How to design a loyalty programme that brings customers back
Start simple: a points or stamp programme that works on every channel, identified by phone number. Add tiers once you know who your top customers are, and a prepaid wallet if customers visit often. The best programmes reward the next visit, remind members before rewards expire, and never make staff do manual work at the counter.
The five common loyalty models
| Model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp card | Buy 9, get the 10th free | Coffee, boba, single-item shops |
| Points | Earn points per RM spent, redeem for rewards | Restaurants and cafés with varied baskets |
| Tiers | Silver, Gold, Platinum with better earn rates or cashback | Brands with a clear group of heavy regulars |
| Prepaid wallet | Top up RM100, get RM110 credit | Salons, cafés and bakeries with frequent visits |
| Paid VIP | Members pay a yearly fee for ongoing perks | Popular brands with strong demand |
Example starting rules
- Earn 1 point for every RM1 spent, on every channel (counter, online, app, table QR).
- Sign-up reward: a small free item on the next visit, not on the same bill.
- Birthday voucher valid for one week, with a reminder two days before it expires.
- Tiers reviewed every 12 months; upgrade instantly, downgrade only at the review.
Mistakes that kill loyalty programmes
- Separate memberships for dine-in and delivery, so customers never see their full balance.
- Rewards too far away: if the first reward needs 20 visits, most people never get there.
- Staff typing points by hand at a busy counter, which leads to mistakes and skipped scans.
- Messaging members only with discounts, which trains them to wait for the next promotion.
- No reminder before vouchers expire, so rewards quietly go unused.
What to measure
- Share of sales from members versus walk-ins.
- How many members came back within 30 and 90 days.
- Voucher redemption rate.
- Members who are "slipping away": regulars who have not visited for longer than usual.
How KEDAI handles this
KEDAI Loyalty earns points and stamps automatically on every order across POS, online store, app and table QR, all on one member record found by phone number. It supports tiers with wallet cashback, prepaid wallets and packages, paid VIP, lucky draws, referral rewards and WhatsApp reminders before vouchers expire.
Loyalty & Rewards
Points and stamps auto-earned on every order — POS, web, app and QR. Tiers, wallet cashback, WhatsApp voucher reminders, lucky draws and paid VIP.
Payments & Wallet
Accept card, e-wallet, FPX and direct debit through eGHL and Stripe, and run your own prepaid wallet with top-up bonuses and tier cashback.
WhatsApp, SMS & Email
Send WhatsApp, SMS and email campaigns from your own number: paced sending protects it, opt-in preferences built in, delivery tracking and push notifications.
Customers & CRM
One customer record across POS, web and app. Segments, tags, custom fields, duplicate merging, Excel import — and real sales sent back to Meta ads.
Questions answered
Points or stamps — which is better?
Stamps are simpler and work well for single-product shops like coffee or boba. Points suit restaurants where basket sizes vary, because customers earn in proportion to what they spend.
Should a loyalty programme give discounts?
Prefer rewards that bring people back, such as a free item on the next visit, bonus wallet credit or tier perks, over straight discounts that only lower the price of today's bill.