Best Retail Loyalty Programs in 2026: 8 tools compared
Updated 6 min read
Retail baskets vary a lot, so points usually work better than stamps, and tiers reward your best customers. If you also sell online, look for one program across the store and the website.
Our pick
Revio
Best overall
- Wallet passes: customers join in seconds without installing an app
- Points, stamp cards, tiers, partner rewards, Spin to Win and leaderboards in one product
- Push notifications and targeted campaigns, including bonus-point challenges for quiet hours
The shortlist
- 1RevioBest overallCustom pricing
- 2
Square LoyaltyBest for Square POS users$49/mo - 3
Lightspeed LoyaltyBest for Lightspeed Retail shopsFrom $89/mo (with POS) - 4
Clover RewardsBest for Clover POS usersIn Clover Growth plans - 5
Kangaroo RewardsBest for email + SMS marketing$79/mo - 6
BoomerangmeBest for many card types$164/mo - 7
BonusQRBest free planFree, then $20/mo - 8
Smile.ioBest for online storesFree, then $15/mo
1. Revio
Best overall
Best for cafés, restaurants, salons and shops that want points, stamps and tiers in one place.
What it is: A loyalty platform for local businesses, from revio.so. Points, rewards, stamp cards, tiers, referrals, campaigns and member activity live in one workspace, and customers join through an Apple Wallet or Google Wallet pass, with no app to download.
Strengths
- Wallet passes: customers join in seconds without installing an app
- Points, stamp cards, tiers, partner rewards, Spin to Win and leaderboards in one product
- Push notifications and targeted campaigns, including bonus-point challenges for quiet hours
- Rewards for referrals, reviews and social engagement
- Analytics on earning, redemptions and engagement
Limitations
- Built for physical locations, not for online-only e-commerce stores
- Pricing is quote-based: you book a demo to get a price
- No POS integration yet, so points are added outside your checkout rather than automatically
Pricing: Custom, via demo (checked 2026-11-09)
2. Square Loyalty
Best for Square POS users
Best for businesses already running Square POS.
What it is: The loyalty program built into Square. Customers earn points at the Square register, on Square Online or through Square Invoices, and points sit in the same customer directory as your sales.
Strengths
- Points by visit, by amount spent or by item and category
- VIP tiers with 1.5x, 2x and 3x points
- Customers enroll at the register with a phone number, and points count even on cash payments
- Automatic texts when customers earn points or rewards, plus bonus-point promotions
- Loyalty sales show up in Square reporting with no extra integration
Limitations
- Tied to Square: earning works through Square POS, Square Online and Square Invoices
- Apple Wallet pass is mentioned; Google Wallet is not
- Loyalty needs Square Plus at $49/mo per location; the free Square plan doesn’t include it
Pricing: Included in Square Plus, $49/mo per location, which also adds email and text marketing; 30-day free trial (checked 2026-11-09)
3. Lightspeed Loyalty
Best for Lightspeed Retail shops
Best for retail shops already running Lightspeed Retail POS.
What it is: The loyalty program built into Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) POS. Customers earn points automatically on in-store and online purchases, and points are tracked on their customer account with no physical card.
Strengths
- Included on every Lightspeed Retail plan, from Basic at $89/mo
- Points earned automatically, with custom points on specific products and double- or triple-point events
- Works for in-store and online sales
- Email and SMS messages and promotions
- Existing points balances can be imported from a CSV file
Limitations
- Only for Lightspeed Retail POS; the US Lightspeed Restaurant page points to third-party loyalty integrations
- Automated email flows, segmentation and birthday perks need the Advanced Marketing add-on
- Stamp cards, referrals and wallet passes are not mentioned
- The $89 price is billed yearly with Lightspeed Payments; monthly billing is $109
Pricing: Included in Lightspeed Retail: Basic $89/mo, Core $149/mo, Plus $289/mo billed yearly with Lightspeed Payments ($109, $179 and $339 billed monthly); free trial (checked 2026-11-11)
4. Clover Rewards
Best for Clover POS users
Best for businesses already running Clover POS.
What it is: The rewards program built into Clover POS. Customers earn points on purchases at the register, and you set how many points each discount, free item or perk costs. Rewards sync across your Clover devices and locations.
