Digital Stamp Card: Replace Paper Punch Cards

A digital stamp card is the modern replacement for paper punch cards, letting customers collect loyalty stamps on their phone instead of carrying a physical card. It works through a simple app or QR code, so you can track visits, reward repeat customers, and stop reprinting worn-out cards.

See also: Digital Membership Card in Apple and Google Wallet · Digital Loyalty Card: What It Is and How It Works

This guide covers the key benefits of switching to a digital stamp card, the features that matter most for small shops, cafes, and salons, and practical setup tips to get your first campaign running. You will see how digital loyalty programs reduce costs, prevent lost-card frustration, and give you useful data on customer habits. By the end, you will know exactly what to look for in a digital stamp card system and how to launch one without disrupting your daily operations.

Why Paper Punch Cards Fail

Paper cards get lost. A customer keeps one in a wallet, another in a jacket pocket, a third on the kitchen counter. When they return to your cafe, they either cannot find the card or they bring a half-filled one and expect you to remember the missing stamps. You end up giving free stamps to keep the peace, or you refuse and risk losing a regular.

They also wear out. In a salon or barbershop, cards sit in handbags next to hand sanitiser, makeup, or keys. Corners bend, ink smudges, and the stamp boxes become unreadable. Staff then have to guess how many visits a customer has made. Guessing creates inconsistent rewards. One employee gives a free coffee after six visits; another gives it after eight. Customers notice.

Paper cards are easy to game. A car wash might use a simple stamp and ink pad. Some customers buy their own stamp online or use a marker to add fake visits. In a busy restaurant, staff rarely inspect a card closely. A fake full card gets a free meal or dessert. Even without fraud, staff can hand out extra stamps by mistake. A digital stamp card app removes this because each visit is logged in the system, not drawn on paper.

They create no customer data. A gym or yoga studio that uses paper punch cards learns nothing about who attends, how often, or when a member stops coming. You cannot send a reminder to someone who has not visited in three weeks. You cannot tell a customer they are one visit away from a free smoothie. A paper card is silent. A digital punch card lets you see visit patterns and send a message at the right moment.

Replacing lost or full cards wastes time. A cafe owner might issue dozens of new cards each week. Each replacement means writing the customer's name, counting old stamps, and transferring them by hand. That is minutes per customer per day. Over a month, those minutes add up to hours of staff time spent on admin instead of serving customers.

Paper also limits your offers. You can only run one simple reward: buy ten, get one free. You cannot easily run a double-stamp Tuesday, a birthday bonus, or a referral reward without printing new cards. A stamp card maker for paper forces you to reprint every time you change a promotion. A digital stamp card lets you adjust rewards in minutes without throwing away old stock.

Finally, paper cards do not travel well between locations. If you run two cafes or a salon with multiple branches, a customer who earns stamps at one site often cannot redeem them at another. Staff at the second location do not recognise the card design or the stamp style. This fragments the customer experience and makes your business feel smaller than it is. A digital stamp card app works across all your locations from one account.

How Digital Stamp Cards Work

A customer buys a coffee, a haircut, a car wash, or a meal. Instead of reaching for a paper card and a hole punch, the staff member opens a digital stamp card app on a tablet, phone, or point-of-sale screen. The customer enters a phone number, scans a QR code, or taps a card linked to their account. One tap adds a stamp. The balance updates immediately on the customer’s own phone if they have the app or receive a text or email receipt.

The core loop is simple: buy, stamp, track, reward. What changes is where the record lives. A paper punch card lives in a wallet, purse, or glovebox. A digital stamp card lives on a server tied to a customer profile. That single difference removes most of the friction shop owners complain about with paper cards.

What staff actually do during a sale

In a cafe, the barista rings up a flat white. The till screen shows a small stamp icon next to the customer’s name. One tap. The customer’s phone buzzes with an updated balance: seven of ten stamps. No drawer search, no asking “do you have your card?”, no handwriting a replacement when the card is lost.

In a salon, the receptionist checks out a client after a cut and colour. The booking system already knows the client. The digital punch card adds a stamp automatically because the service total qualifies. The client sees the updated balance in a booking confirmation email. If they reach ten stamps, the system can apply the reward on the next visit without the client needing to remember a physical card.

