Make Your Shop the One the Whole Family Comes Back to Every Single Week
Ice cream shops run on family routines and warm-weather habits. The family that stops in after every soccer practice, the couple who makes Friday ice cream a tradition, the kids who walk over on hot afternoons. When you become someone's regular ice cream shop, that relationship is sticky and deeply habitual. A loyalty program reinforces the routine, rewards the families who come in all summer, and gives you tools to pull customers back during the cooler months when visit frequency naturally dips.
Post-Practice Families Who Come in Three Times a Week Fill a Card in Three Weeks.
A family with two kids in after-school sports who stops in every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday fills a 10-stamp card in three and a half weeks. An everyday summer habit fills it in ten days. The stamp card makes the routine feel rewarding. A points card running alongside rewards the family that orders four scoops with toppings and drinks proportionally more than the solo single-scoop customer.
Email campaigns give you a direct line to your member list any time. Before a slow period, when something new arrives, or when you want to bring back customers who havent been in recently. No ad spend, no algorithm. A message from you to customers who already know your business.
One Visit, One Stamp. Resets Automatically When the Reward Is Collected.
Each stamp card has one reward that unlocks at completion. You choose the reward, a free item, a discount, bonus points auto-credited to a loyalty card, or a combination. After the reward is collected the card resets automatically and the next cycle begins. No app required, no account creation. The card lives in the browser on any phone.
You can run multiple stamp card programs simultaneously. A 6-stamp quick-cycle card and a 10-stamp reward card can both be active at the same time, each earning independently on every visit.
10 Visits, Free Scoop Combo or $8 Off
One stamp per visit. At three times a week this fills in three and a half weeks. A free scoop combo or flat dollar amount off any order is meaningful for a family who was going to spend $15-25 anyway. Set the physical reward to whatever your most popular combo is or a dollar amount that works with your margins.
6 Visits, Free Single Scoop or Topping
A faster cycle with a smaller reward. Six visits at twice a week fills in three weeks. A free single scoop, a free topping, or a free cone upgrade is low cost and keeps the reward cycle turning. Works especially well for kids who like seeing progress happen quickly.
10 Visits, Free Combo Plus 75 Bonus Points
Award the free combo and auto-credit 75 bonus points at card completion. The bonus points push the family toward the next loyalty tier. Works best when a points card runs alongside to capture the full spend of each visit.
How Staff Add Stamps
The customer shows the QR code from their loyalty card on their phone. Staff tap Scan in the { config('default.app_name') } staff view, scan the code, and the stamp is added in a few seconds. A QR stand on the counter lets new customers join by scanning and opening their card. No app to download, no form to fill out. The card is ready to use immediately.
Post-Practice Families Who Come in Three Times a Week Fill a Card in Three Weeks.
A family with two kids in after-school sports who stops in every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday fills a 10-stamp card in three and a half weeks. An everyday summer habit fills it in ten days. The stamp card makes the routine feel rewarding. A points card running alongside rewards the family that orders four scoops with toppings and drinks proportionally more than the solo single-scoop customer.
An active points card also activates the referral program. When a customer with a loyalty card refers someone new, both earn bonus points automatically on the new customer's first transaction.
Example Points Setup
Running Stamp Cards and Points Cards Together
Both programs run simultaneously on every transaction. A customer earns a stamp on the stamp card and accumulates points on the loyalty card from the same visit. Stamp cards reward the frequency of showing up. Points cards reward the size of the purchase.
A solo single scoop at $4 earns 4 points. A family of four with scoops, toppings, and drinks at $28 earns 28. Points reward the bigger family visits proportionally. Top-tier families who come in all summer can unlock a complimentary birthday sundae, a free round of scoops for the family once a month, or a standing discount that applies to every visit.
Every Tier Level Multiplies the Points Customers Earn
Membership tiers transform your loyalty card from simple point accumulation into a status-driven program. As a customer builds up points over time, the system automatically advances them to the next level. Each tier carries a points multiplier, so customers at higher levels earn more points on every purchase, on top of the exclusive benefits that come with their tier.
