The 8-coffee stamp card is a small masterpiece of behavioral design
Why a piece of cardboard with eight circles on it outperforms most loyalty programs, the psychology behind it, and what we kept when we turned it into an app for GERG.
Apps for brands: loyalty, ordering and what they cost
What we learned building GERG for a coffee shop and what we tell any business thinking about an app: when an app beats a web page, what a loyalty app needs, Apple Wallet passes versus a full app, and where the cost comes from.
What a coffee shop loyalty app actually needs: lessons from GERG
We built the loyalty app for GERG Stroop & Coffee. Here is what mattered: one QR code at the till, instant points, a stamp card people already understand, and a menu that pulls its weight.
Loyalty tiers from Bronze to Diamond: what each level should actually unlock
Tiers give regulars something a stamp card cannot: recognition. But a tier that unlocks nothing is a badge. How we structured GERG’s six levels, what moves people between them, and what each level should feel like.
QR at the till: the loyalty app user nobody designs for is the cashier
A loyalty app has two users at the counter, and most teams design for one. How we built GERG’s scan flow for the person behind the till: one code, one scan, one confirmation, no exceptions to explain.
Allergens on the menu: the boring feature that builds more trust than any campaign
GERG’s app shows every item with its photo, price and allergen information. It is unglamorous work, and it is the feature regulars mention most. Why accurate, visible allergen data matters and how to keep it true.
Order ahead and the queue problem: why preparing a cart in advance beats skipping the line
Most order-ahead features try to let customers skip the queue, and quietly break the shop. GERG lets you prepare your cart before you arrive. Why that small difference matters at a busy counter.
Apple Wallet pass or a full loyalty app? When each one is enough
A Wallet pass is a loyalty card that lives in Apple Wallet with no download. For many businesses it is all they need. For some it is not. The honest comparison, and the point at which a full app earns its cost.
The five integrations a café loyalty app needs (and the one it usually does not)
A loyalty app is only as good as what it is connected to. The five connections that make one work: the till, payments, the menu, push notifications and analytics. And the integration brands ask for that rarely earns its cost.
Launching a loyalty app to regulars: what the first 30 days look like in the shop
The launch of a brand app does not happen on the App Store. It happens at the counter, one regular at a time. How GERG’s first month went, what staff need, what to say at the till, and the numbers worth watching.
Should your café have an app, or just a web page? An honest answer
Most small businesses do not need an app. Some do. The difference is whether there is a repeated moment at the counter that an app makes faster, and whether regulars would keep it on their phone. A short test to decide.
What drives the cost of a brand app (and what does not)
Brands ask what an app costs before they ask what it should do. The honest answer is that the price follows a handful of decisions: integrations, platforms, the moment at the counter, and who maintains it after launch. The drivers, without a price list.