A car wash works the same way. Each wash adds a stamp. After eight washes, the ninth is free. The customer does not need to keep a soggy card in the cupholder. The owner can see how many customers are two or three stamps away from a free wash and send a reminder before a rainy weekend.

What the customer sees

Customers get a live view of progress. That view might be a mobile wallet pass, a link in a text message, or a screen inside the shop’s own app. A gym member sees four of twelve visits. A restaurant regular sees six of ten lunches. Progress is visible without asking staff. That visibility is what drives return visits. A paper card only shows progress when the customer pulls it out. A digital stamp card can show progress every time the customer opens their phone.

Some systems send a notification after each stamp. Others wait until the customer is one or two stamps away from the reward. Either way, the reminder is automatic. The shop owner does not write a text or design a flyer.

What the owner sees

It shows how many cards are active, how many stamps were issued this week, how many rewards were redeemed, and which customers are close to a reward. A restaurant owner can see that 40 customers are one visit away from a free dessert. A salon owner can see that Tuesday clients redeem rewards less often than Saturday clients and adjust a promotion accordingly.

The stamp card maker tools inside these apps let the owner set the rules without coding. Ten stamps for a free coffee. Eight visits for a free blow-dry. Twelve washes for a free premium wash. The owner can change the reward, the number of stamps, or the expiry period from a settings page. Staff do not need to memorise new rules. The system applies them at the till.

What happens when a card is lost or forgotten

Nothing. The customer gives a phone number or scans a code. The balance is still there. The owner does not issue a fresh card with bonus stamps “just this once”. The customer does not start from zero. That single change removes the most common argument at the counter and the most common excuse for not returning.

Choosing a Stamp Card Maker

A stamp card maker is the software you use to design, issue, and track your digital stamp card. The right tool saves you hours of admin and keeps customers coming back. The wrong one adds friction at the till and confuses staff.

Start by looking at how your business actually runs. A busy cafe needs a system that works in under three seconds at the counter. A salon with booked appointments can afford a slightly longer sign-up flow. A car wash with a pay-at-terminal setup needs a card that works without a staff member explaining it every time.

What to check before you commit

Most stamp card makers let you set the number of stamps required for a reward. For a coffee shop, a common structure is eight stamps for a free drink. For a car wash, five washes for a free basic wash. Make sure the tool lets you change this later without losing customer data.

Look for these practical features:

• Customer identification without an app download. The best systems work through a phone number, QR code, or a link saved to the customer's home screen. Requiring a separate app download kills sign-up rates at the counter.
• Staff-facing speed. The card should open from a single tap on your point-of-sale screen or a dedicated tablet. If staff have to search by name, type in an email, or wait for a slow web page, they will stop offering the card.
• Automated reminders. A digital stamp card that pings a customer after their third or fourth visit is far more effective than a paper card sitting in a wallet. Check whether the maker sends these automatically or whether you must trigger them manually.
• Simple reward redemption. Staff should see the reward button clearly. A confusing redemption flow leads to awkward conversations and free items given out by mistake.
• Basic data export. You want to know how many cards are active, how many rewards have been issued, and which customers are close to a reward. A stamp card maker that hides this data behind an expensive tier is less useful for a small shop.

Match the tool to your team

A gym with a front desk can handle a tablet-based system. A food truck with one person serving needs something phone-first and dead simple. Test the flow yourself before rolling it out. Pretend you are a customer: sign up, earn a stamp, redeem a reward. Time each step.

Ask the stamp card maker provider about offline mode. Some systems queue stamps locally and sync later. Others freeze entirely. For a cafe or restaurant, this is a deal-breaker question.

Also check what happens when a customer changes phones. A good system ties the card to a phone number or email, not to a specific device. Otherwise you lose regulars every time they upgrade.

Cost and commitment

Some add fees per SMS sent. If you plan to use text reminders, calculate the real monthly cost for your typical customer volume. A salon seeing forty clients a week will have very different SMS costs than a cafe seeing four hundred.

Avoid long contracts until you have used the tool for at least a month. Run it alongside your old paper punch cards for two weeks. Compare sign-up rates, redemption rates, and staff feedback. Then decide.

The right stamp card maker feels invisible to customers and effortless for staff. If you need a training manual to explain it, keep looking.

Designing Your Loyalty Rewards

A digital stamp card only works if the reward feels worth the effort. A weak offer gets ignored. A strong one changes how often a customer chooses you over the shop next door. Start by thinking about your typical visit value and your profit margin, not by copying what another business does.