Lifetime points: 50 pts
Free extra topping or scoop upgrade on any order
Lifetime points: 175 pts
Free specialty sundae or milkshake of choice
Lifetime points: 500 pts
Free ice cream cake slice or $12 store credit
Lifetime points: 1500 pts
Birthday ice cream cake on the house plus free topping upgrades always
Lifetime points, not current balance
Tiers are based on lifetime points earned, meaning the total accumulated since day one. Redeeming rewards never drops a customer's tier. A customer who has earned 2,000 lifetime points holds their Silver tier even if they've redeemed most of their balance.
Automatic advancement
The system evaluates every customer's tier after each transaction and assigns them to the highest tier they qualify for automatically. The customer receives an email notification when they move up. No buttons to press, no forms to fill out, it just happens.
Custom tier names
You can rename all four tiers to anything you want in the partner dashboard. Some options that work well for this type of business: Bronze / Silver / Gold / Platinum, Regular / Fan / VIP / Sweet Club, or Guest / Member / Scooper / Legend. The name members see is the display name, fully customizable and translatable.
Setting it up in the dashboard
Go to the Tiers section in your partner sidebar under Campaigns. Click Create New Tier and fill out four tabs: Details, Qualification, Benefits, and Appearance. Set the lifetime points threshold, the multiplier, and the benefits for each level. Bronze is the default tier, all new members start here automatically.
Date-Controlled Offers with Targeting, Usage Caps, and Automatic Delivery
Vouchers are separate from stamp cards and points cards. You set the discount, the validity window, who can use them, and a per-member or total redemption cap. Members find them in their digital wallet automatically, or you send codes by email campaign. Staff validate at the point of sale with a scan.
Vouchers can stack alongside an active stamp card transaction. A customer scans for a stamp, the staff also scans the voucher if one applies. Both are recorded on the same visit.
Off-Season or Cool Month Incentive
Ice cream shops see a natural dip in October through February. A voucher valid during those cooler months, a free topping, a free waffle cone upgrade, or a small discount, keeps your most loyal families coming in during the slow season. Send to Card Members in early October and again in January. Frame it as a standing member benefit, not a sale.
New Customer Welcome
A First Order Only discount for every new member automatically. A family visiting for the first time after a game or a school event sees a reason to make this their regular ice cream spot. A free scoop, a free topping, or a small dollar amount off. One use, ongoing.
Summer Heat Wave Push
During the hottest weeks of summer, send your full member list a short-window voucher. A free topping, a free upgrade, or a small discount valid for 48-72 hours. Send in the early afternoon on a hot day. Families deciding where to go that evening will pick you.
Win-Back at Season Start
Send to Inactive Members in mid-April or early May as summer approaches. Mention a new flavor, a returning seasonal favorite, or a new topping. Attach a small voucher with a 2-week window. The start of warm weather is the perfect moment to re-engage families who drifted during the cooler months.
Send to Your Member List Any Time. No Ad Spend, No Algorithm.
From your partner dashboard you write the email, pick a segment, and send. Every email includes an unsubscribe link automatically. You can send to All Members, Card Members (active stamp or points card holders), or Inactive Members (customers who havent transacted recently). Vouchers can be attached to any campaign.
Short, specific, and timed to when your customers are making decisions works best. A well-timed two-paragraph email to a member list converts better than a social media post seen by a fraction of your followers.
New Flavor or Summer Menu Launch
When a new seasonal flavor or summer menu launches, send Card Members a first-look email. Two sentences about what is new. A first-taste voucher for the first two weeks. Your regulars will come in that week and tell friends and family about the new item.
Hot Day Push
Send on a genuinely hot afternoon to your full member list with a same-day topping or size voucher. Short, timely, and direct. Families deciding where to go after dinner will pick you when the email arrives at the right moment.
Win-Back at Season Start
Send to Inactive Members in late April. Mention one new flavor and one returning favorite. Attach a small voucher with a 2-week window. Families who drifted during winter just need a specific, timely reason to come back.
Your Regulars Are Already Recommending You. A Referral Link Makes It Trackable and Rewarding.
Ice cream shop recommendations happen in parent groups, at school pickup, and in neighborhood conversations constantly. When a family finds a place they love, they tell every other family they know. A referral link makes those recommendations trackable. The referrer earns 75 points when the new family makes their first visit. The new family earns 30 points on that same visit.
