One of the first questions every business asks when setting up a loyalty card is how many stamps should earn a reward. Get it right and customers stay motivated all the way to redemption. Get it wrong, set it too high and they give up, too low and you are giving away margin, and the whole scheme underperforms.
Cafes: 9-10 stamps. Barbers and salons: 10 visits. Restaurants: 8 visits. Retail and higher-ticket businesses: reward spend instead of a flat count.
The psychology behind stamp counts
Research on loyalty programmes consistently shows the same pattern, customers need to feel real progress fairly early on, and the finish line needs to feel achievable within their normal visiting pattern. A stamp count that takes six months to complete rarely works, because the customer loses track of the card before they get there. The right number depends heavily on how often a typical customer visits your type of business.
Cafes and coffee shops: 9 or 10 stamps
This is the most recognisable format on the UK high street, largely because the big chains normalised it. Regulars who visit three to five times a week will reach a 9 or 10 stamp reward within two to three weeks, which keeps momentum high. See more ideas on our loyalty cards for cafes page.
Barbers and hair salons: 10 visits
With a typical rebooking cycle of four to eight weeks, 10 visits represents roughly a year of loyalty, long enough to matter, short enough to stay motivating. Some salons instead reward by spend rather than visit count, since a colour appointment and a quick trim are not worth the same. Details on both approaches are on our barbers and hair salons pages.
Restaurants: 8 visits
Dining out is a lower-frequency habit than a daily coffee, so restaurants generally set the bar slightly lower, often rewarding a free dessert or side after 8 visits rather than a full free meal, which keeps the cost manageable while still feeling generous. More detail on our restaurants page.
Retail and higher-ticket businesses: reward spend, not visits
For businesses where basket size varies enormously, a flat stamp count rewards a £5 purchase the same as a £150 one, which undervalues your best customers. A spend-based threshold, for example £100 spent earns £10 off, scales more fairly. This suits retail stores, florists, and spas particularly well.
How to choose the right number for your business
Start by estimating how often your average regular actually visits in a month. Aim for a reward that a genuine regular can reach in two to four weeks of normal visiting, not two to four months. If in doubt, start slightly more generous than feels comfortable, you can always adjust the threshold later, but a first impression of a scheme that feels impossible to complete is hard to undo.
Browse reward ideas for your specific trade across all 18 of our industry pages, or see how flexible reward rules work on our pricing page.
