The problem
Weekly markets and lunch pitches live on regulars, and paper stamp cards get lost, copied or left at home. If a trader could bring regulars back 10 more times a week at $12£9€11A$17C$17 a visit, that's $120£90€107A$173C$169 a week, about $515£387€461A$743C$728 a month of sales that isn't happening.
What the AI does
Square Loyalty is an add-on for Square point of sale. Its UK page says customers can sign up at the till, through Square Online or with a sign-up link, earn points by visit, spend or item, and redeem rewards, and that a text is sent automatically when they earn points or rewards. It costs $33£25€30A$48C$47 a month per location for up to 500 loyalty visits, counting sign-ups, points earned and rewards redeemed. Set one simple reward, such as a free main after 10 visits, and ask every customer at the till if they want to join.
A worked example
A Thai street food stall trades at 3 weekly markets in Sheffield and already takes payments with Square. About 150 loyalty visits a month come from existing regulars, and it rewards a free main after 10 visits.
Before
About 150 visits a month from regulars on paper stamp cards that get lost, with 0 record of who comes back
After
About 10 extra visits a week from regulars (43 a month) at $12£9€11A$17C$17 = about $515£387€461A$743C$728 a month, with about 19 rewards a month redeemed
What it's worth
About $218£164€195A$315C$308 a month in profit, against $33£25€30A$48C$47 for Square Loyalty. That's $515£387€461A$743C$728 of extra sales at an assumed 60% margin ($309£232€276A$445C$436), minus about 19 free mains a month at an assumed $4.79£3.60€4.28A$6.91C$6.77 food cost ($90£68€81A$131C$128). The 10 extra visits a week is an assumption, not a promise. At about 230 loyalty visits a month, including sign-ups and rewards, the trader stays in the $33£25€30A$48C$47 band (up to 500).
How to set it up
- Start the 30-day free trial of Square Loyalty from your Square account.
- Choose one simple rule, such as a free main after 10 visits, and say it on a sign at the hatch.
- Ask every customer at the till if they want to join, and explain they'll get a text when they earn.
- Check the loyalty visits each month so you know which price band you're in.
- After 3 months, compare repeat visits with before and decide whether to keep it.
What goes wrong
- Pricing rises to $60£45€54A$86C$85 a month above 500 loyalty visits, and sign-ups and redemptions count as visits.
- The texts Square sends when customers earn are transactional. Sending offers or promotions needs separate marketing consent under PECR.
- Every reward is food you give away. Price the reward so the extra visits pay for it.
- It needs Square point of sale and a signal at the pitch; check offline payments before relying on it at a remote market.