Overview

Cuppacard is a digital stamp-and-reward loyalty system for independent businesses with regular customers. It suits shops that want branded loyalty cards without asking customers to install an app. Its key trade-off is reach: wallet passes work worldwide, while NFC stamping is limited to UK venues.

Key features

Branded loyalty schemes: Businesses choose stamp rules and rewards, including points rewards, and customise cards with their logo, colours and wording. That flexibility suits businesses with a simple repeat-visit offer, though the product is focused on loyalty rather than broader shop management.
Wallet passes: Customers add a card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet by scanning a QR code, with no Cuppacard app download or hardware required. This makes the wallet option the practical choice for venues outside the UK or those that want minimal setup.
NFC stamping: The Cuppacard Tag lets customers tap their phone to collect a stamp and receive a push notification without staff action. The tag is posted free on all plans, but NFC is currently available only to UK venues; customers use the Cuppacard app for this option.
Dashboard and campaigns: A browser-accessible business dashboard reports stamps, redemptions and returning customers. Businesses can send offers based on loyalty progress or inactivity; push notifications go to customers using the Cuppacard app, so wallet users should not be assumed to receive them.
Privacy and support: Cuppacard says it does not process sensitive personal information and that Stripe stores payment data. It describes technical and organisational safeguards while acknowledging security cannot be guaranteed completely. Questions about pricing, demos or product fit can go to hello@cuppacard.com.

Pricing

Cuppacard is freemium, with a free plan and a first month free on both paid plans. The deciding factor is monthly active users, not simply the size of a customer list.

Free Cuppacard Plan: Price not listed; supports up to 15 monthly active users and includes a custom loyalty scheme, customer insights and custom offers. It is a sensible starting point for a very small or newly launched loyalty programme, but the 15-user cap leaves little room for growth.
Cuppacard Plan: £10/mo, with the first month free. It supports up to 50 monthly active users and includes a custom loyalty scheme, customer insights and custom offers. This is the fit for a small business whose active loyalty audience stays within that cap.
Cuppacard Pro: £20/mo, with the first month free. It supports 51+ monthly active users with no stated upper limit and includes the same scheme, insights and offer features. Choose it when the £10 plan’s 50-user ceiling would constrain the programme.

The published plan details do not state a seat allowance or a separate trial length beyond the first month free on paid plans. The entry also gives a 50-member limit; businesses should clarify how that limit relates to monthly active users before choosing a plan.

Platforms

The product is listed for Android, iOS and web. The maker offers its customer app for iOS and Android, while businesses can use the browser-based dashboard. Wallet passes are supported through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet; the wallet solution works worldwide, unlike the UK-only NFC Tag option.

Who it's for

Cuppacard is best for coffee shops, bakeries, barbers, takeaways, salons and other independent shops that depend on repeat visits and want a branded stamp scheme. It is particularly well matched to operators who value wallet-based cards without extra hardware. UK venues that want tap-based stamping can use the Tag; businesses needing a wider operating system than loyalty cards, insights and offers should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pro: Wallet passes work worldwide and require neither the customer app nor hardware, reducing friction for customers and businesses.
Pro: Stamp rules, rewards and card branding can be tailored to the business, while the dashboard tracks redemptions and returning customers.
Pro: The free plan offers core scheme, insights and offer features for up to 15 monthly active users.
Con: NFC stamping is restricted to UK venues and relies on the Cuppacard app and Tag.
Con: The free and £10/mo plans cap active users at 15 and 50 respectively, making the £20/mo Pro plan necessary once an audience exceeds 50.
Con: Campaign push notifications are for Cuppacard app users, not a universal benefit of wallet passes.

Alternatives

For salon operators comparing broader salon software, start with the Salon Loyalty Software category.

Qashier is a better fit for businesses seeking CRM alongside store and product limits: its Essential plan is 5.00 USD per month, billed RM5/day, with up to 9 stores, 1,000 products, unlimited staff and CRM for up to 500 customers. It has a free plan and free trial, but its listed platforms do not include NFC or wallet loyalty.
SalonHub360 is worth considering for salon appointment and client management: its Starter plan is 19.99 USD per month with one staff member, online booking, a full service menu, client management and basic appointment reminders. It has a free plan and runs on Android, iOS and web.
Salonist suits a salon that prioritises scheduling: its free Market Place Listing plan allows 50 appointments per month and includes online booking, calendar and scheduling, and staff shift management. It also has a free trial.
Fresha offers Independent for one team member and Team for unlimited team members, with a free plan and web, iOS and Android support; consider it if team size is the deciding factor.
Puraskar has a free plan with one branch, three staff accounts, 500 customers, 50 AI credits per month and Trade Network; consider it if those branch and account allowances suit your needs.
Saloniks is a web-based paid option with a free plan and free trial; its Starter plan includes CRM for up to 500 clients, appointment management, basic register tracking and SMS reminders.
Lumidara is a web-based alternative with a free plan and trial; its Pro plan is 10.00 USD per month and includes unlimited clients, online self-booking, booking deposits, 500 custom campaign sends a month, analytics and aftercare.
Insight Salon Software is for readers comparing salon software across Android, iOS, macOS and Windows; it has no free plan, though a free trial is available.

Verdict

Choose Cuppacard if your independent business needs a branded repeat-visit loyalty scheme and wallet passes that customers can add without installing another app. The worldwide, hardware-free wallet route is its clearest advantage; look elsewhere if you need NFC outside the UK, more than 50 active users without moving to Pro, or salon operations beyond loyalty.

	Cuppacard	Phorest
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	£10/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, api, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	No
Points rewards	Yes	—
Member limit	50 members	—

Cuppacard vs Phorest

Cuppacard

Phorest