Punch Cards

What are Punch Cards?

Punch Cards are a digital loyalty program that rewards customers for repeat visits. Just like a traditional paper punch card, customers earn a "punch" each time they visit. After reaching the target number of punches, they automatically receive a reward — a discount or free item of your choice. It's a simple, proven way to drive repeat business.

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Setting Up

To Enable Punch Cards:

1. Go to Settings → Marketing → Punch Cards

2. Toggle Enable Punch Cards to on

3. Set your Punch Target (how many visits to earn a reward)

4. Choose a Reward Type (discount or free item)

5. Select a Reward Preset (e.g., "10% off" or "Free Coffee")

6. Configure cooldown and expiration settings

7. Tap Save

Note: You must have at least one discount or free item preset configured in Settings → Offers before setting up a punch card reward.

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How It Works

Here's the customer journey from start to finish:

1. Customer visits your business — They open their Rewards tab in the GoodAgain app

2. Shows their punch card — Displays a QR code or 6-character punch code to staff

3. Staff records the punch — Scans the QR code or enters the code on the Redeem screen

4. Progress updates — The customer sees their punch count increase

5. Reward earned — After reaching the target, a promo code is automatically generated and delivered

The reward promo code can be redeemed in-store (via QR scan) or online, depending on your preset settings.

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Punch Target Options

Choose how many visits it takes to earn a reward:

Target	Best For
5 punches	Quick rewards, high-frequency businesses (coffee shops, bakeries)
8 punches	Balanced — not too easy, not too hard
10 punches	Standard loyalty program (most popular)
12 punches	Longer commitment, higher-value rewards
15 punches	Premium rewards, less frequent visit businesses

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Reward Configuration

When a customer completes their punch card, they receive a reward from one of your existing presets:

Discount Reward

• Percentage off (e.g., 10% off) or dollar amount off (e.g., $5 off)

• Uses your configured discount presets

Free Item Reward

• A specific free item (e.g., "Free Coffee", "Free Dessert")

• Uses your configured free item presets

The reward is automatically generated as a promo code with the prefix PC- (e.g., PC-ABC123).

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Cooldown Protection

To prevent abuse, you can set a minimum time between punches:

Cooldown	Description
1 hour	Very lenient — good for businesses with multiple daily visits
2 hours	Default — prevents same-visit double-punching
4 hours	Moderate protection
8 hours	One punch per morning/afternoon
12 hours	One punch per half-day
24 hours	Maximum one punch per day

If a customer tries to get a punch before the cooldown period has passed, staff will see a message indicating how long they need to wait.

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Expiration Settings

Set how long the earned reward stays valid after a customer completes their punch card:

Expiration	Best For
7 days	Creates urgency for quick redemption
14 days	Balanced timeframe
30 days	Default — gives customers a month to return
60 days	Generous — good for less frequent visit businesses
90 days	Very generous timeframe

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Punch Code (Manual Lookup)

Every punch card is assigned a unique 6-character code (e.g., ABC123). This is a fallback for when QR scanning isn't available:

• Displayed prominently on the customer's punch card screen

• Staff can enter it manually on the Redeem screen

• Uses easy-to-read characters (no confusing O/0 or I/1)

To Record a Punch Manually:

1. Go to the Redeem screen

2. Switch to Punch Card mode

3. Enter the customer's 6-character code

4. Tap Look Up to verify the customer

5. Tap Add Punch to record the visit

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Customer View

Customers see their punch cards in the Rewards tab of the GoodAgain app:

• Progress dots — Visual indicator showing punches earned vs. remaining

• Reward info — What they'll get when they complete the card

• QR code — For staff to scan quickly

• Punch code — 6-character code for manual entry

• Completed count — How many times they've earned the reward

After completing a card, the punch count resets and they start earning toward the next reward.

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Punch Cards vs. Other Engagement Tools

Feature	Punch Cards	Spin-to-Win	Scratch-to-Win
Type	Loyalty program	Prize game	Prize game
Interaction	Earn punches over visits	Single spin	Single scratch
Goal	Reward repeat visits	Drive engagement	Drive engagement
Customer Effort	Multiple visits required	One-time play	One-time play
Best For	Building long-term loyalty	Events & promotions	Retail & quick-serve

You can enable punch cards alongside spin and scratch games — they serve different purposes and work well together.

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Tips

• Set an achievable target — 10 punches is the most popular choice; too many punches and customers lose interest

• Choose an enticing reward — The reward should feel worth the effort (e.g., a free item or meaningful discount)

• Use the 2-hour cooldown — Prevents accidental double-punches without being too restrictive

• Promote it — Let customers know about your punch card program with signage, social media, or GoodAgain Cards

• Monitor completion rates — If very few customers complete their cards, consider lowering the target

• Keep rewards consistent — Changing the reward frequently can confuse returning customers