LoyaltyCards offers an optional Face ID/Touch ID app lock, available on any device with biometrics or a passcode. It's off by default — most users leave it off for convenience, but you can enable it in Settings → Security for extra privacy. Passcode fallback is always available.
Your wallet: the home screen shows all your cards, sortable by Recent/Alphabetical/Progress, with search. Tap any card for stamp count, progress, stamp history, and business info.
Sharing: Settings → Sharing has two options, each showing a QR code plus a share-sheet link: Tell a Business (share LoyaltyCards Business with a shop you know) and Tell a Friend (share LoyaltyCards itself with someone else).
Express Mode businesses (self-service): scan the "Add Stamp" QR at checkout, stamp added instantly. Each business sets its own cooldown between stamps (5–60 seconds, 30 is the default) — if you scan too soon you'll need to wait. No staff interaction needed. Smart Routing automatically finds the right card for the business you scanned, even if a different card is open.
Secure Mode businesses (staff-assisted): staff generates a QR on their device, you scan it, the stamp is validated and added. The QR expires after 2 minutes.
When a card is completed, a new card is automatically created for the same business — if a scan gives you more stamps than needed, the extra go onto the new card.
Express Mode: show your completed card to staff, then tap Redeem in the app — no QR involved, it's a witnessed handshake. Card resets immediately, new card auto-created.
Secure Mode: show your completed card to staff, they scan it, validation happens on their device, card resets.
Low-value rewards ($5–15); high transaction volume; regular, trusted customers; coffee shop/cafe/quick service; want self-service stamping; don't need cryptographic tamper-proofing.
Benefits: fastest (2 seconds/transaction), print QR codes once and use forever, no equipment, zero maintenance. Trade-off: rate limiting only (you set the cooldown, 5–60 seconds).
High-value rewards ($50+); need fraud prevention; want cryptographically tamper-proof records; luxury goods/services/spa; lower transaction volume; want to control redemption.
Benefits: cryptographically secure, basic lifetime counters (Cards Issued/Stamped/Redeemed — not a detailed transaction log), tamper-proof validation, supplier-controlled redemption. Trade-off: requires a device at checkout, slightly slower.
See the full Supplier Setup Guide for a detailed comparison and decision tree.
Express Mode: generate a reusable "Add Stamp" QR (configure stamp value, up to your business's stamps-required count, and optional expiry), print or share it, and post it at checkout. Customers self-serve from there — nothing further needed from you day to day. Statistics are hidden in Express Mode on the home screen (tracked internally, just not shown).
Secure Mode: tap "Issue Card" to generate a card QR (valid 5 minutes) for new customers. Tap "Add Stamp" for a time-limited QR (valid 2 minutes, 1–5 stamps) each visit. Tap "Redeem Card" and scan the customer's completed card when they're ready — validation happens automatically.
Gear icon on the home screen, in this order: business info; Backup & Recovery (Create Recovery Backup, Clone to Another Device); Sharing (Tell a Business, Tell a Friend — QR codes and share links for the companion apps, see below); Security (optional app lock); app version; and a Danger Zone for resetting your business configuration (invalidates all customer cards — only for starting over).
Two ways to point people at the companion apps, each showing a QR code plus a share-sheet link. Tell a Business shares LoyaltyCards Business with another shop owner you know. Tell a Friend shares LoyaltyCards itself — useful the moment a new customer doesn't have the app yet. Both live in Settings → Sharing; Tell a Friend also has its own shortcut icon (the person icon) right on the home screen's top bar, next to How It Works and Settings, so you don't have to go digging through menus mid-checkout.
A backup contains your business name/settings, your cryptographic keys (Secure Mode), and your Business ID. Without it, a lost device means you can no longer validate customer cards. To recover: install the app on a replacement device, tap "Recover Existing Business," and scan your backup QR — your business is restored with the exact same identity, and all existing customer cards keep working.
| Method | Accessibility | Security | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical only | High (lock it up) | Best | |
| Any device | Low (email is inherently less secure) | Okay | |
| Files | Cloud/local | Medium-High | Good |
Best practice: use Print + Files for redundancy. No special iOS permissions are required for any of these — they all use the standard system share sheet or print dialog.
Useful for multiple checkout stations, or a manager + staff device. On the source device: Settings → Clone to Another Device, authenticate, and a clone QR appears with a 5-minute countdown. On the new device: "Clone from Another Device," scan the QR, done. Both devices then have identical, fully independent access — there's no "master" device. The clone QR contains your private keys, so only use this on devices you personally control, and never share it publicly.
Customers: add cards as you discover businesses, check progress regularly, redeem promptly. Don't try to rescan the same QR repeatedly (it's rate limited) or screenshot QR codes (they may expire by the time you use the screenshot).
Businesses: create your backup immediately, before issuing any cards. Use more than one backup method. Test the full flow with your own device before launching to real customers. Never share your backup or clone QR publicly or post them on social media.
| Customer Action | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Add Card | Camera icon → Scan | New card in wallet |
| Add Stamp | Scan business QR | Stamp added |
| Redeem | Tap Redeem (Express) / staff scans card (Secure) | Card resets |
| Delete Card | Swipe left | Card removed |
| Tell a Business / Friend | Settings → Sharing | QR + share link to the companion app |
| Supplier Action | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Issue Card | Home → Issue Card | QR for customer |
| Add Stamp | Home → Add Stamp | QR for customer |
| Redeem | Home → Redeem Card | Scan customer |
| Backup | Settings → Create Backup | Save business |
| Tell a Business / Friend | Settings → Sharing, or the person icon on Home | QR + share link to the companion app |
Supplier Setup Guide for choosing Express vs Secure Mode in depth, or the Support page for FAQ, troubleshooting, and contact details.