Loytu Quick Start: Launch Your First Loyalty Programme

This Quick Start guide gives you the shortest route from creating a Loytu account to issuing your first real stamp.

You do not need to configure every feature before you begin. Start with one simple loyalty programme, test the complete customer journey and then introduce it consistently at checkout.

What you will complete

By the end of this guide, you will have:

• Created or signed into your Loytu business account
• Built a simple digital loyalty programme
• Collected a test customer card
• Scanned the card and issued a test stamp
• Prepared your QR code or public link for customers
• Understood how rewards are redeemed and how stamp usage is managed

Before you start

Have the following ready:

• An email address you can access
• Your business or trading name
• A square logo or simple brand image
• One or two brand colours
• A clear idea of what earns a stamp
• The number of stamps needed for the reward
• A reward your customers will genuinely value

Keep the first offer easy to explain. A complicated programme is harder for customers to understand and harder for staff to apply consistently.

Example: Collect six appointment stamps and receive a complimentary treatment upgrade.

1. Create your Loytu account

Open the Loytu business dashboard and create your account using an email address you expect to keep using for the business.

Loytu uses email one-time passcodes rather than a permanent password. Enter your email address, request a code and use the newest code sent to your inbox.

For the complete sign-up process and passcode troubleshooting, follow Create Your Loytu Business Account.

2. Decide how your loyalty programme will work

Before opening the programme builder, decide three things:

1. What action earns one stamp?
2. How many stamps must the customer collect?
3. What reward will the customer receive?

For most first programmes, one stamp per completed appointment, visit or qualifying purchase is the easiest rule to operate.

Choose a target that feels achievable for the frequency of the customer’s normal visits. The reward should feel worthwhile without making the programme difficult for your business to sustain.

Review Understanding Programmes, Cards, Stamps, Milestones and Rewards if you want a clearer explanation of how these parts fit together before building.

3. Create your first loyalty programme

In the Loytu dashboard, open My Programs and select Create a Program.

Work through the programme builder and add:

• Your logo or programme image
• Your business name
• A short, recognisable programme name
• Your background and text colours
• The required number of stamps
• The final reward
• Any milestone rewards you want to offer
• Simple programme terms
• Your useful website, booking or social links

Use the live preview to check how the card will look on a customer’s phone. Pay particular attention to spelling, colour contrast, the stamp target and the reward wording.

The detailed walkthrough is available in Create Your First Loyalty Programme.

4. Test the customer joining journey

Do not launch the programme immediately after creating it. First, go through the same process a customer will use.

1. Open the programme’s public link or scan its joining QR code.
2. Collect a test loyalty card.
3. Check the business name, reward, colours and stamp target.
4. Open the card on another device or save it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet where available.

This test helps you spot unclear wording and understand what customers will see when they join.

See How Clients Get Their Loytu Loyalty Card for the full joining process you can also share with staff.

5. Scan the test card and issue a stamp

Open Loytu’s scanner on a phone or supported device and scan the QR code shown on the individual test card.

Check that the correct programme and card have opened before confirming the stamp. The customer’s card should then update to show the new progress.

Issuing a test stamp before launch is important. It confirms that the scanner, customer card and programme are working together as expected.

Use How to Scan and Stamp a Client’s Loyalty Card for the safe step-by-step stamping process.

6. Prepare the programme for customers

Once the test has worked, decide where customers will find the programme.

Useful places include:

• At reception, checkout or beside the payment terminal
• On a salon mirror, treatment station, counter or table
• Inside appointment confirmations and reminders
• In WhatsApp or follow-up messages
• On Instagram and your link-in-bio page
• On your website or booking page

Use the programme’s public link when sharing digitally. Use its QR code when customers will be standing in front of a sign, card or screen.

For all available sharing methods, see How to Share Your Digital Loyalty Card with Customers.

7. Introduce Loytu at checkout

A QR code will not do all the work by itself. Mention the programme when the customer has completed the qualifying visit or purchase.

Would you like our digital loyalty card? There is nothing for you to download, and today’s visit can count as your first stamp.

Ask the customer to collect their card, then scan it and issue the stamp before they leave.

Choose one consistent point in your normal routine for this. For many businesses, that will be after the service has been completed and payment has been taken.

8. Know what happens when a reward is reached

When a milestone or final reward becomes available, first confirm what the customer has earned and provide the promised benefit.

Only mark the reward as redeemed once it has actually been used. This prevents the wrong reward from being removed and keeps the card history accurate.

Follow How to Redeem a Client Reward or Milestone before handling your first live redemption.

9. Check your available stamps

Each stamp issued to a customer uses one stamp from your Loytu account balance.

You can begin on the free Zero plan. When you purchase your first stamp pack, your account moves automatically to Flexi. Purchased stamp packs do not expire, and automatic top-up can be configured in the dashboard where available.

Check your balance before a busy period so you do not discover that you need more stamps while customers are waiting.

For current plan, balance, stamp-pack and automatic top-up information, read Understanding Loytu Pricing, Plans and Stamp Top-Ups.

Your launch checklist

Before offering the programme to customers, confirm that:

• The earning rule is easy to explain
• The reward and stamp target are correct
• The card design is readable on a phone
• The public link and joining QR code work
• You have successfully collected a test card
• You have scanned the test card and issued a stamp
• You understand how to redeem a reward
• Your team knows when a stamp should be issued
• The QR code or public link is ready to share
• Your available stamp balance is sufficient

What to do next

Start with a small, controlled launch. Introduce the programme to regular customers, make stamping part of checkout and listen to the questions people ask.

You can then improve the wording, placement and staff routine before promoting the programme more widely.

Businesses in the hair sector can also use the dedicated guide to creating a hair salon loyalty programme with Loytu.

Your first goal is not to build the most complicated loyalty scheme possible. It is to create one clear reason for customers to return and make that programme easy to use every day.