We keep verifying each platform's data against its own pages, so some cells read "Unconfirmed" or "Not published" until we check them.
Loyalty software covers three different purchases: rewarding guests who come back, keeping a guest list you can reach with campaigns, and selling gift cards. Some platforms do all three; others do one well. The table shows what each one costs for one location, including text messages, how guests earn rewards, which campaigns you can send, whether it sells gift cards, which POS systems it works with and what happens to your guest list if you leave. If a platform doesn't publish its price, you'll see "Not published" or "Quote only", never a zero.
Before you pick one, three questions save money:
- Does it work with the POS you already have? A program built into your POS is easy to run, but your guest list stays there if you switch systems. A platform that connects to several POS systems moves with you.
- What do text messages really cost? Many plans include an allowance and charge for each message beyond it. Count how many guests you'll text and how often.
- Will it bring guests who wouldn't have come anyway? A reward on a visit that was going to happen is a discount, not new sales. Compare guests in the program with similar guests outside it before you call it a win.
Gift-card-only platforms are listed with the same template and no score, because they aren't a loyalty program.
