If you already use a point-of-sale system, there's a good chance it offers a loyalty add-on. It's tempting: it's already there, and it connects to your register. But it isn't the only option, and it isn't always the best one.
Here's how a POS loyalty add-on compares with a standalone loyalty tool, and when each one makes sense.
How each one works
A POS loyalty add-on lives inside your register system. Customers are usually identified by phone number at checkout, and rewards are often tied to purchases: points per dollar, or a reward after a set amount spent. It only works with that POS.
A standalone loyalty tool works on its own, alongside whatever register you use, or no register at all. Customers get a card or pass on their phone, and staff check them in by scanning a QR code or looking them up by name.
Side by side
| POS loyalty add-on | Standalone loyalty tool | |
|---|---|---|
| Works with | Only that POS system | Any register, or none |
| Check-in | Usually automatic at checkout | A quick scan or name search at the counter |
| Rewards based on | Often spending or points | Visits, punch cards, memberships, prepaid packs |
| Selling prepaid packs online | Varies; often not included | Built in (in LoyalTrak's case, through your own Stripe account) |
| Memberships | Varies | Built in |
| If you switch POS | Program and history may not come with you | Nothing changes |
| Cost | Often an extra monthly fee on top of the POS | Its own subscription |
When a POS add-on is the better fit
If you're happy with your POS, plan to stay on it, and want rewards to add up with zero extra steps at checkout, the built-in option is hard to beat. Points per dollar spent also suit businesses where order sizes vary a lot, like a restaurant or a shop with a wide price range.
When a standalone tool is the better fit
- You use a simple register, or several. A food truck, a pop-up, or a business that takes Venmo or cash can run a full program without a POS.
- You sell visits, not items. Studios, car washes, simulators, and daycares often want class packs, wash packs, or memberships, not points per dollar.
- You want to sell passes online. Customers can buy a 10-class pack or a membership from your shop page before they ever walk in.
- You might change POS someday. Your loyalty program, customer list, and history stay put.
How LoyalTrak fits
LoyalTrak is a standalone tool. It runs digital punch cards, memberships, and prepaid passes side by side, and it works next to any register. Paid passes are sold through your own Stripe account, so the money goes directly to you, and LoyalTrak takes no cut of your sales, just standard Stripe fees. If a customer pays you in cash or another way, you can add their pass by hand from your dashboard.
The honest trade-off: LoyalTrak doesn't connect to your POS, so check-in is a separate quick step. Staff scan the customer's QR code or search their name, then tap once.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Do I want to reward visits, or spending?
- Do I want to sell packs or memberships online, not just give rewards?
- Am I sure I'll stay on my current POS for the next few years?
- Does the add-on cost extra each month, and what do I get for it?
A loyalty program that works with any register
Punch cards and memberships from $19/month, and selling prepaid passes from $29/month. No POS needed, and payments go straight to you.