: Weather-Based Promotions (The Rainy Day Opportunity)
The situation: You run a takeaway. It's pouring rain on a Saturday evening — the perfect night for people to order in rather than go out to restaurants.
The push notification:
"Rainy night? 🌧️ Stay cozy — order from us tonight and get 10% off + free delivery. We'll bring dinner to you!"
What happens: The notification goes to all loyalty members in your delivery radius. The timing is perfect — it's 5:30pm, people are thinking about dinner, and no one wants to go out in the rain.
Eleven orders come in that evening citing the notification. Average order: £25. That's £275 in incremental revenue.
Why it works: You capitalized on a specific moment when customer need and your solution perfectly aligned. The weather created the need; your notification provided the solution.
Scenario 5: Birthday Rewards (The Automated Loyalty Builder)
The situation: You run a beauty salon. You've collected customers' birthdays when they signed up for your loyalty program.
The push notification (automated):
"Happy Birthday, Sarah! 🎉 Enjoy a free express manicure this month — our gift to you. Book anytime this week!"
What happens: The notification sends automatically on the customer's birthday (you didn't have to remember or manually send it). Sarah books an appointment. While she's there for the free manicure, she upgrades to a full service and books her next appointment. This automated birthday approach works especially well for loyalty programs in beauty businesses, where the average upsell during a birthday visit can be two to three times the value of the free treatment offered.
Free manicure cost you: £8 in product and labor. Revenue from the upgrade and future booking: £65.
Why it works: Birthday messages feel personal and special. People are in a celebratory mindset and more likely to treat themselves. The free reward drives a visit, and the visit drives additional spending.
Scenario 6: Seasonal Promotions (The Strategic Campaign)
The situation: It's mid-January. You run a gym or fitness studio. You know from experience that January brings new year's resolution customers, but by February most disappear.
The push notification:
"New year, new goals! 💪 We're offering 25% off all class packages booked this week. Let's make 2026 your year."
What happens: The notification goes to all loyalty members (existing customers) and drives 14 package purchases that week — significantly more than a typical week.
Why it works: You timed the message to capitalize on a seasonal motivation spike (new year's resolutions) while people are still in the mindset to commit.
Modern Take: Push Notifications Aren't Marketing Spam — They're Service
Here's the critical mindset shift: push notifications for loyalty aren't about bombarding customers with ads. They're about providing timely, relevant value.
When used correctly, push notifications feel like a helpful service:
"We have availability today" = helping customers find convenient booking times
"You're one stamp away from a reward" = helping customers not miss out on benefits they've earned
"It's been a while, here's a discount" = acknowledging absence and making it easy to return This is the difference between transactional marketing and genuine customer loyalty that actually matters — one interrupts, the other adds value to someone's day.
Compare this to traditional marketing, which often feels like interruption:
Billboards you didn't ask to see
Emails you didn't want to receive
Flyers you throw away immediately
Cold calls during dinner
The difference is permission and relevance. Customers opted in when they joined your loyalty program. They want to hear from you — as long as your messages are useful, timely, and not excessive.
When you hit that balance (2–4 messages per month, each with clear value), push notifications become a customer service tool, not a nuisance.
Best Practices: How to Use Push Notifications Without Annoying People
Let's be clear about how to do this right.
1. Frequency: Less Is More
Good: 2–4 messages per month
Bad: Daily or multiple times per week
Even though push notifications are effective, they become annoying if overused. Respect customers' attention. Every message should have a clear purpose and clear value.
2. Timing: Think About Customer Routines
Good timing examples:
Lunch promotions sent at 11am–12pm (when people are thinking about lunch)
Dinner promotions sent at 4–5pm (when people are planning evening meals)
Weekend availability sent Thursday evening (when people plan their weekends)
Morning coffee deals sent at 7–8am (before the workday starts)
Bad timing:
Messages sent at 11pm or very early morning
Random timing that doesn't align with when customers would actually use your service
Platforms like Perkstar let you schedule messages for optimal times, so you're not guessing.
