The figures and scenarios in this article are illustrative: adapt them to your margins and your own data. They are not EasyFid customer results. See how to measure your results.
Why choose a digital loyalty card in the Wallet?
Customer loyalty depends on being simple and close at hand. A digital loyalty card, stored directly in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, meets both needs: it's always within reach, always up to date, and it turns every visit into a chance to earn a reward. Unlike a paper card, which a customer can lose or forget, the digital version is one tap away on their smartphone — the device most people already carry everywhere.
The card stays available in the Wallet even without a network connection, once it's been added. No more digging for a bulky card or losing track of points on a torn ticket. For the shop owner, tracking stays centralized in the app, with less room for manual error.
This digital card fits naturally into a customer's day: the balance shown on the card updates automatically once you credit a visit or points, so the customer always sees where they stand. On your side, management stays centralized in the EasyFid app, with no manual tallying.
Results vary by shop and customer base. Measure your visits, basket, and margin before and after adopting a digital card, rather than assuming an industry-wide effect.
Benefits for the shop owner and the customer
For the shop owner, the benefits are concrete. First, lower costs: no paper cards to print, store, or replace when they're lost. Second, less admin work: every visit is recorded directly through the app, and points are credited in real time. For the customer, the main benefit is convenience. Their loyalty card sits in their Wallet, one tap away, always showing an up-to-date balance and any reward they've unlocked, including an automatic birthday gift if they've shared their date of birth. No more forgotten cards or disputes over how many points they have. There's also a security upside: a digital card can't be photocopied and handed to someone else the way a paper punch card sometimes can. Each customer has their own personal, account-linked card.
How it works: from QR codes to an automatic card
The magic behind loyalty cards in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet rests on a simple but effective piece of technology: the QR code. It starts with the shop owner, not the customer: you create the customer's profile in the EasyFid app (a first name, and optionally a phone number or email), which generates their own unique card and QR code. The customer then scans that personal QR code, shown on your screen, or receives it as a link, to add the card to their Wallet in a few seconds. Once the card is added to the Wallet, it stays linked to the customer's account. On every later visit, the shop owner or a staff member scans that same QR code — now displayed on the customer's own phone — from the EasyFid app, and the points or visit are credited on the spot. The card's balance updates to reflect it right away. That direct link between the scan and the updated balance is what makes the system reliable and transparent. The technical process is minimal: the shop owner creates the card, the customer scans it once to add it, then a card stored in the Wallet is kept in sync with EasyFid at every future scan. No heavy app to install on the customer's side — the card lives inside the Wallet system already built into their phone.
Steps to set up a card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet
Setting up a digital loyalty card is straightforward. Here are the key steps, illustrated with EasyFid:
- Create an account and choose a plan: sign up with EasyFid (from €9.99/month). Pick the plan that matches your number of customers, with no commitment.
- Set up your program: in the app, name your program and choose your reward rule — points based on the amount spent, or a percentage discount after a set number of visits.
- Customize the card's look: in the app, set the card's logo, colors, and name; every new customer's card is generated in that look automatically.
- Train your team: show staff how to create a customer's card in the app at checkout, how to show that customer their own QR code so they can add it to their Wallet, and how to scan it on later visits.
- Invite customers in: use a poster, flyers, or a simple mention at the register inviting customers to ask for the loyalty card, then create their card on the spot and show them their QR code to add it to their Wallet.
- Example message: "Ask us for our loyalty card and add it to your Apple Wallet or Google Wallet today."
- Launch and keep an eye on it: as the first customers add the card, check your EasyFid customer list from time to time to see how adoption is going, and adjust your reward if needed.
Quick-start tip: create the card while you're already handling the sale, right at the register, and show the customer's QR code on your screen while they have a moment to scan it — that small bit of downtime helps adoption.
How do you encourage customers to add the card to their Wallet?
Customer adoption is what makes or breaks a loyalty card. Without it, even the best tool produces no results. Fortunately, encouraging customers to add the card is mostly a matter of communication and a bit of staff training.
A few concrete approaches that tend to work:
- The register mention: as soon as a customer pays, mention that you've launched a loyalty card, create their card in the app on the spot, and show them their own QR code so they can add it to their Wallet — it takes just a few seconds with a staff member's help.
- Signage: put up a poster inviting customers to ask for the loyalty card at the counter, with a short line like "Ask us for our loyalty card and start earning rewards." Keep the message simple: "It's free, takes 10 seconds, and you get rewards."
- Word of mouth: a customer who's happy with the card will often mention it to friends and family on their own — there's no automatic referral bonus built into EasyFid, so if you want to encourage that, it's a conversation you have in person.
- Staff training: make sure every team member understands how the Wallet card works and why it's worth mentioning. A convinced employee is a natural advocate for the program.
Keep an eye on how many customers actually add the card after you mention it. If some don't follow through, ask what's holding them back and adjust how you explain it.
Comparison: digital card vs. paper, cost and payoff
Let's compare the two options honestly:
A common assumption is that a paper program costs less. In practice, the indirect costs (staff time, printing, correcting mistakes, lost cards) often make paper the more expensive option over time — but that's worth checking against your own numbers rather than taking as a given.
A simplified comparison:
| Criterion | Digital card (Wallet) | Paper card |
|---|---|---|
| Printing cost | €0 (fully digital) | €0.10 to €0.20 per card, printing and materials |
| Management cost | A subscription, plus a bit of setup time | Printing plus time spent entering points by hand |
| Lost cards | Stays in the customer's Wallet; tied to their phone | Can be lost or forgotten — worth tracking in your own shop |
| Customer engagement | Worth measuring in your own shop | Depends heavily on how careful the customer is |
| Security | Tied to the customer's account | Easier to duplicate or lose |
| Updates | Instant, reflected in real time | Manual, with a risk of falling behind |
The case for a digital card tends to be straightforward: no hidden printing costs, a card customers are less likely to lose, and simpler day-to-day management. From €9.99/month (EasyFid's Starter plan), the subscription is often offset fairly quickly once you factor in the time saved on manual tracking — though the exact break-even point depends on your own volume of customers.
Frequently asked questions about Wallet loyalty cards
Does my customer need to install an extra app to use the card?
No. The Wallet is already built into iOS and Android. Once you've created their card in the app, the customer just adds it by scanning their own QR code, with no separate app to download.
Can I customize how my card looks in the Wallet?
Yes. With EasyFid, you choose the colors, logo, program name, and even a background image, so the card matches your shop's look.
How do I handle customers who don't have a smartphone?
You can track their visits or points by hand within EasyFid, or keep a simple paper record as a fallback for that customer.
Does the digital card work with any loyalty software?
No. Only tools built for it, like EasyFid, natively support Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Check that whatever tool you're considering actually offers this before assuming it does.
How do I know when a customer reaches a reward threshold?
In EasyFid, the customer's balance and reward status are visible in your customer list whenever you check it, and the reward becomes available on their card automatically once they cross the threshold. There's no automatic alert sent to you — a quick look at the app when they visit is enough to know.
Ready to bring your loyalty program into the Wallet?
With EasyFid, get a loyalty card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet in just a few taps. Try it free for 14 days and see the difference for yourself.
App Store → Google Play →This guide walked through why and how to use loyalty cards in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. As a shop owner, there's a lot to gain from going digital: less time spent on admin, lower costs, a smoother customer experience, and a more modern image. Digital loyalty isn't a distant trend anymore — it's a practical option available today. The next step is yours to take.
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