Rewards, Discounts & Direct Orders Guide
Choose the reward experience that fits your business.
GoLoyal supports three main offer types:
- Traditional Loyalty Programme
- Continuous Always-On Discount
- First-Visit Offer
Points-based Traditional Loyalty Programmes can also include Milestone Rewards, giving customers smaller rewards while they continue progressing towards the main reward.
Rewards and discounts at a glance
- Traditional Loyalty: collect stamps or points, then confirm the main reward on a later staff scan.
- Continuous Always-On Discount: customers receive the configured discount on each qualifying visit while their card is active.
- First-Visit Offer: a one-time welcome offer for new customers.
- Milestone Rewards: smaller rewards available at set points thresholds before the main points reward.
How rewards work on GoLoyal
Each offer type has a different customer journey.
Some programmes move to Reward Ready and need a later staff scan to confirm the main reward. Others confirm the reward on the final qualifying scan.
Your business remains responsible for the reward wording, eligibility, restrictions, expiry, availability and fulfilment. Your loyalty card’s own customer-facing terms are the source of truth for your programme.
Traditional Loyalty Programme
The classic loyalty-card journey. Customers collect stamps or points towards a main reward. When they reach the target, the card becomes Reward Ready.
The main reward waits for the next valid staff scan. That scan confirms the reward and gives your team a clear moment to hand it over.
How it works
Customers collect stamps or points over qualifying visits until they reach the target set by your business.
When the reward appears
Once the card reaches Reward Ready, the main reward becomes available. The card remains ready until an authorised staff member confirms it.
How it is claimed
Staff scan the customer’s Customer QR on a later qualifying visit. That scan confirms the main reward and closes that card cycle.
After redemption
Where your programme is set up to repeat, the customer can scan your public Business/Marketing QR to get a new card and start a new cycle. Any repeat, expiry or eligibility rules should be clear in your own programme terms.
Continuous Discount
A Continuous Always-On Discount card gives customers the configured discount on every qualifying visit while their card is active.
Customers still collect scans towards the card target, such as 5, 10, 15 or 20 visits. The difference is that the discount is available throughout the cycle, not just at the end.
When the customer reaches the target, the cycle completes on that same scan. There is no separate Reward Ready step.
How it works
The customer receives the configured discount on each qualifying visit. Each authorised staff scan records the visit and adds progress towards the card target.
On the final qualifying visit, the discount is still honoured, the final stamp or points progress is added, and the card completes on that same scan.
What the customer sees
The discount is shown on the customer’s card. Where your business has configured one, the card can also show a direct-order link or discount code.
Customers show their Customer QR in store, or use the displayed code or link in line with your programme terms.
Direct order use
This offer type can support direct-order promotions where your business chooses to configure them.
Any minimum spend, direct-order requirement, delivery-platform exclusion, product restriction or expiry rule must be stated clearly in your own customer-facing terms.
Why this matters for your business
Continuous Always-On Discount gives you a simple way to reward customers on each qualifying visit while they work towards the card target.
Where you offer a direct-order incentive, the customer’s card can show the discount and, where configured, a direct-order link or code.
You decide which orders qualify, whether delivery platforms are excluded, and how the discount is applied and fulfilled.
Important: how the discount is applied
Staff should check the customer’s card and apply or honour the configured discount in line with your programme terms.
GoLoyal records the authorised scan and can display a card, direct-order link or code where configured. It does not automatically apply the discount through an external point-of-sale system, website, app, ordering system or delivery platform.
What to say to customers
Keep it simple. Remind customers about their discount when they order:
- “Got your GoLoyal card? Show it for your discount.”
- “Your discount applies on each qualifying visit while your card is active.”
- “Check your card for any minimum spend, expiry or other offer conditions.”
First-Visit Offer
A First-Visit Offer is a one-time welcome offer designed to encourage new customers to visit your business.
A customer scans your public Business/Marketing QR to view the offer and get their loyalty card. They then show their Customer QR during the qualifying visit.
How it works
The customer joins through your public Business/Marketing QR, then completes the qualifying visit or action set by your business.
When the reward is confirmed
When the configured target is reached, the reward is confirmed on that same authorised staff scan. There is no separate Reward Ready step.
Can it be used again?
A First-Visit Offer is intended as a one-time offer. Make the eligibility, expiry, restrictions and fulfilment rules clear in your own programme terms.
Milestone Rewards
Milestone Rewards are available on points-based loyalty cards where the business has enabled a reward ladder.
They let you offer smaller rewards while customers continue collecting points towards the main reward.
For example:
- 100 points: free drink
- 250 points: 25% off
- 500 points: main programme reward
How it works
Customers earn points towards the main reward. Your business can set milestone rewards at selected points thresholds along the way.
A milestone becomes available when the customer has earned enough points for that specific reward.
What the customer sees
Milestones are shown as:
Locked – not enough points yet.
Available – the customer has reached the required points and the reward has not yet been claimed.
Claimed – the milestone reward has already been claimed.
How it is claimed
The customer shows their normal Customer QR. An authorised staff member scans it, adds points where appropriate, and selects Claim reward when an available milestone is ready to be fulfilled.
There is no separate milestone QR code.
Important: points and milestone claims
Claiming a milestone does not deduct the customer’s points or reduce progress towards the main reward.
More than one milestone can be available at the same time. Each milestone can be claimed once through the normal staff scanner flow.
Only select Claim reward when your business is ready to provide that reward. There is no normal staff reversal flow for a completed milestone claim.
Milestone terms
Set clear terms for every milestone, including the points threshold, the reward, availability, any minimum spend, expiry, product or venue restrictions, and how your business will fulfil it.
The main loyalty-card terms and the milestone-specific terms should always match the experience your staff provide.
The simplest way to compare all three
Traditional Loyalty Programme
Collect stamps or points
→ Reach the main target
→ Reward Ready
→ A later authorised staff scan confirms the main reward
Continuous Discount
Receive the configured discount on each qualifying visit while the card is active
→ Collect stamps or points towards the target
→ Final qualifying scan completes the card immediately
First-Visit Offer
Join through the public Business/Marketing QR
→ Complete the qualifying visit or action
→ Reward confirms on the final qualifying staff scan
→ One-time offer complete
Milestone Rewards
Collect points towards the main reward
→ Unlock smaller rewards at set milestones
→ Staff claim each available milestone when it is fulfilled
→ Points continue counting towards the main reward
What to say to customers
Keep it simple:
- “Scan our public QR to get your loyalty card.”
- “Show your Customer QR to staff each time you visit.”
- “Your card explains the reward and any terms that apply.”
- “Traditional rewards become Reward Ready before the main reward is confirmed.”
- “Continuous Always-On Discount gives you the configured discount on each qualifying visit while the card is active.”
- “Points cards can unlock milestone rewards before the main reward.”
What to remember as a business owner
Before launching a programme, check that:
- the offer type matches the reward experience you want to deliver;
- your thresholds, rewards and expiry rules are correct;
- your customer-facing programme terms are complete and easy to understand;
- every milestone has clear wording and conditions, where used;
- staff understand the difference between the public Business/Marketing QR and the customer-specific Customer QR;
- staff know when to add progress, claim a milestone or confirm a main reward; and
- your business can fulfil every reward you advertise.