How to link your card machine to a loyalty app (UK guide)

You can link a card machine to a loyalty app without buying new hardware if your payment provider and card machine model support it. With Zeal, customers are recognised from the card they already pay with, so they don't download an app or scan a QR code to start earning.

In the UK, Zeal is live today on card machines from Worldpay, Elavon, Lloyds Cardnet, NMI, Adyen, DNA Payments and Viva Wallet. This guide shows how to check your own card machine, what to ask for, and what your options are on other providers.

Updated 9 November 2026.

The short version

1. Check who provides your card machine.
2. Check your card machine model.
3. Ask for Zeal to be switched on.
4. Let Zeal learn from your first month of card payments.
5. Choose your rewards: stamps or points.
6. Customers start earning when they pay.

What "linking a card machine to a loyalty app" actually means

People use the phrase for three different set-ups. Each asks something different of your customer.

The third model is often called card-linked loyalty: the way a customer pays becomes the way they earn. There is no plastic card to forget, no app to open and no code to find while other people wait behind them. For how the two approaches compare on repeat visits, see card-linked loyalty compared with mobile apps.

That is how Zeal works. Zeal is software that runs next to the payment app on supported card machines. It does not process payments and does not change how you take payments or when you are paid.

Which loyalty app? Three ways to set it up with Zeal

Zeal is one loyalty product that you configure to suit your business:

• No customer app. Run stamps or points on the card machine itself. No separate customer app is required. See how effortless loyalty works.
• An app, if you want one. Zeal can connect your card machines to a loyalty app or to an app in your own brand, with ordering, booking and loyalty, so you don't have to build the link to your card machines yourself.
• Your existing loyalty programme. If you already run a scheme, Zeal can connect your existing loyalty programme to card payments, after reviewing it with you.

How to link your card machine to a loyalty app in 6 steps

Step 1: Check who provides your card machine

Your card machine comes from a payment provider: the company you pay for card processing, and often the one you rent the card machine from. Its name is usually on your monthly statement or your contract.

This matters because Zeal reaches card machines through approved payment-provider integrations. If your provider is live with Zeal, you can usually keep the card machine you already have. If not, the provider table below shows your options.

Step 2: Check your card machine model

Not every model can run Zeal. Find the make and model on the device or in your provider's paperwork, and Zeal will check it for you. Note how many card machines and locations you have too, so Zeal can confirm your whole setup before anything is switched on. If you are not sure what your model can run, our guide to smart payment terminal capabilities in 2026 explains the differences.

Step 3: Ask for Zeal to be switched on

Tell Zeal your payment provider, card machine model, number of locations and what you want from loyalty. Zeal checks compatibility with your provider and explains the activation steps for your setup. You can ask for a guided demo and a quote before you commit.

On some providers you can also ask through the provider. DNA Payments, for example, says on its loyalty page that it configures your card machine with the Zeal app. Either way, Zeal is installed remotely to supported card machines, so you don't install anything yourself.

Step 4: Let Zeal learn from your first month of card payments

Zeal starts recognising returning cards as soon as it is switched on. After the first month, it suggests a loyalty programme built from your own card payments, rather than a generic template.

Step 5: Choose your rewards: stamps or points

Set the reward rules that fit your business. A café might prefer a stamp card; a shop with varied basket sizes might prefer points on spend. Keep the first version simple: a reward customers understand in one sentence is easier for staff to mention and for customers to notice.

Step 6: Customers start earning when they pay

Once your programme is running, customers earn as part of the payment they are already making. A new customer can join in a couple of taps on the card machine screen, without downloading anything or giving an email address. A returning customer is recognised from the card they pay with and sees their balance or reward while the payment completes.

Card machine providers: live, Join the Waitlist or closed

Zeal has 30,000+ merchants activated across payment providers in its markets. In the UK, here is where it stands with each major provider today.

For providers marked Join the Waitlist, ask your account manager for Zeal: requests from merchants help payment providers decide which apps to add. Join the Waitlist and we'll tell you when Zeal is ready for your provider.

If your card machine is on a closed platform

Square, SumUp, Zettle, Stripe Terminal and Teya card machines can't host Zeal. Several offer their own loyalty instead:

• Square. Square Loyalty runs on Square's point of sale app, Square Terminal and Square Register. Customers enter a phone number to join or sign in, and Square says they "must provide the same phone number for each payment method used at your business" to earn.
• SumUp. SumUp's loyalty product for businesses, SumUp Local, asks customers to download the SumUp Local app and add their payment card. SumUp says they then "automatically earn points or stamps every time they pay".
• Zettle. PayPal Point of Sale Loyalty, set up in the PayPal Point of Sale app or on my.zettle.com, emails customers on your customer list a welcome voucher and rewards spend milestones with vouchers. Staff apply a voucher by scanning the email's barcode or typing the code.
• Stripe Terminal. Stripe's Terminal overview describes readers that work with a no-code option, your own point-of-sale integration or a supported third-party point of sale. It doesn't describe a built-in loyalty feature.
• Teya. Teya's help centre describes Teya Rewards as a mobile payment and digital loyalty experience where customers earn points and stamps, with rewards in an app.