3. Personalization: Use What You Know
Generic message:
"We have a sale this week!"
Personalized message:
"Hi Sarah, you're one visit away from a free coffee! Come see us this week."
Use customer names when appropriate. Pairing personalised messaging with unique customer reward ideas — like surprise bonuses for milestones or weather-triggered treats — makes notifications feel like gifts rather than marketing. Reference their loyalty progress ("you're almost there!"). Segment by behavior (send re-engagement offers to lapsed customers, not active ones).
4. Clear Value: Every Message Needs a "Why"
Customers should immediately understand why you're messaging them and what's in it for them.
Good examples:
"Last-minute slot at 3pm today — book now!"
"You've earned a free dessert — claim it this week!"
"Rainy day special: 15% off all orders tonight"
Bad examples:
"Don't forget about us!" (no value)
"We're open today!" (not relevant)
"Check out our new menu!" (requires too much effort)
5. Actionability: Make the Next Step Obvious
Good: "Reply YES to book" or "Show this message at checkout" or "Tap to view your reward"
Bad: Messages that require customers to go to your website, call a number, or figure out what to do next
The easier you make it to act on the notification, the more people will act.
6. Geo-Fencing: Send to People Who Can Actually Respond
If you're sending a "come in today" message, use geo-fencing to only message people within a reasonable distance (e.g., 2–5 miles).
There's no point sending "stop by this afternoon" to someone who's 20 miles away and unlikely to make a special trip.
Platforms like Perkstar support geo-fenced notifications, so you can target by location automatically.
Real-World Example: A Coffee Shop in Leeds
Let's make this concrete with a detailed scenario.
The business: An independent coffee shop in Leeds with 340 loyalty members using wallet-based loyalty (Apple Wallet + Google Wallet) through Perkstar. The owner chose wallet-based cards specifically because digital loyalty cards for coffee shops don't require customers to download a separate app — they just tap a link and the card saves straight to their phone.
Month 1: Setup and Testing
The owner spends one afternoon setting up automated push notifications:
Birthday rewards: Automated message sent on customer's birthday with a free coffee offer
Re-engagement campaign: Automated message sent to anyone who hasn't visited in 45 days
Almost-there nudges: Automated message sent when customers reach 8 out of 10 stamps
Cost: £30/month for Perkstar subscription (includes unlimited push notifications)
Month 2: Results from Automated Campaigns
Birthday rewards: 14 customers had birthdays. All 14 received automated notifications. 9 came in to redeem (64% redemption rate). Average additional spending beyond free coffee: £4.50
Re-engagement: 22 customers hadn't visited in 45+ days. Automated message sent. 7 returned within 2 weeks (32% return rate)
Almost-there nudges: 18 customers hit 8 stamps. Automated message sent. 12 came back within a week to get their 9th and 10th stamps (67% conversion)
Month 3: First Manual Campaign
It's Tuesday at 1pm. The café is dead. Owner sends first manual push notification:
"Quiet Tuesday? ☕ Stop by in the next 3 hours for 15% off. Perfect excuse for an afternoon coffee break!"
Sent to all 340 loyalty members within 3 miles
6 customers come in that afternoon directly because of the message
Revenue generated: £42 (that would have been £0 otherwise)
Time to create and send: 3 minutes
Cost: £0
Month 4: Seasonal Campaign
Valentine's week. Owner creates a campaign targeting couples:
"Valentine's Week Special 💕 Buy 2 coffees, get 2 pastries free. Perfect for a coffee date!"
23 couples come in during the week citing the offer
Average spend per couple: £12
Total revenue: £276
Most couples were existing loyalty members who needed a reason/reminder
Month 6: Results Summary
Loyalty program now has 420 members (grew by 80 through word-of-mouth)
Push notifications sent: ~8 per month (automated + manual)
Average direct attribution per month: 35–45 visits that wouldn't have happened otherwise
Estimated additional monthly revenue from push notifications: £350–£500
Monthly cost of platform: £30
ROI: 11–16x
Owner's takeaway: "I was skeptical about push notifications feeling spammy, but customers actually appreciate them. We're not bombarding people — we're giving them timely reasons to visit. The rainy day and quiet Tuesday messages have been gamechangers for filling slow periods."
