Digital Loyalty Card: Types, How They Work, What to Choose
By Alva Chew · Updated
Definition A digital loyalty card is a loyalty card kept on the customer's phone instead of in their purse. It comes in three main types: a card inside a business's own app, a web card that opens in the phone's browser, and a pass saved to a phone wallet such as Google Wallet. Wallet passes and web cards need no app download, which makes joining at the counter much faster.
What is a digital loyalty card?
A digital loyalty card does the job of a paper card on the customer’s phone. It holds their balance, shows a code for staff to scan, and updates after each purchase. Nobody has to remember to bring it, because people rarely leave the house without their phone.
That covers most of your customers. In the US, 91% of adults owned a smartphone in 2026, according to the Pew Research Center.
Source: Pew Research Center, Mobile Fact Sheet, survey conducted January to June 2026.
What are the three types?
| Type | Where it lives | How the customer joins | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| App-based card | Inside the business’s own app | Download the app and create an account | Most features, but many customers will not install an app for one shop |
| Web card | A page in the phone’s browser | Scan a QR code, open a link | No download, but the card can get lost among browser tabs |
| Wallet pass | The phone’s built-in wallet, such as Google Wallet | Scan a QR code, tap “add to wallet” | No download and easy to find, with fewer custom features than an app |
App-based cards
Large chains often put the loyalty card inside their ordering app. That suits a brand with enough regulars to justify building and maintaining an app. For a single café or shop, asking a customer at the till to download an app is the slowest way to sign them up.
Web cards
The customer scans a QR code and the card opens in their browser. It is quick to join, and nothing is installed. The weakness is finding it again next time, so many web cards ask the customer to save a shortcut.
Wallet passes
The customer scans a QR code and adds the card to their phone’s wallet. It sits next to their payment cards and boarding passes. Google’s loyalty card documentation describes passes that show points and rewards directly on the phone and can be issued from any link, on a website or in a message.
What happens at the counter?
- The customer opens the card and shows the code.
- Staff scan it with a phone or tablet.
- Staff enter the purchase, or the redemption.
- The balance on the customer’s card updates.
Speed matters most here. If this takes more than a few seconds, staff skip it when the queue is long.
What should you check before choosing one?
- Joining. Can a customer join in under a minute without an app?
- Points or stamps. A card that shows a points balance in dollars rewards every order fairly. Our stamp card page compares the two.
- Counter hardware. Can staff use a phone they already have, or do you need a terminal?
- Several outlets. Does one balance work at every branch, and what does each extra outlet cost?
- Price. Some plans are free with no end date, others are trials. See what free loyalty apps actually include.
For how points, rewards and earn rates fit together behind the card, see the points-based loyalty program page.
The Gimify card
Gimify’s card is a Google Wallet pass. Customers join by scanning a QR code and entering their email, with no app and no password. Staff add or redeem points on any phone, and the live balance shows on the card.
Questions owners ask
What is a digital loyalty card?
A loyalty card stored on the customer's phone. It shows their balance and a code that staff scan to add or redeem rewards. It can live in an app, a web page or the phone's wallet.
Do customers need an app for a digital loyalty card?
Not always. Web cards open in the browser and wallet passes save to the phone's built-in wallet, so customers can join by scanning a QR code without installing anything.
What is a wallet loyalty pass?
A card saved into a phone's wallet, such as Google Wallet. It shows the business's logo, the customer's balance and a barcode or QR code, and the business can update the balance after each visit.
Can a digital loyalty card work across several outlets?
Yes, if the program keeps one balance per customer for the whole business. Check this before choosing software, because some programs track each location separately or charge per location.
Is a digital loyalty card better than a paper card?
It cannot be lost or forgotten at home, staff cannot be talked into extra stamps, and you can see who visits and what they spend. A paper card costs less to start but gives you no data.
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Start free
Gimify is free for one outlet with unlimited members and no time limit. Unlimited outlets are one flat monthly price.
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