If you want customers to earn from the card they pay with, you can move your card payments to a Zeal-ready provider. Zeal matches you with a supported card machine from a partner provider, your new provider sets up card processing, then Zeal is switched on. Check your current agreement for any minimum term or cancellation fee first. Card machine rental and processing fees are set by your new provider.

When staying where you are is the better choice

• You take a lot of cash. Zeal only reaches people who pay by card. Square says its customers can earn points "even when they use cash".
• You want one provider for everything. If your point of sale, online shop and loyalty sit with one provider and customers are happy with a phone number or app step, that simplicity may be worth more.
• Your contract makes switching costly. A long minimum term or exit fee can outweigh the benefit for now. Registering interest keeps your options open.

What your customers experience

For the customer, very little changes. Recognition happens as part of the transaction, so the payment itself proceeds as it does today.

• First visit. They join in a couple of taps on the card machine screen. No app, no plastic card and no code to scan.
• Their next visits. When they pay with the same card, they are recognised and earn stamps or points.
• On the receipt. Their loyalty balance can print on the receipt, alongside your brand.
• Optional extras. If you want an app too, Zeal can connect your card machines to a loyalty app or to your own branded app. You can also add optional phone-number capture on the card machine.

Illustrative example: a café sets a ten-stamp reward. A regular taps their card for a flat white and the receipt shows "8 of 10 stamps". Two more visits and they reach ten. Nobody asked them to download anything, and the barista didn't have to remember a script.

What you see as the merchant

Zeal turns your card payments into customer insight you can act on. With Zeal you can see:

• who is new, who comes back and who has gone quiet;
• visit frequency, spend, favourite time of day and how long since each customer's last visit;
• which offers actually brought someone back through the door.

Because each redemption is a real transaction rather than a click, the numbers describe visits and takings. Zeal can also brand your card machine screens and collect customer feedback after a payment. For more on reading this data, see what every transaction can tell you about your customer.

Privacy in plain words

• A token, not the card number. Zeal works with a token for each card: a stand-in reference, not the card number itself.
• Recognition starts straight away. Zeal recognises returning cards from the moment it is switched on.
• Earlier visits can count. When a customer joins, their earlier visits on that card can be added to their account.
• Joining is optional. Customers choose whether to join and can opt out at any time.
• Marketing is separate. Joining is not agreement to marketing emails or texts. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) explains when you need consent under PECR, the UK's rules on electronic marketing.

Zeal's privacy policy explains how this works, and Zeal provides template wording for the notice you display where customers pay. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.

What it costs

Zeal's cost depends on your provider, card machines and locations, and commercial terms are agreed through your payment provider. Talk to us and we'll explain the options and costs before you decide. When you budget, think about four things:

• Zeal itself. See loyalty on your card machine and ask us for a quote for your setup.
• Your card machine and processing. These stay with your payment provider.
• The rewards you give. A free coffee every ten visits has a real cost. Choose rewards your margins can carry.
• Switching, if you need to. Check your current contract for minimum terms or exit fees.

Running a café? See loyalty for coffee shops. Running several sites? Read how to run a loyalty programme across multiple locations. Using Square today? See switching from Square to a Zeal-ready card machine.

Frequently asked questions

Can I link my existing card machine to a loyalty app?

Yes, if your payment provider and card machine model support it. Zeal is live in the UK with Worldpay, Elavon, Lloyds Cardnet, NMI, Adyen, DNA Payments and Viva Wallet, and it checks your model before anything is switched on. You don't need new hardware on a supported card machine.

Do customers need to download an app?

No. With Zeal, customers join in a couple of taps on the card machine screen and are then recognised from the card they pay with. If you want an app as well, Zeal can connect your card machines to a loyalty app or to your own branded app.

What does "linked card" mean?

A linked card is a payment card connected to a loyalty programme, so paying with it counts towards rewards. With Zeal, the customer joins on the card machine and is then recognised from the card they pay with. Zeal works with a token for the card, not the card number.

How much does a loyalty scheme cost?

It depends on the scheme. Some providers publish prices: Square listed £25, £45 or £65 per location per month on its UK website, depending on loyalty visits, with a 30-day free trial (checked 22 Oct 2026). Zeal's cost depends on your provider, card machines and locations, and we explain it before you decide. Budget for the rewards themselves too.

Does Zeal change how I take payments?

No. Zeal is software that runs next to the payment app on supported card machines. It does not process payments and does not change how you take payments or when you are paid. Card machine rental and processing stay with your payment provider.

What if my provider is on the waitlist or a closed platform?

If you are with Barclaycard, Clover, Dojo, Global Payments, Tyl by NatWest or takepayments, ask your account manager for Zeal and Join the Waitlist; we'll tell you when Zeal is ready for your provider. If you use Square, SumUp, Zettle, Stripe Terminal or Teya, use that platform's own loyalty or move your card payments to a provider Zeal works with.

Related reading

• Card-linked loyalty for UK merchants
• Loyalty without an app: wallet pass, QR code or card-linked?
• Best loyalty apps for UK small businesses (2026)
• 6 High-Impact Value Added Services to Reduce Merchant Attrition in 2026