If you have a lot of members joining your loyalty scheme but you’re not sure whether they’re using their cards or redeeming their rewards, take a look at the data as a whole. Loyalty scheme statistics provide an overview of sign-ups, stamps issued and rewards redeemed, but on their own they do not explain why guest activity is changing. We’ll show you how to interpret this data and how to use it to inform your next campaign or rewards decision.
Key Points
Before you open the statistics, formulate a specific question. This will make it easier for you to select which data can help you make your next decision.
Loyalty scheme statistics can show sign-ups, stamps issued and rewards redeemed. On their own, these figures do not reveal why guest activity has changed.
Interpret the sign-up, stamp collection, redemption and campaign data together, but do not confuse them.
Examine one hypothesis at a time, then review the data again before making any changes to the campaign or the reward.
The basic statistics for stmpr are available in every package, so you can regularly review the programme’s key figures.
Table of Contents
Loyalty programme statistics: what questions does a modern customer management system answer?
Which loyalty programme data reveals what about customer activity?
How should you interpret loyalty programme statistics, and when should you make changes?
What loyalty programme statistics can you track on the stmpr dashboard?
Loyalty programme statistics: what questions does a modern customer management system answer?
Loyalty programme statistics help ensure that you do not judge your programme solely on the basis of memory or impression. They show what activities the system has recorded, such as how many guests have joined, how many stamps have been issued, and how many rewards have been redeemed. These figures describe the events that have taken place within the programme. On their own, they do not explain why these events occurred, nor do they prove that a particular change has led to more guests returning.
First, choose a question that relates to a real decision. If few guests are joining the scheme, check whether the sign-up option is visible and whether it is easy to save the Wallet card using a QR code. If a lot of stamps are being collected but few are being redeemed, examine how clear the reward conditions are and how you’re drawing guests’ attention to them. These are possible explanations, not proven causes. The data is intended to help review the programme and test individual hypotheses, not as a guarantee of results.
What should you look at first in a loyalty programme?
Start with three metrics: sign-ups, stamps issued and rewards redeemed. Sign-ups indicate that guests have joined the programme, but do not show whether they will use the card later on. Stamps provide an insight into recorded stamping activity, whilst redemptions show whether guests have used their rewards. None of these metrics on their own describes the full guest experience, so it’s worth reviewing them together.
For example, in a café, sign-ups may increase whilst stamping activity remains unchanged. In such cases, the data shows that more people have signed up, but you do not yet know why this is not followed by an increase in recorded activity. Review the login and stamping trends, then observe how the figures develop over the next period.
How do loyalty programme statistics differ from overall customer management?
Loyalty scheme statistics summarise sign-ups and activities related to the scheme, not all of the business’s customer interactions or sales data. Loyalty programmes can take many forms, as the overview of loyalty programmes illustrates, so assess the data from your own programme in the context of how it operates. stmpr is a digital loyalty card based on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Customers join via a QR code, without needing to download a separate app. On the control panel, you can view data specific to the programme, rather than general CRM or till functions. Basic statistics are available in every package. The loyalty programme statistics overview shows what data you can track.
What does each piece of loyalty scheme data reveal about customer activity?
Loyalty programme statistics are only truly useful if you distinguish between recorded events and mere assumptions. The data can show whether a guest has joined the programme, collected a stamp or redeemed a reward. However, it does not necessarily explain why this happened, and on its own does not prove that the programme caused the change in the guest’s behaviour.
Enrolments, stamps and redeemed rewards
Enrolment data indicates that the guest has saved the Wallet card and joined the programme. It does not show whether they subsequently used the card. The number of stamps summarises recorded stamping activity, but does not indicate how often the guest makes purchases outside the programme. The number of redeemed rewards indicates recorded redemptions, but does not prove that the guest returned because of the reward.
Enrolments: an indication of joining the programme. Compare periods interpreted in the same way, and consider where customers might encounter the opportunity to enrol.
Stamps: activity recorded in the programme. If the number changes, note whether footfall has changed in the meantime, whether a campaign has been launched, or whether the practice of awarding stamps has been modified.
Redemptions: the rewards that have been used. Look at the aggregated data, but do not automatically conclude from it that every guest values the same reward.
Campaign performance and return customer reports
Detailed reports can also provide data on campaign performance and returns. These can help you review the results recorded by the system in relation to a campaign. However, selecting a targeted guest list is not the same as the notification being delivered or read. Only send push notifications to guests who have given their marketing consent, and bear in mind that the monthly sending limit depends on the package.
Treat the return report as an observation only. It may show a return pattern in the report, but it does not guarantee that the loyalty programme caused the guest to return. If you wish to compare campaigns or periods, first check exactly what data the report contains. The XLSX export is available in the Silver and Gold packages, so plan your analysis routine to suit the features at your disposal.
On the loyalty programme statistics page, you can see what data you can track on the dashboard. If you’d like to launch your own programme, start by setting up the digital loyalty programme.
How should you interpret loyalty programme statistics, and when should you make changes?
The figures provide useful guidance if you review them regularly, using the same criteria each time. The loyalty programme statistics do not tell you what to change. They help you check whether the recorded activity is consistent with your assumptions about your guests.