Strengths
- Included in select Clover software plans with no additional fee, per Clover
- Customers join with just a phone number or email
- Sign-up bonus, birthday treats and VIP perks
- Text, email and social promotions, plus private feedback from receipts
- Customers can track points, order ahead and pay in the Clover app
Limitations
- Only works on Clover POS
- Not on the Starter plan: in the retail pricing table, loyalty starts on Retail Growth at $84.95/mo plus hardware
- Points are 1 per dollar of pre-tax spend; stamp cards, referrals and wallet passes are not mentioned
- Clover does not import points from another loyalty platform
Pricing: Included in Clover Essentials and Growth software plans (Retail Growth $84.95/mo plus hardware); the App Market lists a $0.01 pay-per-action loyalty fee (checked 2026-11-11)
5. Kangaroo Rewards
Best for email + SMS marketing
Best for growing retail brands that want loyalty and email/SMS marketing together.
What it is: A loyalty and marketing platform that combines points and rewards with email, SMS and push campaigns, and connects to POS and e-commerce systems.
Strengths
- Wide range of rewards: points, tiers, cashback, gift cards, pay-with-points and spin-to-win
- Built-in email, SMS and push engine with segmentation and automated workflows
- Connects to 11 platforms, including Shopify, Lightspeed, Heartland and Mindbody
- Unlimited customers on every plan
- In-store tablet for sign-ups and surveys
Limitations
- Starts at $79/mo, and multi-location support needs the $199 Plus plan
- Integrations are capped on lower plans (1 on Core, 2 on Plus)
- A custom-branded app needs the $349 Elite plan; no wallet passes mentioned
Pricing: Core $79/mo, Plus $199/mo, Elite $349/mo, Enterprise custom (checked 2026-11-09)
6. Boomerangme
Best for many card types
Best for multi-location businesses and agencies that want many wallet card types and SMS.
What it is: A wallet loyalty platform for local businesses and agencies. Customers add a card to Apple or Google Wallet, and staff add stamps and points with a free browser-based scanner app.
Strengths
- Many card types: stamps, points, cashback, tiered rewards, memberships, discounts, coupons and gift cards
- Unlimited free push notifications, including geo-fenced pushes near your store
- Push, SMS and email automations
- Zapier, Make and Shopify connections, plus an API and webhooks
Limitations
- Expensive for one shop: plans start at $164/mo billed yearly ($199 monthly)
- No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- POS integrations are listed on the Franchise plan without naming specific systems
Pricing: Business $199/mo ($164/mo yearly), Agency $259/mo, Franchise $299/mo, Enterprise custom; 14-day free trial (checked 2026-11-10)
7. BonusQR
Best free plan
Best for small businesses that want a real free plan and no POS integration.
What it is: A QR-based loyalty app for small businesses. Customers join in one click, get a personal QR code (in the web app, the BonusQR app or Apple and Google Wallet) and staff scan it with a phone.
Strengths
- Free forever plan with unlimited customers and stamp cards, cashback and visit rewards
- No POS needed: staff scan the customer’s QR code with a phone
- Paid plans add points, tiered stamp cards, referrals, push and email news, booking and an e-shop
- Shopify, WooCommerce and Zapier on paid plans
Limitations
- The free plan has one login and no push or email messages
- Referrals and tiered cashback need the $71/mo Premium plan
- No named POS integrations on the standard plans
Pricing: Free; Basic $20/mo; Premium $71/mo (billed quarterly, prices vary by country) (checked 2026-11-10)
8. Smile.io
Best for online stores
Best for shopify and BigCommerce online stores.
What it is: A loyalty app for e-commerce brands, with points, referrals and VIP tiers built into checkout and customer accounts.
Strengths
- Free plan for small stores (up to 200 orders a month)
- Points and referrals on every plan, with 10+ ways to earn
- Klaviyo integration for loyalty emails
- Customers can earn and redeem in-store through Shopify POS
- Migration tools from other loyalty apps that keep balances and tiers
Limitations
- Only for Shopify and BigCommerce stores; other POS systems are not supported
- VIP tiers start on the $199/mo Growth plan
- Pricing scales with monthly orders, with overage fees above the limit
Pricing: Free; Essential $15/mo; Standard $79/mo; Growth $199/mo; Plus $999/mo (annual) (checked 2026-11-09)
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Starting price | Free trial | Wallet passes | Stamp cards | Tiers | Referrals | Messaging | POS integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revio | Custom pricing | Via demo | Apple + Google | Yes | Yes | Yes | Push, campaigns | None; runs alongside any POS |
| Square Loyalty | $49/mo | 30-day trial | Apple only | Visit-based points | Yes (3 tiers) | Not listed | Texts, email (in Plus) | Square only |
| Lightspeed Loyalty | From $89/mo (with POS) | Free trial | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Email, SMS | Lightspeed Retail only |
| Clover Rewards | In Clover Growth plans | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Texts, email | Clover only |
| Kangaroo Rewards | $79/mo | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Email, SMS, push | 11, incl. Shopify, Lightspeed |
| Boomerangme | $164/mo | 14-day trial | Apple + Google | Yes | Yes | Yes | Push, SMS, email | Zapier, Make, Shopify |
| BonusQR | Free, then $20/mo | Free plan | Apple + Google | Yes | Premium plan | Premium plan | Push, email (paid) | None needed; Shopify, Zapier |
| Smile.io | Free, then $15/mo | Free plan | Not listed | No | From $199/mo | Yes | Email via Klaviyo | Shopify POS only |
What to look for
- 01
Points and tiers
Points per dollar fit different basket sizes, and VIP tiers give your best customers a reason to stay. Check whether tiers are on the plan you are pricing.
