When you first open the LoyaltyCards Business app, you'll:
Perfect for: coffee shops, cafes, bakeries, fast food, quick-service restaurants.
How it works: you print QR codes and tape them to your register. Customers scan codes themselves to add stamps — the codes never expire, print once and use forever. No equipment needed at checkout.
First Visit: Customer scans "Get Card" QR → Card appears in app Every Visit: Customer scans "Add Stamp" QR → Stamp added Complete: Customer shows you the card, taps Redeem in the app → Card resets Time per visit: ~2 seconds
Example — Joe's Coffee Shop: Joe prints two QR codes and tapes them to the register. Sarah scans once for her stamp (2 seconds), gets her coffee, and leaves — no interaction with Joe needed until her card is complete, when she shows it to him before tapping Redeem.
Advantages: super fast, minimal tech (just printed paper), no equipment, self-service, frictionless.
Limitations: relies on customer honesty (no cryptographic prevention); you set a cooldown between stamps (5–60 seconds, 30 default) but a determined customer could still scan repeatedly after each cooldown.
Fraud prevention: you set a customer scan cooldown during setup (5–60 seconds, defaults to 30) enforcing a minimum wait between stamps per business. Honest customers won't notice it during normal visits.
Perfect for: luxury goods, spas, salons, premium services, high-value rewards.
How it works: you keep an iPad or phone at checkout. You control the stamping process — tap a button to generate a time-limited QR, and each stamp is cryptographically signed with your private key. Codes expire after 2 minutes and can't be reused. You scan the customer's card to redeem.
First Visit: You tap "Issue Card" → QR appears on your screen
Customer scans → Card appears in app (2-5 stamps)
Every Visit: You tap "Add Stamp" → Time-limited QR appears
Customer scans → Stamps added (cryptographically signed)
QR expires after 2 minutes
Complete: Customer shows completed card → You scan to redeem
Card resets in customer's app
Time per visit: ~5-10 seconds
Example — Maria's Luxury Spa: Massages cost $200, so Maria can't afford fraud. She keeps an iPad at reception, taps "Add Stamp," and a time-limited QR appears for Lisa to scan. The stamp is cryptographically signed — it can't be faked or copied.
Advantages: cryptographically secure (stamps cannot be forged); basic lifetime counters for Cards Issued/Stamped/Redeemed shown on your home screen (not a detailed per-transaction log or export); tamper-proof hash chain; complete control over when stamps are added and cards redeemed.
Limitations: slightly slower (5–10 seconds per transaction); requires a device at checkout; QR codes must be refreshed every 2 minutes; you're responsible for backing up your encryption keys.
| Factor | Express Mode | Secure Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | ~5 minutes | ~10 minutes |
| Cost | Nothing extra | Tablet/phone for checkout |
| Speed | ~2 seconds | ~5-10 seconds |
| QR Codes | Printed, static | Dynamic, expire after 2 min |
| Fraud Risk | Low (configurable 5-60s rate limit) | Near zero (cryptographic) |
| Control | Customer self-service | You control everything |
| Tamper Evidence | None | Cryptographic signatures + hash chain |
| Best Reward Value | $5-15 | $50+ |
| Customer Type | Regulars you trust | Anyone, premium clients |
| Complexity | Simple | Moderate |
Q1: What's the reward value? $5-20 -> EXPRESS MODE is better $50+ -> SECURE MODE is better Q2: Do you need complete control? No, customers can help themselves -> EXPRESS MODE Yes, I control everything -> SECURE MODE Q3: How many customers per day? 100+ (busy!) -> EXPRESS MODE (speed matters) 5-20 (premium service) -> SECURE MODE (control matters) Q4: Can you dedicate a device? No -> EXPRESS MODE Yes, iPad at register -> SECURE MODE
Choose Express Mode if: your rewards are low-value (coffee, $10 discount); you have high transaction volume; your customers are regulars you trust; you want zero setup complexity; you don't want equipment at checkout.
Choose Secure Mode if: your rewards are high-value ($50+); you need complete fraud prevention; you want tamper-proof, cryptographically signed records; you can dedicate a device to the register; you want professional control of the process.
Can't decide? Start with Express Mode (the default), monitor for any fraud attempts, and switch to Secure Mode later if needed — just remember switching later means a full reset and losing existing customer data.
Important: the operation mode cannot be changed after initial setup without a complete business reset (which deletes all customer data). You can create a second business profile with the other mode if you run multiple programs, or reset and start fresh (losing all customer data). Take the time to choose correctly the first time.
Express Mode: you set a minimum wait between stamp scans during setup (5–60 seconds, defaults to 30); relies on honest customer behavior; only your staff can issue new cards; all stamps are timestamped.
Secure Mode: each stamp is signed with your private key (cryptographically impossible to forge); stamps form a hash chain so any modification is detected; QR codes expire after 2 minutes; you control redemption with your device; every stamp is timestamped and hash-chained (not a browsable audit log in the app itself).
Both modes: a baseline rate limit between stamp scans (Express Mode: you configure it, 5–60 seconds; Secure Mode: primarily protected by each QR's own 2-minute expiry); timestamp tracking for all operations; customer data encrypted on your device; no cloud storage or third-party servers.
Two operations require biometric or passcode authentication to protect your private cryptographic keys:
The app uses the strongest method available on your device (Face ID on supported iPhones, Touch ID on supported iPads), with your device passcode always available as a fallback if biometrics aren't set up.
Can I change modes later? No, not without resetting your business (deletes all customer data). Choose carefully now.
What if I'm not sure which mode? Start with Express Mode — it's the default and works well for most small, high-volume businesses.
Is Secure Mode really unhackable? Secure Mode uses ECDSA P-256 cryptography (the same curve used in Bitcoin). Stamps cannot be forged, but always keep your backup secure.
Can customers cheat Express Mode? The scan cooldown you set during setup (5–60 seconds, defaults to 30) makes mass fraud impractical. It's designed for honest customers in trust-based environments.
What if my reward value is between $20-50? That's the sweet spot where either mode works. Choose based on your comfort level: Express for speed, Secure for control.
Can I use both modes? Not on the same business — you'd need a second business profile for the other mode.
See the full User Guide for how the apps work end-to-end, or visit Support to get in touch.