What a QR code loyalty card is
A QR code loyalty card does the job of a paper stamp card on the customer's phone. They scan a code you display at the counter, and the card opens in the browser they already have.
On a Nabaperks card the code never changes. A permanent venue QR with the customer join and stamp journeys tested. No customer app, no wallet pass, no POS integration.
QR schemes differ most on who adds the stamp. In some, staff stamp each visit on a device or type in a code. On a Nabaperks card the customer confirms the stamp on their own phone, and staff only step in when a reward is used.
Still choosing between paper, an app, a wallet pass and a QR card? Our buyer's guide to pub loyalty schemes compares all four.
How it works: one visit, step by step
Here is one visit, from the first scan to the reward.
Scan the venue QR
The customer scans the code at your counter and their card opens in the browser on their phone, with no app to install.
One stamp per business day
Each visit earns one stamp per customer per business day, linked to your venue QR.
Later visits are checked
On later visits the stamp is checked by the customer's location or by today's venue code.
The reward is marked as used
When a reward is unlocked, staff scan it to mark it as used.
Tap through the live demo card.
For the staff side in more depth, read how to reward regulars without an app.
For the full launch and visit walkthrough, see how the done-for-you launch works.
What paper does well
Nothing to explain and nothing to install: a card, an ink stamp, done. For a venue that wants zero screens anywhere near the till, paper still wins that trade.
It asks nothing of a guest's phone, so it works for anyone, with or without a smartphone, and it carries no subscription.
Paper is the better choice when you want something running this week and genuinely don't need to measure it.
Where paper leaks
Cards get lost and forgotten, stamps can be given twice or added at home, and none of it is visible to you. You reprint whenever the cards run out.
A paper card records nothing, so the scheme runs for a year on a feeling. There is no record of who came back, and no way to tell whether the scheme pays for itself.
Paper vs QR code loyalty card, side by side
The same questions, asked of both. Where a row costs you money or effort, it says so.
| Aspect | Paper stamp card | QR code loyalty card |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Order printed cards and an ink stamp, then hand cards out at the till | One permanent venue QR on a printed counter poster; the card opens in the customer's browser |
| What the guest needs | The card, and to remember to bring it back | A phone that can scan a QR code, and a mobile number for the one-time text code. No app, no wallet pass and no password |
| Who adds the stamp | Staff, with an ink stamp or a punch | The customer, confirming the visit on their own phone |
| Checks on each stamp | Any ink stamp, no verification | Linked to your venue QR, one stamp per business day; later visits are checked by location or today's venue code |
| Using a reward | Staff check the card and hand the reward over | Staff scan the reward in the Nabaperks app to mark it as used |
| What you can see | Nothing is recorded | Visits, members and returning customers, plus a weekly digest by email |
| Up-front cost | Printing the cards and a stamp; the price depends on your printer | £299.99 done-for-you launch, including your first printed A4 counter-poster run |
| Ongoing cost | Reprints whenever cards run out; the price depends on your printer | 28-day free platform pilot from poster delivery, then £69.99 every 28 days or £699.90 a year prepaid annually |
| Where it breaks | Cards get lost, stamps get given twice, and a year on you still can't say whether it worked | The code isn't displayed where people queue, or staff never mention it |
| Best when | You want something running this week and genuinely don't need to measure it | You want the smallest possible ask of a guest mid-queue, and you want the visits recorded |
Getting started
Paper: Order printed cards and an ink stamp, then hand cards out at the till
QR code card: One permanent venue QR on a printed counter poster; the card opens in the customer's browser
What the guest needs
Paper: The card, and to remember to bring it back
QR code card: A phone that can scan a QR code, and a mobile number for the one-time text code. No app, no wallet pass and no password
Who adds the stamp
Paper: Staff, with an ink stamp or a punch
QR code card: The customer, confirming the visit on their own phone
Checks on each stamp
Paper: Any ink stamp, no verification
QR code card: Linked to your venue QR, one stamp per business day; later visits are checked by location or today's venue code
Using a reward
Paper: Staff check the card and hand the reward over
QR code card: Staff scan the reward in the Nabaperks app to mark it as used
What you can see
Paper: Nothing is recorded
QR code card: Visits, members and returning customers, plus a weekly digest by email
Up-front cost
Paper: Printing the cards and a stamp; the price depends on your printer
QR code card: £299.99 done-for-you launch, including your first printed A4 counter-poster run
Ongoing cost
Paper: Reprints whenever cards run out; the price depends on your printer
QR code card: 28-day free platform pilot from poster delivery, then £69.99 every 28 days or £699.90 a year prepaid annually
Where it breaks
Paper: Cards get lost, stamps get given twice, and a year on you still can't say whether it worked
QR code card: The code isn't displayed where people queue, or staff never mention it
Best when
Paper: You want something running this week and genuinely don't need to measure it
QR code card: You want the smallest possible ask of a guest mid-queue, and you want the visits recorded
What a QR card asks of you
A QR card is not free of effort, and it fails in its own way when the code isn't displayed where people queue, or staff never mention it.
Your part: display the posters, honour the rewards, and give your staff a short brief. Your staff's part is one short line each shift, reading out today's venue code if a customer's phone cannot share its location, and a scan when a reward is used.
A guest needs a phone that can scan a QR code, where paper asks for nothing. The only app involved is the one your staff use to scan rewards; customers download nothing.
The launch fee and the recurring price are both in the table above, and in full on our pricing and billing terms page, so the twelfth month is no surprise.
And the reward has to be worth the trip. A few percent off doesn't move anyone off the sofa on a wet Tuesday. See our pub loyalty card ideas worth a return visit.
Switching from paper without the setup job
Instead of handing you empty software, the Nabaperks team does the launch. We handle the whole launch: venue and card configuration, a margin-safe mystery reward pool, and your first A4 counter-poster run — generated, printed and posted to your pub. Allow up to 14 calendar days for print and delivery.
First-Regular Guarantee: If your live card hasn't brought back a first regular by the end of your 28-day pilot, the platform pilot stays free until it does. We do not guarantee midweek revenue or filled tables.
Questions about QR code loyalty cards
These answers are specific to QR cards against paper. For apps, what staff do, POS and cancelling, read the full FAQ.
Can a customer collect more than one visit stamp a day?
No. Each customer can collect one visit stamp per business day, linked to your venue QR, with optional location checks at your venue.
What does a QR loyalty card cost compared with paper?
Paper costs whatever your printer charges, again each time the cards run out. With Nabaperks, £299.99 pays for the done-for-you launch, including your first printed A4 counter-poster run. Allow up to 14 calendar days for print and delivery. Your 28-day platform pilot begins when your posters are delivered. After the pilot, choose £69.99 every 28 days or £699.90 a year prepaid annually. Card required — cancel renewal anytime after a short exit review from your billing page.
When is a paper stamp card the better choice?
When you want something running this week and genuinely don't need to measure it, or you want no screens anywhere near the till. Paper asks nothing of a guest's phone. What it cannot do is show you who came back.
Can we switch from paper without setting it up ourselves?
Yes. Instead of handing you empty software, the Nabaperks team does the launch. We handle the whole launch: venue and card configuration, a margin-safe mystery reward pool, and your first A4 counter-poster run — generated, printed and posted to your pub. Allow up to 14 calendar days for print and delivery. Your part: display the posters, honour the rewards, and give your staff a short brief.