- 02
In-store and online together
If you sell online, customers expect to earn and spend points in both places. Kangaroo Rewards, Boomerangme and BonusQR connect to Shopify; Smile.io works with Shopify POS.
- 03
Fit with your till
Some tools only work inside one POS (Square Loyalty with Square, Smile.io with Shopify). Others are POS-independent and staff add stamps or points from a phone or tablet.
- 04
A way to bring people back
Rewards only work if customers remember them. Look for push notifications, texts or email to reach customers who haven’t visited in a while.
- 05
Price for one location
Compare what a single location pays per month, then what changes as you add locations, customers or orders.
What it costs
Here is what each tool costs one store.
- Revio: Custom, via demo
- Square Loyalty: Included in Square Plus, $49/mo per location, which also adds email and text marketing; 30-day free trial
- Lightspeed Loyalty: Included in Lightspeed Retail: Basic $89/mo, Core $149/mo, Plus $289/mo billed yearly with Lightspeed Payments ($109, $179 and $339 billed monthly); free trial
- Clover Rewards: Included in Clover Essentials and Growth software plans (Retail Growth $84.95/mo plus hardware); the App Market lists a $0.01 pay-per-action loyalty fee
- Kangaroo Rewards: Core $79/mo, Plus $199/mo, Elite $349/mo, Enterprise custom
- Boomerangme: Business $199/mo ($164/mo yearly), Agency $259/mo, Franchise $299/mo, Enterprise custom; 14-day free trial
- BonusQR: Free; Basic $20/mo; Premium $71/mo (billed quarterly, prices vary by country)
- Smile.io: Free; Essential $15/mo; Standard $79/mo; Growth $199/mo; Plus $999/mo (annual)
How to choose
- Choose Revio if you want one wallet card that handles points, stamps, tiers and referrals, with push campaigns to bring customers back.
- Choose Square Loyalty if you already take payments on Square and want loyalty inside the same system.
- Choose Lightspeed Loyalty if you run a shop on Lightspeed Retail and want points and VIP tiers built into your POS.
- Choose Clover Rewards if you already run Clover POS on a Growth plan and want a basic points program at no extra cost.
- Choose Kangaroo Rewards if you want loyalty and email, SMS and push marketing in one tool, connected to your POS or e-commerce platform.
- Choose Boomerangme if you run several locations or an agency and want many wallet card types with push, SMS and email.
- Choose BonusQR if you want a real free plan and no POS integration, with staff scanning customers’ QR codes.
- Choose Smile.io if you run a Shopify or BigCommerce store and want points and referrals, starting on a free plan.
The verdict
Revio is our pick for physical stores that want points, tiers and referrals on a wallet card. Square Loyalty is simplest on Square, Kangaroo Rewards suits stores that want email and SMS marketing with many POS integrations, and Smile.io is for shops that mainly sell on Shopify.
How we compared
- Customer sign-up: how fast a customer can join at the counter, and whether they need an app.
- Setup: time from signup to the first customer earning a reward.
- Rewards and marketing: points, stamps, tiers, referrals and ways to reach quiet customers.
- Pricing: what a single location pays per month.
- Features: wallet passes, POS integrations and reporting.
Rankings weight what decides whether customers come back over feature counts. Read the full method.
Frequently asked questions
What is a retail loyalty program?
A program that rewards shoppers for spending or visiting, usually with points per dollar, VIP tiers and member-only offers.
Points or stamps for a retail store?
Points, in most cases. Basket sizes vary too much for a simple stamp card to feel fair.
Related guides
Prices and features come from each vendor's own website, checked November 10, 2026.