How we rank loyalty program software
Updated
We rank loyalty programs on what decides whether customers come back: how easy it is to join, how quickly you can get it running, which rewards and messages you can send, and what it costs a single location. Feature lists count, but last. Every price and feature is checked on the vendor's own site.
A long feature list doesn't make a good loyalty program. If customers won't sign up at the counter, or forget about the program after the first visit, the extra features never get used.
So we start from the customer at the till and the owner running the shop, and work back to features.
What we weigh
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Customer sign-up and return visits | 35% | How fast a customer can join at the counter, whether they need an app, and how well the program brings them back. |
| Ease of setup | 20% | Time from signup to the first customer earning a reward, and how much staff training it takes. |
| Rewards and marketing | 15% | Points, stamps, tiers and referrals, plus the push, SMS and email tools to reach quiet customers. |
| Pricing for one location | 15% | What a single café, restaurant or salon pays per month, and what changes as you add locations. |
| Features | 15% | Wallet passes, POS integrations, reporting, multi-location support and branding. |
How we test
- Read each tool's pricing page, help center and product tours.
- Walk through a customer's first visit: how they join, how they earn, and how they see their balance.
- Note what setup involves for the owner and what staff have to do at the counter.
- Price each tool for a single location from its public pricing page.
- Score each tool against the weights above, then pick the best fit for each type of business.
Where the facts come from
Prices, plans and features come from each vendor's own website, and every review shows the date we last checked. Where a vendor doesn't publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.
Made by the team behind Revio, one of the tools we review. Revio is held to the same standard: its limitations are listed like everyone else’s. More about us.
Keeping it current
We recheck prices and features regularly and refresh every guide at least once a quarter. Rankings and prices on this site reflect 2026.