A simple review routine for small business owners
Follow these four steps. This way, reviewing the data won’t turn into guesswork or hasty changes.
Choose a question. For example: does the number of reward redemptions change after a new reward is introduced?
Identify the relevant data. To do this, look at the number of redemptions; don’t confuse this with sign-ups or campaign data.
Look for a pattern. Compare periods interpreted in the same way. Note whether any other changes occurred in the meantime, such as a change in campaign or a change in the stamping procedure.
Double-check. During your next review, check whether the observed discrepancy persists before introducing any further changes.
Test only one hypothesis per period. If you change the reward, the stamp conditions and the campaign all at once, it will be difficult to understand which change was responsible for the shift in the data. Make a note in advance of what you’re monitoring, and check the same aspects during your next review. This will make it easier to compare the results with your initial observations.
When do statistics fail to demonstrate business results?
If the number of stamps or redemptions rises, this indicates a change in the activity recorded in the programme. It does not, in itself, follow that revenue has increased, or that the loyalty programme caused the change. Correlation does not prove causation. Be precise: say ‘we recorded more redemptions’, rather than ‘the reward definitely brought customers back’. The ROI calculator available on the dashboard provides an estimate, not a guaranteed business outcome.
If you see different data following a change, check during the next review whether the pattern persists. Then decide whether to retain the change or investigate a different hypothesis. Always treat statistics as a basis for observation, not as a definitive explanation.
Get started with your loyalty programme for freeWhat loyalty programme statistics can you track on the stmpr dashboard?
The dashboard’s statistics section helps you recall what activity has taken place within the programme. Before you open it, choose a current issue. For example, you might want to consider whether to keep the current reward. To do this, make a note of which data points could help you reassess the issue later.
What can you see on the stmpr statistics dashboard?
Basic statistics are available in all packages. Detailed statistics and XLSX exports of reports are available in the Silver and Gold packages. Reports on campaign performance and returns can provide further insights, but you should always interpret the data in the context of your own specific question. Do not draw conclusions about the behaviour of all guests based on a single aggregate figure.
In practice, it is worth analysing separately how many people joined, how many stamps the system recorded, and how many rewards were redeemed. If you’re also analysing a campaign, make a note of which campaign and which period you’re referring to. This way, you won’t confuse different events later on, and you’ll see more clearly what the data is telling you.
How does the data lead to the next step in your analysis?
Link your observations to a specific decision. Write down what you want to find out, which data you’ve looked at, and what changes you’re considering. When you next review the data, return to the same question before introducing any further changes. In this way, using the dashboard can become part of your regular operations, rather than a one-off check.
Your business is the data controller for the guest data collected upon check-in. Consider what data you are collecting, for what purpose you are using it, and how you will inform guests about this. Marketing consent is required to send push notifications. As a next step, select a question to review during your next data review.
Choose a question and start the next round of measurement
During your next review, don’t try to interpret all the data at once. Write down what you’d like to find out and which data you’ll be looking at. This way, the loyalty programme statistics will become more than just a set of numbers on a dashboard; they’ll become a tool for reflecting on the guest experience.
Make a note of when you made changes to the programme, then return to the same question. If the answer isn’t clear from the data, refine your hypothesis and examine it again. Consistent interpretation helps ensure you do not claim more than the data supports.
Get started with your digital loyalty programme for freeStart with a single question and regularly check what the sign-ups, stamps and redemptions reveal about it.
Frequently asked questions about loyalty programme statistics
What data do loyalty programme statistics show?
The statistics provide an overview of events recorded in the programme, such as sign-ups, stamps issued and rewards redeemed. Interpret these in the context of a specific question, and note which campaign or reward was in effect during that period. The figures help to organise your observations, but on their own they do not reveal guests’ motivations.
How can the return on investment of a loyalty programme be estimated without making any assumptions about certain outcomes?
Keep the recorded data separate from the assumptions used for the estimate. Describe which programme activities you have taken into account, and which values are merely approximations. The stmpr ROI calculator provides an estimate, not a guaranteed business result. Do not treat the figures shown by the calculation as guaranteed revenue.
Is it possible to see which rewards are redeemed most frequently?
This depends on whether the report you have access to breaks down redemptions by reward type. If such a breakdown is available, compare periods recorded in the same way, and bear in mind that the terms and conditions or availability of rewards may vary. It is not possible to establish a reliable ranking of individual rewards based on aggregated redemption data.
How often should you review guest activity data?
Choose a frequency that suits your campaigns and the way your business operates. You can set a specific date in advance, or review the data separately after making changes to a campaign or reward. Do not compare periods of different lengths or selected on the basis of other criteria. If little data has been collected, hold off on drawing conclusions and return to the issue later.
Who is responsible for the guest data collected during the loyalty programme?
Your business is the data controller for the guest data collected upon enrolment. Consider what data you are requesting and for what purpose you are using it. Before launching a campaign, check that the purpose of the data collection is clear to the guest and that you have the necessary consent for that specific use. Marketing consent is required to send push notifications.