For a cafe, the classic model is simple: buy nine coffees, get the tenth free. It is easy to explain at the till and easy for staff to track. But if your average ticket includes a pastry or sandwich, consider rewarding total spend rather than visits. A customer who buys a large latte and a muffin three times a week reaches a spend threshold faster than someone who only orders a small tea. Spend-based rewards feel fairer to regulars and protect your margin.

Salons and barbershops benefit from a different structure. A haircut is not an impulse purchase, so a visit-based card works well. Offer a free conditioning treatment or a discount on a colour service after five visits. That reward introduces clients to a higher-value service they might not have booked otherwise. Make the reward specific. “Free treatment” sounds vague; “free deep-conditioning mask with your next cut” tells the client exactly what they get.

Restaurants should avoid giving away a full free meal unless the average bill is high enough to absorb it. A better reward is a free side, dessert, or a set amount off the next bill. For example, if a family spends £60 per visit, a £10 reward after six visits is roughly a 3% discount overall. That is sustainable and still feels generous when the waiter mentions it at the end of the meal.

Car washes operate on frequency. A digital punch card that gives a free basic wash after eight washes keeps customers coming back every two weeks instead of waiting for the car to look dirty. Add a second tier: after twelve washes, upgrade the free wash to a premium wax option. This rewards your best customers without cutting into the price of a standard wash.

Gyms and fitness studios should tie rewards to consistency, not just attendance. A digital stamp card app can track check-ins automatically. After ten classes, offer a free guest pass or a branded water bottle. After twenty, offer a free personal training taster session. These rewards encourage members to build a habit and bring friends who might join.

A few practical rules apply everywhere. Keep the reward visible on the card screen so customers always know how close they are. Do not set expiry dates that feel aggressive; 90 days is reasonable for a cafe, while 12 months suits a salon. If you use a stamp card maker, test the flow yourself before launch. Open the app, earn a stamp, and check that the reward appears correctly. If staff need to scan a QR code, make sure the code is large enough to read from a phone screen in bright light.

Finally, review your reward structure every quarter. If redemption is low, the reward is not attractive enough or the threshold is too high. If redemption is very high, check your margins. Adjust one variable at a time and watch how customers respond.

Launching a Digital Punch Card

Why the launch matters

A digital punch card only works if customers actually sign up and use it. The launch is not a technical event. It is a staff-and-customer habit you build over the first two to four weeks.

Most failed programmes die quietly because the owner prints a QR code, sticks it by the till, and waits. Customers do not notice it. Staff do not mention it. After a month, the owner declares that loyalty cards “do not work here”.

A better approach is to treat the first month as a training period. Set a simple goal: every regular customer should be offered the digital stamp card at least once, and every staff member should be able to explain it in one sentence.

Prepare staff before day one

Run a short practice session with anyone who works the till or the counter. Give them a live test card on their own phone and let them earn a stamp, redeem a reward, and check their balance. The goal is not to teach software. The goal is to make the explanation feel natural.

Agree on one simple line staff can say. For example, in a cafe: “We have a digital stamp card now. Buy nine coffees and the tenth is free. Want me to set you up?” In a salon: “We’ve replaced the paper card. Your points are on your phone now. I can send you the link.”

Do not let staff improvise long explanations. Keep it to one sentence, then offer to do the setup for the customer.

Make the first week visible

Place a small sign at the point of payment, not just on the front door. The customer decides to join at the moment they pay, so the sign should be at the till, on the counter, or next to the card machine. A simple line works better than a paragraph: “Loyalty card on your phone. Ask us to set it up.”

For a car wash or gym, put the QR code where people wait: at the entrance barrier, on the reception desk, or on the mirror in the changing room. The code should open the sign-up page directly, not a general website.

Offer a launch incentive

A small joining bonus gets people past the initial friction of downloading or registering. For example, a cafe could give one free stamp just for signing up. A car wash could give a discount on the next wash after the first digital stamp. A restaurant could add a free side or dessert after the first check-in.

This is not a long-term discount. It is a one-time nudge to create the first habit. Announce the offer on a counter sign and in one social media post. Keep the offer simple and time-limited, such as “Join this month and start with one free stamp.”

