A discount app can introduce new customers to your shop; a stamp card gives them a reason to return. Your choice depends on whether you need more first visits or a simple way to turn existing customers into regulars.
What’s the difference between a stamp card and a discount app?
A stamp card rewards returning to your shop, on paper or digitally. A discount platform can offer visibility through an offer and bring first visits. Whether customers return depends on your offer and business. Decide first: reach new people or reward return visits? The two can work together.
The three paths at a glance
| Paper stamp card | Discount/coupon platform | Your own digital stamp card with Treubar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | reward returns | new customers via discounts | reward returns + understand them |
| Cost | printing, recurring | fees, commission and discounts depend on the offer | subscription (Treubar: Free plan, then from €7.99/month incl. VAT) |
| Customer data & insight | none | analytics and usable customer data depend on the platform and contract | overview of cards and stamps; customer list and stamp log from Start |
| Your brand | your card | how your brand appears depends on the platform | your card in the wallet |
| Customer effort | carry the card | depending on the platform: website, voucher or app | scan a QR once, enter name and date of birth, no app |
| Access | paper card must be with the guest | access and replacement depend on the platform and voucher | card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet |
| Pricing | you set the reward | discounts and redemption terms depend on the offer | you set the reward |
Before joining a discount platform, check fees, discounts, redemption terms and usable customer data. Paper needs no digital system but provides no automatic analytics. With Treubar, you choose the design and reward and start free with up to 20 customer passes.
For example: Groupon’s guide to using vouchers describes website and app access, with digital or printed vouchers. Its German merchant FAQ lists variable commission and Merchant Center analytics. Compare the specific terms of the offer you are considering. Sources checked: 28 October 2026.
When does a discount platform help?
Mainly when you want to build awareness. A new shop with little passing trade may reach its first customers this way. Calculate what remains after discounts and fees. Check how you can contact customers afterwards and what the platform contract permits.
When is paper enough?
When customers rarely carry smartphones, or you want a week-long test without technology. The full paper comparison covers loss, forgery with cheap stamps and the lack of analytics. You can also keep paper as an option for guests without a smartphone.
When is your own digital stamp card the right choice?
Once you have customers who could return. Three things favour it:
- It’s yours. Your design in your customers’ wallets, your reward logic, no commission to a platform. Your customers need no app download, no account and no email address; they just enter their first name, last name and date of birth once.
- It lives on the phone. As a loyalty card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, it lives on the phone and updates itself after every stamp. In Apple Wallet a note also appears on the lock screen.
- You can see whether customers use it. Even on the Free plan, you see how many cards are in circulation and how often you stamp. From the Start plan, the customer list and stamp log show who comes back and when. These loyalty card analytics are the basis for adjusting your programme instead of guessing.
Start free (Free plan: 1 stamp card, 1 location, up to 20 customer passes). Setup takes minutes; how to create a digital loyalty card takes you through it. For other models, see stamps, points or prepaid credit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine a discount platform with my own stamp card?
Yes, in sequence: the platform can bring first visits, your card rewards returns. Offer your own card first at the counter. Treat the platform only as a way to reach new customers.
Doesn’t a stamp card dilute my prices like a permanent discount?
It rewards a set sequence of purchases, such as a free coffee after ten paid coffees. This is a price benefit too. Whether it fits depends on the reward, stamp target and margin. You control the cost through the stamp target and reward.
What if I have several locations?
Treubar Max covers up to five branches and records the location in the stamp log. Free, Start and Pro cover one location. See one stamp card across your branches for details and the loyalty programme guide for the wider setup.
Give the next customer a reason to return
Create your own digital loyalty card for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet with Treubar. Start free with up to 20 customer passes and no extra app for your guests.