The referral program requires an active loyalty card to function. A customer with a stamp card only does not have access to referrals. Once a loyalty (points) card is active, the referral link appears automatically in their wallet. This gives customers another reason to have both programs active simultaneously.
Stamp Card Only vs. Full Loyalty Card
Stamp card only: Earns stamps toward a physical reward. No referral link. No points balance. Good for customers who want simplicity.
Full loyalty card (points + stamp): Earns points on every dollar spent, unlocks referral link, earns stamps simultaneously. Referral bonus points auto-credit to the loyalty card when a referred friend transacts for the first time.
Example Referral Setup
Display the referral QR alongside the loyalty program sign at your counter or table. Mention the referral bonus to your most enthusiastic regulars. The recommendation is already happening in conversations, the link makes it trackable and rewarding for everyone involved.
Concrete Reward Ideas for Your Stamp Cards, Points Tiers, and Vouchers
These are reward types that work well for ice cream & frozen yogurt shops. Use them as a starting point for your stamp card completion rewards, your points tier unlocks, and your voucher discounts. The best rewards are things your customers were already going to buy, so they feel like a genuine bonus rather than a consolation prize.
No App Download. No Account Creation. They Scan and the Card Is There.
Most loyalty programs ask customers to download an app, create an account, and remember a password. Most customers don't. PerkHit works entirely in the browser. The card opens instantly when the QR is scanned, and it is always accessible from the browser history or a saved link on the home screen.
Customer Scans the QR
A QR stand on your counter, a table card, a sticker on your register, or a sign on the door. The customer points their phone camera at the code. No app needed. The camera opens it directly in the browser and the loyalty card appears immediately.
Their Card Is Ready Instantly
The card shows their stamp progress, points balance, active vouchers, and referral link in one screen. First-time visitors get a brand new card. Returning customers see exactly where they left off. Nothing to log into.
Staff Scans Right After Payment at the Counter
After the customer pays and receives their order, they show their card QR at the counter. Staff tap Scan in the PerkHit staff view and scan it. Stamp added, points credited. The scan takes under five seconds without slowing the line on busy days.
What the Customer Sees in Their Wallet
- Stamp card progress, stamps collected and remaining
- Points balance and what the next reward tier unlocks
- Any active vouchers with their expiration dates
- Their personal referral link to share with friends
- Their QR code for staff to scan on the next visit
Why No-App Matters for Your Business
Most loyalty programs have low adoption because downloading an app stops the majority of customers before they start. A browser-based card removes every barrier. The customer who scanned once already has their card in their browser history and can add it to their home screen with one tap.
Place the QR on receipts, packaging, business cards, or the back of a menu. Every surface that carries the code is a passive enrollment point that adds members without any extra effort from you.
Exactly What Staff Do in Each Situation
These are the four most common situations your staff will encounter. Each has a specific flow. Once staff run through each one two or three times, they become automatic.
New Customer, First Scan
A new customer scans the QR on the counter next to the register or on the display case with their phone camera. The card opens in their browser instantly. No download, no form, no account. Their first stamp or points credit comes from the scan at the end of this same visit. Staff do not need to do anything for enrollment.
Regular Visit, Adding a Stamp or Points
The customer opens their card in the browser and shows the QR on their screen right after payment, as the customer receives their order. Staff tap Scan in the PerkHit staff view on their phone or tablet, point the camera at the customer's screen, and scan. The screen confirms stamp added or points credited in under five seconds.
Customer Has a Voucher to Redeem
The customer opens their wallet and shows the voucher QR. Staff tap Scan in the PerkHit staff view and scan the voucher QR. The screen shows the voucher details and confirms it is validated. The discount or free item is applied before completing the transaction.
Completed Card or Points Reward Ready
When a stamp card is complete, the card shows a reward QR instead of a stamp grid. When a points tier is reached, it shows a redemption option. Staff scan the card QR normally. The screen shows the reward ready to apply, such as a free scoop or sundae of their choice. Staff confirm it, the reward applies, and the card resets automatically.
Ready to Set Up Your Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops Loyalty Program?
PerkHit is invite-only and built for independent local businesses. Reach out directly to learn more or get started.