The best loyalty program for your restaurant
Lunch regulars come every day. Reward their loyalty – digitally and effortlessly.
e.g. Every 10th lunch free
4/10 Stempel
- Guests scan after their meal
- Perfect for lunch regulars
- Track your regulars and redemptions
Why loyalty programs work so well for restaurants
Many restaurateurs hesitate about loyalty programs — because they're thinking of the overcomplicated points systems used by restaurant chains. That's not what this is.
Regulars come back more often when they feel remembered
A lunch regular who comes in twice a week spends roughly ten times more per year than a one-time visitor. According to McKinsey, loyalty members spend 15–25% more annually than non-members — not because they're getting a deal, but because they come more often.
Relevance is the biggest hurdle — and you've already cleared it
An Oracle study (13,000 consumers, 9 countries) shows that 74% of guests only join a loyalty program if the benefit is immediately obvious. A stamp card saying "Every 10th lunch free" is instantly legible. No small print, no calculating points.
Returning guests save you more than advertising does
It costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one (Harvard Business Review). A loyalty program that gets 30 lunch regulars in one extra time per week delivers measurable additional revenue — without spending a euro on advertising.
Simplicity is the decisive factor
77% of loyalty programs that fail do so because of complexity (Growave). Stamp cards don't fail. "10 stamps, 1 free meal" is simple enough that guests join immediately — and the program doesn't end up in a drawer after three months.
Sources: Oracle Hospitality "Loyalty Divide" study; McKinsey; Harvard Business Review; Growave
Where paper stamp cards break down in restaurants
Paper stamp cards work — a bit. But the points where they stop working are especially painful in a restaurant context.
- 39% of guests abandon paper programs because they lost the card. In a restaurant this happens precisely at payment time: the card is at home, in the other jacket, long since fallen out somewhere.
- You don't recognise your regulars as such. Someone who hasn't been in for 6 months — did you know they'd been gone 6 months? Without data you have no sense of who you've lost.
- Controlling stamps is hard. Guests who self-stamp or double-stamp — deliberately or by accident — is almost impossible to prevent with paper without killing the atmosphere.
- No evidence the program does anything. You can't tell whether your lunch offer runs better or worse because of the loyalty program. What isn't measured stays a feeling.
The principle stays the same: collect stamps, enjoy the reward. Only the medium gets better.
Source: Statista / Loopy Loyalty
What actually works in restaurants
The right structure is the difference between a loyalty program that runs and one that dies after three months. These recommendations are tailored to the restaurant sector.
8–10 stamps for lunch regulars
Someone who comes in for lunch every day fills the card in two weeks. The program feels achievable — and the guest starts returning more frequently after just a few stamps. Too many stamps (15+) feels off-putting; too few (4–5) makes the reward too cheap.
Recommendation: 10 stamps → 1 free lunch
Free dessert instead of a free meal: higher perceived value, lower cost
A dessert has lower raw material cost than a main course, but is perceived as a genuine reward. Ideal if your lunch special has a tight margin. Guests appreciate the gesture — and the cost-benefit ratio works better for you.
Example: 10 stamps → 1 free dessert
Free starter: for restaurants with evening service
For restaurants with more evening regulars than lunch regulars: a free starter has similar cost to a dessert but feels more generous — because it comes at the start of the meal and opens the evening on a warm note.
Example: 12 stamps → 1 free starter
Two programs: lunch and dinner
Want to reward lunch guests and evening guests separately? Summa allows multiple programs at once. A lunch card (10 stamps) and a dinner card (12 stamps) run independently — the same guest can participate in both.
Example: Lunch program (10 stamps) + dinner program (12 stamps)
What tends not to work: discount vouchers and points systems with conversion rates. They train guests to wait for offers rather than becoming loyal — the opposite of what you want.
How stamping fits into the service flow
In a restaurant, guests pay at the table or at the till — not at a counter with the next customer waiting behind. That makes the situation simpler than it sounds.
The ideal moment: right after payment. The guest is still at the table, has their phone in hand, and the interaction is already happening. "Would you like a stamp for that?" takes three seconds.
QR scan: the standard flow
Your staff member opens the Summa scanner in their phone's browser — no app, no login. The guest shows their QR code. One tap, stamp issued. Done. Alternatively the guest can scan a QR code at the table independently if you put one out.
NFC tap: for self-service at the till
A small NFC puck on the till or counter — the guest taps their phone when paying, the stamp is issued automatically. Your staff don't need to do anything. The NFC stamp is a one-off purchase from €25.
PIN: when the phone isn't out
Some guests have their phone in their pocket or their wallet in their hand. With the PIN code the guest simply says their four-digit number — your staff member types it in, stamp issued. No phone needed.
Groups and tables: each guest has their own card. With groups, each person stamps individually — it's the simplest and fairest solution. No splitting of points, no complications.
Training time: zero. All three methods are self-explanatory. New staff can use them after a single test run.
No credit card needed. See pricing
Already on board
Frequently asked questions
Does it make financial sense — my lunch specials barely have margin?
Calculate it concretely: with a lunch special at €12 and 10 stamps, the free meal costs you effectively €1.20 per visit (10% of revenue). If a regular comes in even once or twice more per month because of the program, the numbers are positive — without spending a cent on advertising. Alternative: reward with a dessert (lower cost, similar effect).
What about guests who come in groups?
Each guest has their own card and collects individually. That's the simplest solution: no splitting, no special rules. Someone who regularly comes for lunch with colleagues stamps for themselves — so does their tablemate.
Can I limit the program to the lunch special and not à-la-carte?
That's your call. You can tell your staff: "Stamps for lunch specials only." Summa itself doesn't check what was ordered — the decision about whether to stamp lies with your staff member. Many restaurants handle this pragmatically: stamp after every payment, regardless of what was ordered.
Do my guests need to download an app?
No. The card opens in the browser — like a website. No download, no account, no password. Anyone who wants to can save the card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet; then it's always ready for the next visit.
What happens if a guest loses the card or changes their phone?
Anyone who saved an email address can recover the card by email — all stamps are retained. Anyone who didn't can start fresh, or come to you; you can add stamps manually.
Can I run separate programs for lunch and dinner?
Yes. Summa allows multiple programs at once. Your lunch program (10 stamps → free meal) and your dinner program (12 stamps → free starter) run independently. Guests who come at both times can participate in both.
What does Summa cost?
30 days free, then from €9 per month for up to 50 active cards. No setup fee, no annual contract. The price adjusts automatically if you have more cards.
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