Digital punch cards for barbershops: replace paper cards

The paper punch card is a barbershop classic: a stamp for every haircut, the tenth one free. The idea works. The paper doesn't. Cards get left in another jacket, go through the washing machine or sink to the bottom of a wallet. The customer starts over, and the loyalty programme that was meant to bring them back stops doing its job.

A digital punch card does the same thing without the paper. This post explains how it works and what to think about before you switch.

What goes wrong with paper cards?

• Cards get lost. A customer who has six stamps and loses the card may not bother starting again.
• Stamps are easy to fake. It doesn't take much to imitate a rubber stamp or a marker.
• You don't know who your regulars are. A paper card can't tell you how many people come back, or who has stopped coming.
• You can't remind anyone. A customer one stamp away from a free cut won't know until they dig out the card.

How does a digital punch card work?

A modern digital punch card doesn't ask customers to download an app. The card is saved in the phone's own wallet, Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, next to boarding passes and payment cards. (For how the two wallets compare, see our guide to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet loyalty cards.)

A typical flow looks like this:

1. The customer scans a QR code at the counter or next to the mirror.
2. They enter their email address and add the card to their wallet. It takes less than a minute.
3. At checkout, staff add a stamp by looking the customer up or scanning the card's code.
4. The card updates on the phone instantly. When it's full, the reward is ready to redeem.

Because the card lives in the wallet, it's with the customer whenever their phone is.

What does the shop get out of it?

Customers come back more often. When collecting doesn't stop at a lost card, more customers reach the reward, and the reward is a reason to book their next appointment with you.

You can see what's happening. The dashboard shows how many customers have a card, how often they visit and who is close to a reward.

You can remind people at the right moment. You can see who's close to a reward and email a reminder to customers who have opted in. The wallet card updates after every stamp, so customers always see where they stand on their phone.

No printing costs. No more ordering cards or hunting for the stamp under the counter.

What to think about before switching

• Keep the reward simple. "Every tenth cut free" is easier to understand than a points system.
• Mention it at checkout. The best moment to sign someone up is while they're paying. A QR code on the counter and one sentence is enough.
• Carry over existing stamps. Give customers their paper stamps on the new card so nobody loses what they've collected.
• Take privacy seriously. Choose a service that collects only what it needs (for example, just an email address), asks for marketing consent separately and handles data in line with the GDPR.

Want to check the numbers for your own shop first? Our free loyalty card ROI calculator shows what a stamp card earns, what the rewards cost, and where it breaks even. And to see what one regular client is worth to your shop over the years, try our customer lifetime value calculator.

Try Zilo

Zilo is a digital punch card for barbershops, hair salons and other local businesses. Your customers get a card in Apple or Google Wallet with just an email address, no app needed. You stamp with one tap, and the card updates on their phone instantly.

Zilo is in open beta. Start the free beta and set up your first digital punch card today.