Loyalty without an app: wallet pass, QR code or card-linked?
Defines the three app-free loyalty models for UK merchants (wallet pass, QR code or phone number, card-linked) and compares them fairly: what customers do, what you learn and what each costs.
Updated 9 November 2026.
You can run a loyalty scheme without asking customers to download your own app. For UK merchants there are three app-free models:
- Wallet pass: the customer adds a loyalty card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, and staff scan it when they pay.
- QR code or phone number: the customer scans a code or gives a phone number when they pay.
- Card-linked: the customer pays by card as usual, and the loyalty scheme recognises the card they pay with.
Each can work without a loyalty app of your own, though some card-linked schemes ask customers to link a card in an app once. They differ in what the customer does on each visit, what you learn about your customers, and what they need from you.
We make Zeal, which offers card-linked loyalty on the card machine. We've described all three models as fairly as we can, using each vendor's own published information, checked on 22 October 2026. For Zeal, we've used our own product information.
The three models compared
| Model | What the customer does when paying | What you learn about customers | What it needs from you | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallet pass | Shows the pass on their phone for staff to scan, or taps to earn where the service allows it. They add the pass once, usually from a QR code or link. | Whatever your sign-up form asks for, plus visits and rewards on the pass. You can send push and location-based messages to the pass. | A wallet-card service, a scanner app on a staff phone or tablet, and staff who scan on each visit, unless the service offers tap-to-earn. | Cafés, salons and shops that want to send messages to a card on the customer's phone. |
| QR code or phone number | Scans a QR code, shows their own code, or types a phone number on the EPOS or card reader. | A phone number or account, plus the visits or spend recorded each time they check in. | An EPOS with phone-number loyalty built in, such as Square Loyalty, or QR codes on display and a way to check them. | Businesses already on an EPOS that has phone-number loyalty built in. |
| Card-linked | Pays by card as normal. Some schemes ask the customer to join once, on the card machine or by linking a card in an app. | Visits, spend and how often regulars return, with new and returning customers split out. Contact details only if the customer chooses to share them. | A card machine or payment provider that supports it. It only sees card payments. | Busy shops, cafés and restaurants where most customers pay by card. |
Wallet pass loyalty
You design a stamp or points card with a service such as Perkstar or Loopy Loyalty. Customers add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet from a QR code, link, email or text. When they pay, staff scan the pass with an app on a phone or tablet. Some services also let customers tap to earn. We look at this model in more depth in Zeal compared with digital stamp-card apps.
Pros
- No app download. The card lives in the wallet app that's already on the customer's phone.
- Push notifications. You can send offers and reminders straight to the pass. Perkstar and Loopy Loyalty both list push and location-based messages.
- Visibility. Your card sits on the customer's phone next to their payment cards, which is a reminder that you exist.
- Works however the customer pays, including cash, because the scan is separate from the payment.
- Low, published prices. On 22 October 2026, Perkstar started at £15 a month for one location and Loopy Loyalty at $25 a month for one location (the page doesn't name the currency).
Cons
- The customer has to add the pass first, so you or your staff have to ask every new customer to join.
- It usually relies on two people remembering: the customer to show the pass, and staff to scan it. Some services, such as Perkstar's NFC tap-to-earn plates, let customers collect without a staff scan.
- Customers can delete the pass or turn off its notifications, and you lose that channel.
QR code or phone number loyalty
There are two common versions. In the first, the customer scans a QR code, or shows their own code, to collect a stamp. If you choose this route, check whether customers need the service's own app to scan. In the second, the customer types a phone number when they pay. Square Loyalty works this way on Square checkout.
Pros
- Quick to start, especially if your EPOS already has phone-number loyalty built in.
- A phone number is a familiar ID that most customers know by heart, and it gives you a way to contact them if they agree to marketing.
- Works for cash too. Square says customers earn points on cash purchases.
Cons
- The customer acts on every visit, which adds a step to each payment.
- Consistency matters. Square's help centre says customers must give the same phone number for each payment method they use.
- It ties you to one system. Phone-number loyalty usually comes with the EPOS. Square Loyalty, for example, works only on Square.
Card-linked loyalty
Card-linked loyalty uses the payment itself as the loyalty card. When a customer pays by card, the loyalty software recognises the card and adds stamps or points to that customer's balance. Returning customers have nothing to scan or show: the card they already pay with becomes their digital loyalty card.
There are two ways to do it. Some schemes ask the customer to link a card in an app first. SumUp Loyalty, for example, asks customers to download the SumUp Local app and link a payment card once; after that, paying at a participating SumUp business earns rewards automatically. Other schemes work on the card machine, with no app at all.
Zeal is the second kind. It runs on the card machine you already use. Zeal recognises returning customers from the card they pay with, and they see their stamps or points on the card machine during payment. New customers can join in a couple of taps on the card machine without downloading anything, and can choose to share a phone number. You see new and returning customers and how often regulars come back. See how Zeal's loyalty works on the card machine.
