Question 1

What is a QR code loyalty system?

Accepted Answer

Instead of physical stamp cards, customers scan a QR code at your cafe with their phone camera, enter their details once, and automatically build up rewards with each visit. No apps, no cards to lose, no ink. Works on any smartphone — Android or iPhone.

Question 2

Do customers need to download an app?

Accepted Answer

Nope. Any smartphone camera reads the QR code directly. Customers enter their phone number and name once and they're in. That's it. No app store, no account creation, no friction.

Question 3

How quickly can I get started?

Accepted Answer

About 5 minutes. Create your account, set your reward (e.g. free coffee after 10 visits), add your logo and colours, then print or display your QR code. We give you a print-ready PDF and digital files for social.

Question 4

What if my customers are not tech-savvy?

Accepted Answer

Scanning a QR code is the same motion as taking a photo — point and tap. If they can use a smartphone camera, they can check in. In practice, older customers often prefer this over remembering to bring a card.

Question 5

How long until I see results?

Accepted Answer

Most cafes see measurable lift in repeat visits within the first 4–6 weeks. The reward SMS alone drives people back — customers who get a 'you've earned a free coffee' message tend to redeem within a few days. You'll have visit data from day one.

Question 6

Can I try it before committing to a paid plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. A card is required to start, but nothing is charged until the trial ends, so you can run a real pilot with your regulars risk-free. Cancel anytime before day 30 and you won't pay a cent.

Question 7

Do I need to train my staff?

Accepted Answer

Barely. Staff don't need to do anything for check-ins — customers handle that themselves by scanning. For reward redemptions, staff search the customer name and click confirm. Most pick it up in under 5 minutes. There's no terminal, no codes, no memorisation required.

Question 8

How do customers know when they've earned a reward?

Accepted Answer

They get an SMS the moment they hit your reward threshold. They can also check their progress anytime by scanning the QR code or logging into the customer portal. The check-in screen always shows their current count and what's next.

Question 9

What SMS messages do customers receive?

Accepted Answer

On Professional and Business plans, customers can receive a welcome message on first visit, a reward notification when they hit your threshold, and optional birthday and anniversary messages. The Business plan adds automated Google Review requests at visit milestones, plus advanced SMS automations for customer win-back and retention campaigns — re-engaging lapsed customers automatically. Starter doesn't include SMS — check-ins and redemptions work exactly the same, just without the automated messages. Customers only receive SMS if they opt in, and they can opt out anytime. You control the templates.

Question 10

What analytics and reports do I get?

Accepted Answer

Your dashboard shows total customers, daily visit comparisons, rewards claimed, active customers in the last 30 days, visit trend graphs, customer segments (new, active, loyal, VIP), peak hour data, and retention metrics. Everything updates in real-time — no refresh needed.

Question 11

Does this help me get more Google Reviews?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Business plan sends automated Google Review requests via SMS at visit milestones you configure (e.g. 3rd, 5th, 10th visit) or after reward redemption. Includes follow-up reminders, auto-exclusion after 2 ignored requests, and a 120-day cooldown for negative reviewers. Fully compliant — no incentivised reviews, no review gating.

Question 12

Can customers check their loyalty status in different ways?

Accepted Answer

Three ways: scan the QR code (instant), visit the customer portal (OTP login, works across multiple cafes, includes data export and privacy controls), or request an SMS status check (rate-limited to once per day). Customers pick whatever suits them.

Question 13

Can I customize the rewards and branding?

Accepted Answer

Fully. You set the visit threshold, reward description, your cafe colours and logo, and SMS templates. Your QR code is branded for your business. Customers see your name and look, not ours.

Question 14

Can I control how customer check-ins are verified?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Two modes: 'Open Check-ins' approves visits instantly — good for busy cafes. 'Staff Confirmed' holds visits in a pending queue until a staff member approves them from the dashboard. In that mode, SMS only sends after approval, and unreviewed visits auto-decline after 7 days. You can switch modes anytime.

