How to start a restaurant loyalty program
To start a restaurant loyalty program, pick one reward your regulars want, decide how many visits earn it, and put the stamp card where they already order. Toast found that enrolling a first-time guest in loyalty raised the chance they'd return from 7% to nearly 30%. A simple example: every 5 orders earns a free pizza.
How it works
- Choose a reward that costs you 5% to 10% of what a customer spends to earn it.
- Set the stamp count, like 5 or 10, and make every order earn one.
- Sign people up at the moment of ordering, in your app, and remind them by push.
What it costs
| Nomback plan | Monthly | One-time setup |
|---|---|---|
| Your own ordering and rewards app (iPhone and Android) | $99 | $399 |
| App and website | $129 | $399 |
| Website only | $79 | $149 |
No commission on any order and no fee added to your customers. Card payments go through Stripe at 2.9% + 30¢. Apple charges $99 a year and Google $25 once for the developer accounts, which are in your name. Month to month, and live in about two weeks. Full pricing.
Does loyalty actually work?
Toast's data from July 2026: a guest enrolled in loyalty returned at nearly 30%, against a 7% baseline, and loyalty members were retained at twice the rate of new customers (Toast). Older survey data found 47% of diners used at least one restaurant loyalty program (Payments Dive).
Price the reward so it pays
Work backwards from what a customer spends to earn it. Example for a pizzeria with a $25 average order:
| Stamps to earn | Spent to earn it | Reward | Reward cost (food) as % of spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $125 | Large cheese pizza (food cost about $5) | about 4% |
| 10 | $250 | Large specialty pizza (about $8) | about 3% |
| 5 | $125 | Free wings (about $4) | about 3% |
Food costs here are examples; use your own. Anthony's Pizzeria uses 5 stamps for a free pizza (App Store).
Paper card, app, or POS add-on
| Option | Cost | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Paper punch card | Pennies | Lost, copied, no way to reach the customer |
| POS loyalty add-on | Varies by POS | Works in-store; often not in a delivery app |
| Stamp card in your own ordering app | Included in Nomback $99 | Customer has to download the app |
The app wins on one point: you can reach every member with a push deal. Our loyalty app page shows how it works.
Questions owners ask
What's a good reward for a restaurant loyalty program?
Something regulars already buy and that's cheap for you to make, like a free pizza, a drink or an appetizer.
How many stamps should it take?
Five to ten is typical. Fewer stamps feel reachable; just keep the reward cost a small share of what they spent.
Points or stamps?
Stamps are easier to understand: buy 5, get one free. Points suit places with a wide range of prices.
Should delivery-app orders earn stamps?
They can't in your app, and that's the point: stamps only on direct orders give people a reason to order direct.
How much does a loyalty app cost?
Nomback includes a stamp card, push notifications and ordering for $99 a month and $399 setup.
How do I get people to sign up?
Ask at the moment they order: a free item for downloading the app, on a card in every bag and at the counter.
Related: A white-label loyalty app with your restaurant’s name on it, How to start a restaurant membership program, An order-ahead app for delis and sandwich shops.
Sources
- Toast: loyalty program return rate, Jul 21, 2026
- Payments Dive: nearly half of diners join a restaurant loyalty program, 2021
- Anthony's Pizzeria Rewards in the App Store
- Nomback pricing
Prices and fees were checked on October 30, 2026. They change, so check the source before you decide.