Pros
- Nothing for returning customers to scan, show or remember.
- No extra step for staff. The payment goes through as it does today.
- Repeat visits on the same card are recognised, so your visit data doesn't depend on customers remembering to show or scan anything.
- It suits busy periods, because loyalty happens inside a payment the customer was making anyway. Quick-service restaurants can read how QSRs add app-free customer recognition at the payment terminal.
Cons
- It only sees card payments. Zeal's own site says a cash-heavy business sees a smaller audience.
- It depends on your card machine. Zeal is live on supported card machines from Worldpay, Elavon, Lloyds Cardnet, Adyen, DNA Payments, Viva Wallet and NMI. For Barclaycard, Clover, Dojo, Global Payments, Tyl by NatWest and takepayments, you can Join the Waitlist. Square, SumUp, Zettle, Stripe Terminal and Teya readers can't host Zeal; if you're on one of these, ask Zeal how switching to a supported provider works.
- No card on the customer's phone. On its own, card-linked loyalty doesn't put a card on the lock screen or send push messages. For that you need the customer's phone number, with their consent, or an app.
- Ask how multiple cards are handled. Before you choose any card-linked scheme, ask how it treats a customer who pays with more than one card. Whether a card in a phone wallet is recognised depends on your card machine provider, so ask Zeal about yours.
Where a branded app still makes sense
App-free doesn't mean never having an app. A branded app earns its place when you want more than rewards: ordering for collection or delivery, table or appointment bookings, offers and push messages under your own name. It suits groups with several sites and regulars who visit often enough to keep your app on their phone.
The trade-off is that customers have to download it, and you have to pay to build and run it. We compare the two in card-linked loyalty or mobile apps: which drives repeat visits.
For groups and multi-site brands, Zeal can build your own branded app and connect it to Zeal on supported card machines. How customers earn and redeem across the app and the card machine is agreed for your setup.
Which model should you choose?
- Choose a wallet pass if you want push messages and a card on the customer's phone, and your staff can scan on each visit or the service offers tap-to-earn.
- Choose phone-number loyalty if you're on an EPOS that has it built in, such as Square, and you're happy to stay on that system.
- Choose card-linked if most customers pay by card, queues matter, and you want repeat visits on the same card recognised without asking customers to show or scan anything.
- Add a branded app if you're a group or multi-site brand that also wants ordering, bookings or messages under your own name.
For a side-by-side look at specific tools and their prices, see our guide to the best loyalty apps for UK small businesses. For a closer look at the card-linked model, read card-linked loyalty for UK merchants. For the case for app-free schemes in general, see why app-free loyalty scales card-present customer data.
How to start with card-linked loyalty
- Find out who provides your card machine. The provider's name is usually on your monthly statement and on the card machine itself.
- Check whether it's supported. Our step-by-step guide to linking your card machine to a loyalty app covers each UK provider.
- Share your setup with Zeal. Your provider, your card machine's make and model, how many locations you have and what you want loyalty to do. Zeal checks fit before anything changes, and you can see a guided demo of the customer experience.
- Let Zeal listen first. For the first month, Zeal listens to your card payments. It then suggests a loyalty programme built from them.
- Choose your rewards. Pick stamps or points and set reward rules that fit your business. Zeal is installed remotely and runs alongside your payment app, so your card machine keeps taking payments as it does today.
Ready to see if it works for you? Check if your card machine works.
Frequently asked questions
Can you run a loyalty scheme without an app?
Yes. There are three ways: a wallet pass in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, a QR code or phone number given when the customer pays, or card-linked loyalty, where the scheme recognises the card the customer pays with. With loyalty on the card machine, returning customers don't scan or show anything when they pay.
What is the difference between a wallet pass and card-linked loyalty?
A wallet pass is a loyalty card on the customer's phone that staff scan when they pay. It lets you send push messages, but the customer has to add it and show it. Card-linked loyalty uses the payment card itself, so returning customers have nothing to show, but it only works for card payments and doesn't put a card on the customer's phone.
Do customers have to sign up for card-linked loyalty?
It depends on the scheme. SumUp Loyalty asks customers to download the SumUp Local app and link a payment card once. With Zeal, returning customers are recognised from the card they pay with, and new customers can join in a couple of taps on the card machine without downloading anything. Sharing a phone number is optional.
Will card-linked loyalty slow down my queue?
It shouldn't. With Zeal, the payment goes through as it does today, and there's no extra step for staff. Wallet passes and phone-number schemes add a step to each visit, because the customer has to show a pass or type a number.
How much does app-free loyalty cost?
On 22 October 2026, wallet-pass services started at £15 a month for one location (Perkstar) and $25 a month for one location (Loopy Loyalty, whose page doesn't name the currency). Square Loyalty, which uses phone numbers, costs £25 to £65 a month per location. SumUp describes SumUp Loyalty as free for SumUp merchants. For Zeal, talk to us.
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