Track sign-ups without overcomplicating it

For the first two weeks, check the number of new members each day or every few days. If sign-ups are low, the problem is usually not the app. It is that staff are not mentioning it, or the sign is in the wrong place. Move the sign, change the wording, or practise the one-line offer again.

After the first month, the launch is over. The digital stamp card becomes part of the normal payment routine. Staff ask regulars, new customers see the sign, and the card starts doing its job: bringing people back without a paper card in their wallet.

Tracking Customer Visits

A paper punch card tells you almost nothing. You know a customer has made nine visits, but you do not know when those visits happened, what they bought, or whether they came on a Tuesday afternoon or a Saturday evening. A digital stamp card changes that.

With a digital stamp card, every stamp is tied to a transaction record. When a customer checks in or makes a purchase, the system logs the date, time, and often the items in the basket. That means you can see patterns without asking a single question.

What You Can Actually Track

A cafe owner can look at the last month and see that a group of regulars always visits between 8:00 and 9:30 on weekdays. That is useful for staffing. If the same owner notices a drop in visits from customers who used to come twice a week, they can send a targeted offer before those customers drift away permanently.

A salon can track how long it takes a client to return after a cut or colour service. If most clients come back after six weeks but a specific group waits ten weeks, the salon can send a reminder or a small bonus stamp at week seven. That is far more precise than a generic “we miss you” email.

A car wash can compare visit frequency between customers who joined the digital stamp card programme and those who did not. If members return every three weeks while non-members return every five weeks, the card is doing its job. You can also see which wash package stamp-card members choose most often, then promote that package to new customers.

Using Visit Data Without Overcomplicating It

You do not need a data analyst. Look at it once a week for ten minutes.

For example, a restaurant might notice that Tuesday lunch is the slowest slot for stamp-card members. The owner can run a “double stamp Tuesday lunch” offer for two weeks and watch whether visits move. If they do, keep the offer. If not, try a different day or a different incentive.

A gym can track check-ins through a digital punch card for class attendance. If a member who attended three classes a week suddenly drops to one, the system flags it. A staff member can then send a personal message: “We noticed you missed your usual Thursday class. Here is a free guest pass for a friend this week.” That is specific and useful, not pushy.

What to Avoid

Do not track visits just to collect data. Every piece of information should lead to an action: a reminder, a bonus, a schedule change, or a reorder decision. If you track that a customer buys oat milk lattes every Friday, use that to offer a free pastry with their next Friday oat milk latte. That is the practical difference between a paper card in a drawer and a digital stamp card working for your business.

Integrating With POS Systems

A digital stamp card works best when it is connected to the tools your staff already use every day. If the card lives in a separate app that the cashier has to open, type into, or remember to check, it will be ignored during a busy lunch rush. Integration with your point-of-sale system removes that extra step. The customer pays, the POS records the sale, and the stamp is added automatically.

How POS Integration Works in Practice

Most modern POS systems allow you to attach a loyalty action to a transaction. For a cafe, that might mean every paid coffee triggers one stamp on the customer’s digital card. The cashier does not need to scan a separate QR code or ask the customer to open an app. The customer simply taps the same card or phone they use for payment, and the stamp is applied in the background.

For a salon, the trigger can be tied to a service rather than a product. A haircut or colour service adds a stamp, while a bottle of shampoo does not. This keeps the reward tied to the high-value visit, not the retail add-on. A car wash can do the same: a full exterior wash earns a stamp, while a quick vacuum token purchase does not.

Common Integration Setups

There are three typical ways a digital stamp card connects to a POS.

• Native integration. The stamp card app has a built-in connection to your specific POS brand. This is the smoothest option. Transactions flow automatically, and staff see the customer’s stamp balance directly on the payment screen.
• API or middleware. A third-party tool like Zapier or a custom webhook links the POS to the stamp card app. This works when no native integration exists, but it requires someone on your team to set up and monitor the connection.
• Manual scan at the counter. The customer shows a QR code from their phone, and the cashier scans it after the sale. This is not true POS integration, but it is a fallback for businesses with older registers or cash-only setups.

What to Check Before Choosing a Stamp Card Maker

Not every stamp card maker supports the same POS brands. Before you sign up, ask the provider three specific questions.

• Does the app connect directly to your POS model, or do you need middleware?
• What happens if the internet drops mid-transaction? Does the stamp get queued and applied later, or is it lost?
• Can staff see the customer’s stamp balance on the POS screen, or do they need a second device?

