Loyalty program setup checklist

Seven setup decisions

1. 01

   Set one commercial goal

   Choose the behaviour you want to change: encourage a second visit, fill a quiet period, increase visit frequency or bring lapsed regulars back. One primary goal keeps the offer legible.

2. 02

   Define who the program is for

   Decide whether everyone can join or whether the offer is designed for a segment such as weekday locals. Write the eligibility rule in one sentence a new staff member can repeat.

3. 03

   Choose an earning rule

   Use an action customers already understand: visits, qualifying purchases or spend. Avoid exceptions that force staff to stop serving and interpret policy.

4. 04

   Cost the reward

   Work from the real cost of fulfilment, not its menu price. Test the reward against your margin and the number of qualifying visits needed to earn it.

5. 05

   Design the shift workflow

   Specify where customers join, who prompts them, how a stamp or reward is recorded and what happens when a reward is redeemed. Rehearse it during a busy five-minute window.

6. 06

   Make consent explicit

   Tell customers what they are joining, what messages they may receive and how to leave. Keep a record of consent and make unsubscribe requests easy to action.

7. 07

   Choose a review date

   Record a baseline, then review joins, active members, redemptions and repeat visits on a fixed date. Keep, change or stop the program based on that evidence.