Question 15

What if I only have 20 regulars?

Accepted Answer

That's actually the ideal starting point. A small, loyal base is easy to get onto the system, and you'll see clear data on their visit patterns from day one. Every plan supports unlimited customers, so there's no minimum to hit — start your 30-day free trial and add your regulars as you go.

Question 16

How much does My Cafe Loyalty cost?

Accepted Answer

Three plans, starting at $49/month: Starter ($49), Professional ($79), and Business ($169). All three include unlimited customers. Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial — a card is required, but you won't be charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel anytime before then.

Question 17

How do SMS credits work?

Accepted Answer

Professional and Business plans include monthly SMS credits (150 and 400 respectively). Business also unlocks advanced SMS automations for customer win-back and retention campaigns, using those credits. Starter doesn't include SMS. Need more? Buy additional credits in bundles (50, 100, 250, 500) at from $0.10 per SMS on Australian networks. Purchased bundle credits roll over and never expire; your included monthly credits refresh at the start of each billing period.

Question 18

Do I need a credit card to start the trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every plan requires a card to start your 30-day free trial. Nothing is charged during those 30 days, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends — you'll only be billed if you decide to stay on.

Question 19

What are the customer limits for each plan?

Accepted Answer

None — Starter, Professional, and Business all support unlimited customers. You're never blocked from checking in customers or charged extra because your base grew. Pricing is based on features, not customer count, and you can upgrade anytime.

Question 20

We already use physical stamp cards — is it worth switching?

Accepted Answer

Depends what you want from it. Stamp cards are free but give you nothing — no data, no way to contact customers, no visibility into who's visiting. Digital loyalty tells you who your regulars are, lets you send an SMS when they've earned a reward, and doesn't require you to reprint anything when a card gets lost. If you just want to track stamps, a card works fine. If you want to actually know your customers, digital is worth the switch.

Question 21

How is this different from the free loyalty card apps?

Accepted Answer

Most free apps are generic multi-venue wallets — your cafe is listed alongside 200 others. My Cafe Loyalty is white-labelled to your business: your name, your colours, your QR code. Customers interact with your brand, not a third-party app's. You also own your customer data and can export it anytime.

Question 22

How do you prevent fraud and abuse?

Accepted Answer

Check-ins are rate-limited to one per customer per cafe every 12 hours, so a customer can't scan twice in a row to game the system. All reward redemptions require staff confirmation through the dashboard — customers can't self-redeem. Fraud scoring uses anonymised IP hashing, so it's privacy-compliant.

Question 23

How easy is staff management and training?

Accepted Answer

Staff search for the customer name in the redemptions tab and click confirm. That's the whole workflow. No codes to remember, no terminal integration. Most staff are comfortable with it in under 5 minutes.

Question 24

Can I run this alongside my current loyalty system?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Many cafes run both systems in parallel during a transition — customers who forget their card can scan the QR instead. You phase out the physical cards at whatever pace suits you.

Question 25

Do you integrate with POS systems?

Accepted Answer

Not currently — the system is intentionally independent so it works with any setup. Customers scan, staff verify rewards through the dashboard. POS integrations for major Australian systems are on the roadmap.

Question 26

Do you specifically support Australian cafes and compliance?

Accepted Answer

Yes — built specifically for the Australian market. AUD pricing, Australian phone number formatting, local timezone support, and full compliance with Australian Privacy Principles (APP). No currency conversion, no overseas data handling concerns.

Question 27

Why should I switch from physical loyalty cards to digital loyalty?

Accepted Answer

The honest answer: if data and communication matter to you, digital is clearly better. You get customer visit history, can send SMS when a reward is earned, and never lose a customer's progress because their card got wet. If you just want to stamp coffee, physical cards work fine — but you'll never know who your regulars actually are.

Question 28

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Your customer data is retained for 30 days after cancellation. During that window you can export everything — customer records, visit history, all of it — as a CSV or JSON. After that period, data is permanently deleted per our privacy policy. You're never locked in.

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