A restaurant with table service has a different need than a gym with a front desk. The restaurant wants the stamp applied when the server closes the table’s bill. The gym wants it applied when the member checks in for a class. Both are possible, but only if the integration matches the workflow. Test the flow with a real transaction before rolling it out to all staff.

Handling Refunds and Corrections

Integration also means the stamp card must handle refunds sensibly. If a customer returns an item or cancels a service, the stamp should be removed or not awarded in the first place. A well-integrated system does this automatically when the POS processes the refund. If your setup does not support that, you need a manual override. Otherwise, a customer could collect stamps from purchases they later reversed, which quietly drains the value of your loyalty programme.

The goal is simple: the customer earns stamps without thinking about it, and your staff never have to juggle a second system during a sale.

Avoiding Common Setup Mistakes

A digital stamp card only works if staff and customers understand it from day one. The most frequent setup errors are easy to fix before launch, but painful to correct after regulars have already formed habits.

Mistake one: unclear reward rules

A cafe owner sets up a digital stamp card that gives a free coffee after eight visits. The app shows progress, but nobody explains whether a large latte counts the same as a single espresso. Staff give different answers. A regular customer reaches eight stamps and asks for a free pastry instead. The counter person says no, the customer complains, and the loyalty programme creates friction instead of goodwill.

Write the reward rule in one sentence before you build the card. For example: "Buy any hot drink, get one stamp; ten stamps equals one free hot drink of any size." Put that sentence in staff training notes and on the sign at the till. If exceptions exist, such as double stamps on quiet weekday afternoons, state them in the app description and on the counter card. Ambiguity costs more in staff time than it saves in flexibility.

Mistake two: choosing a stamp card maker without testing the customer flow

A salon picks a digital punch card because it looks polished in the demo. But the app requires customers to scan a QR code, enter a phone number, and confirm an email before the first stamp registers. At busy times, the receptionist ends up doing this for every client while the phone rings and the next appointment waits.

Test the full customer journey before launch. Time how long it takes a new customer to join and receive the first stamp. If it takes more than thirty seconds, ask the provider for a simpler flow. Many digital stamp card apps let staff add a stamp by entering a phone number or scanning a customer code, with no customer-side setup. That is the version you want for a walk-in business. Reserve app-only enrolment for salons or gyms where clients book ahead and have time to register.

Mistake three: launching without a fallback for offline moments

A car wash installs a digital stamp card and removes the paper cards on the same day. Staff cannot load the app on the tablet, customers cannot show their codes, and the owner has no record of who earned stamps that day. Regulars who expected their fifth stamp leave annoyed.

Keep a simple paper log or a printed backup sheet at the till for the first month. Record the customer name, phone number, and number of stamps earned when the system is down. Add those stamps manually once the connection returns. Tell staff exactly where the backup sheet lives and who is responsible for entering the data. Once the system has run without issues for a few weeks, you can phase out the paper backup.

Mistake four: setting the reward threshold too high for your visit frequency

A restaurant sets a digital punch card that requires twelve visits for a free main course. Most customers come once every six weeks. The reward is so far away that nobody bothers to join. The card sits unused, and the owner concludes that loyalty programmes do not work.

Match the threshold to your typical customer rhythm. A cafe with daily regulars can set ten stamps. A car wash with monthly customers should set five or six. A gym with weekly members might set eight. The goal is a reward that feels reachable within two to three months for a typical regular. If you are unsure, start lower and raise the threshold later. Customers rarely complain about a reward arriving sooner than expected.

Promoting Your New Card

A digital stamp card only works if customers actually sign up and use it. The switch from paper to digital takes a few weeks of active promotion, but the payoff is a customer list you own and a loyalty habit that sticks.

Start with your front counter. This is where the old paper cards lived, so replace them with a single, clear sign. A small stand next to the till with a QR code and the words “Tap to join – get your 6th coffee free” works better than a poster buried behind the till. Train every staff member to mention the card at the end of each sale. For a cafe, that means a simple line: “You’re on your way to a free one – want me to show you the stamp card?” Keep it to one sentence. Customers tune out long explanations.

Salons and barbers have a natural advantage: the client sits still for twenty minutes or more. Place a small table card near the mirror with the QR code. Stylists can mention it while blow-drying: “We moved our loyalty to your phone now – scan that and you’ll get a stamp for today’s cut.” Because the appointment is already booked, the customer has time to scan and sign up before paying.