How to Get Started with Loyalty Software and Push Notifications
If you're ready to start using push notifications to bring customers back more often, here's your step-by-step plan:
Step 1: Choose Loyalty Software with Push Notifications Included (15 Minutes)
Look for:
Wallet-based loyalty (Apple Wallet + Google Wallet) — push notifications from wallets are far more effective than from standalone apps
Unlimited push notifications included — avoid platforms that charge per message
Automated campaigns — birthday rewards, re If you're not sure where to start comparing options, a complete guide to loyalty program software can help you understand which features actually matter and which are expensive extras you'll never use.-engagement, milestone nudges
Geo-fencing support — send messages to people within a specific radius
Transparent pricing — £15–£60/month range with no hidden costs
Platforms like Perkstar include all of this as standard.
Step 2: Set Up Your Loyalty Program (30–60 Minutes)
Create your digital loyalty card (stamp card, points card, or membership card). Get customers signing up by:
Printing a QR code for your counter
Adding the QR code to your Instagram bio
Mentioning it at checkout
As customers join, they're automatically opted in to receive push notifications (they grant permission when adding the card to their wallet).
Step 3: Start with Automated Campaigns (10 Minutes)
Set up 2–3 automated push notifications:
Birthday reward: "Happy Birthday! Here's a free [product] this week — our gift to you."
Re-engagement: Sent after 45–60 days of inactivity: "We miss you! Here's 15% off your next visit."
Almost-there nudge: When customers are one stamp away: "You're so close! One more visit and [reward] is yours."
These run automatically in the background. You set them once and they work forever.
Step 4: Test Your First Manual Campaign (Week 2)
Wait for a quiet period (Tuesday afternoon, rainy day, slow morning). Send a simple, time-sensitive message:
"Quiet [day/time]? Here's [discount] if you visit in the next [timeframe]. We'd love to see you!"
See how many people respond. Adjust based on results.
Step 5: Build a Rhythm (Month 2 Onward)
Settle into a sustainable rhythm:
Automated campaigns: Always running (birthdays, re-engagement, milestones)
Manual campaigns: 1–2 per month for specific situations (slow days, se The key advantage of this rhythm is that it runs through customers' existing wallets — a loyalty program without downloads means you're not fighting app fatigue every time you want to reach someone.asonal promotions, last-minute availability)
Total messages per customer: 2–4 per month. Enough to stay top-of-mind. Not so many they feel spammed.
Step 6: Monitor and Refine
Use your loyalty software dashboard to track:
Which messages drive the most responses
What times of day work best
Which offers resonate most
Refine your approach based on data, not guesswork.
Final Thoughts: Push Notifications Are Your Direct Line to Customer Attention
In an environment where customer attention is fragmented across a hundred different apps, channels, and distractions, push notifications give you something rare: a direct line to people's lock screens.
Used well, they're not marketing spam. They're helpful reminders. They're timely offers. They're the nudge customers needed to visit today instead of "sometime next week" (which often becomes never).
The cost is minimal (often £0 per message with platforms like Perkstar). The setup is simple (under an hour). The ROI is measurable (you can track exactly which visits came from which messages). And if you're still using paper punch cards, the gap between what you have and what's possible is even wider — transitioning from paper to digital takes less time than you'd think and unlocks every capability we've discussed in this article.
If you've been frustrated by customers who don't come back as often as you'd like, or if you've struggled to fill quiet periods without spending heavily on ads, loyalty software with push notifications might be exactly what your business needs.
Start your free 14-day trial with Perkstar — no credit card required. Set up wallet-based loyalty with unlimited push notifications, test automated and manual campaigns with real customers, and see if this is the missing piece in your customer retention strategy.
The customers who love your business are already out there. You just need a way to remind them at the right moment. Push notifications do exactly that.