Restaurants and car washes should use the receipt or invoice. Print the QR code and a short line on every receipt: “Collect stamps on every wash – scan to join.” For a car wash, the driver is often waiting in the car. A weatherproof sign at the payment window or on the exit barrier works well. The key is to catch the customer at the moment they have just paid, when the value of a future discount feels most relevant.

Gyms can promote the card at check-in. If your front desk already scans membership cards, add a small sign next to the scanner: “Check in, collect points, get a free smoothie.” Staff can mention it once per member, not every visit. Repetition after the first week becomes noise.

Your existing customer list is your fastest win. Send one email or SMS to everyone who has booked, ordered or visited in the past six months. Keep it short: “We’ve replaced paper stamp cards with a phone version. Your next visit counts from today – tap here to join.” Do not promise to transfer old paper stamps unless your digital stamp card app supports manual credits. If it does, say so clearly and set a deadline, such as “bring your old card in before the end of the month.”

Social media works best when you show the card in action. A ten-second video of a customer tapping their phone at the counter and seeing a stamp appear is more convincing than a graphic. Post it once on your main feed and pin it for a month. For salons and cafes, a short story with the QR code sticker is enough for regular followers.

Finally, track sign-ups weekly for the first two months. If fewer than one in five regular customers has joined after four weeks, adjust the counter script or move the QR code to a more visible spot. Promotion is not a one-off launch. It is a habit your staff build into every transaction until the digital card becomes the default.

How PassHive handles this

Full disclosure: this site is published by the team that builds PassHive, so this section explains exactly how the product works rather than offering a neutral review.

PassHive replaces paper punch cards with a digital stamp card that lives in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The customer does not install an app. They scan a QR code at your counter or open a link, and the card is saved to their phone’s wallet in a few seconds.

You design the card yourself using your shop’s name, colours and logo. The preview tool shows how it will look on iPhone and Android before you pay anything. You can test the full flow free of charge, then choose a plan when you are ready to go live.

Larger groups pay $25 per month for up to 275 branches, $50 for up to 600, or $100 for up to 1,250. Yearly billing gives you two months free, so the smallest plan costs $100 per year. You can start designing your card free and see the full breakdown on the PassHive pricing page.

This pricing model matters when you compare it to tools that charge per pass. For example, PassKit’s published rates start at $39.50 per month and include 250 passes, then add per-pass fees. A cafe with 1,000 customers would pay roughly $73 per month on PassKit, while the same shop pays $10 on PassHive. At 10,000 customers, PassKit works out to about $341 per month, still $10 on PassHive. Those examples use PassKit’s public pricing page, and the point is simple: customer growth should not make your loyalty programme more expensive.

PassHive supports two card types. A stamp card works for “buy 9, get the 10th free” style offers. A points card works when you want to award points per visit or per amount spent. Both update on the customer’s phone after each visit, so they can see their progress without asking staff.

You can also send push notifications to saved cards, such as a reminder that a reward is ready or a short offer. Google limits this to roughly three messages per card per day, so it is designed for occasional, useful updates rather than constant marketing. PassHive can also remind customers near your shop using location-based lock-screen notifications. Apple supports up to 10 locations per card with a radius of about 200 metres, and Google uses your merchant locations. The phone decides when to show these reminders, so they are not guaranteed, but they can bring a lapsed customer back when they are nearby.

If you run multiple branches, you can turn any branch off at any time. Its cards stop working immediately, which is useful if you close a location or pause a promotion.

For developers or agencies, PassHive has a public REST API with API keys. Documentation is available at passhive.app/docs. PassHive is not a POS, not an e-commerce plugin, and it has no named integrations with Shopify, Square, Toast or similar systems. If you need a direct integration, the API is the route.

PassHive is a flat monthly plan for the whole business, not a fee per branch. The plan sets the maximum number of active branches you can run: $10 a month for up to 100 branches, $25 for up to 275, $50 for up to 600 and $100 for up to 1,250. Yearly billing gives two months free ($100, $250, $500 or $1,000 a year). A cafe with one branch pays $10 a month in total, whatever the number of cards or customers. That is what "pay for your branches, not your customers" means: the plan size follows how many branches you run, never how many people save your card.