The #1 Loyalty App for Small Business in 2024 (Comparison)

Small businesses are driven by loyal customers and the community built around their brand. In fact,research shows that seven out of 10 shoppers in the USA find that loyalty programs are important to make them feel close to their favorite brands. 

Implementing a loyalty program can lead to a profit way beyond margin, and with minimal investment, making it a far better strategy than focusing on customer acquisition.

A perfect loyalty program app should match the design of your loyalty program. This means it must satisfy several key criteria:

• Diverse points and rewards systems
• Customization and personalization to follow your brand’s identity and voice
• Integration capabilities and compatibility for your e-commerce platform
• Automation of certain processes, such as payment systems
• Comprehensive analytics and in-depth data for valuable insights into customer behavior
• Developer support for prompt app building and bug fixing
• Ios and Android compatibility to satisfy all users

In this article, we will help you choose a customer loyalty app by reviewing 5 apps in terms of features, use cases, pricing and use ratings.

Top 5 loyalty apps for small businesses to try

Here are the top five loyalty apps to check out in 2024:

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#1 Youshie

Youshie is a customer loyalty program app that helps bring customer engagement to the next level. We can build you your own branded app that will increase your engagement rates by 95%. With a fully functional branded app, you control your customer communication and can easily increase retention with our features.

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Besides the dynamic possibilities for rewarding customers via your program, you can also notify your community about new products and discounts and provide a true personalized shopping experience. Apps built by Youshie convert shoppers at a rate 300% higher than mobile websites.

Features

• Personalization options: Fully customize the app to match your business’s brand identity, from colors and logos to personalized messages
• IOS and Android: Youshie is available on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring that your customers can access your loyalty program regardless of the device they use
• In-store scanning: With this feature, customers can easily scan their purchases directly through the app, enhancing an overall shopping experience
• Dynamic rewards: Youshie’s  system allows you to offer customizable and real-time incentives - promote limited-time deals, exclusive offers, and bonus rewards
• Integration options: Connect your Shopify, Mailchimp, Stripe, Square, and Moneris
• Engagement assistant: The AI Engagement assistant built into Youshie interacts with customers in real time, providing personalized recommendations, answering queries, and offering support
• Updates: Youshie’s mobile content interface keeps your customers up-to-date with the latest news, promotions, and updates from your business through push notifications and in-app messages

Use cases

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• Real-time promotions  — Promote limited-time rewards events and discount offers to drive immediate engagement. Dynamic and personalized offers are 5-6 times more efficient than loyalty cards.
  
  
• Loyalty marketplace — Enable in-store scanning and a rewards marketplace to create an engaging and rewarding shopping experience.
  
  
• Automated customer interaction — Use the built-in Engagement Assistant to automate interactions throughout the customer journey, increasing conversions and customer lifetime value.
  
  
• In-store shopping — Use mobile features to support in-store shopping, enhancing the overall customer experience, and strengthening the bond between you and your shoppers.
  
  
• Push notifications — Use push notifications to effectively communicate with customers, making sure you stay in touch with everyone. They are 5-6x more effective than emails.
  
  
• Content strategy — Boost your customer engagement strategy by blogging, curating product collections, and writing about new offerings directly within the app. Stay connected with your community with an efficient content marketing strategy.

Pros

• Fast deployment (your app goes live within 5 business days)
• Hands-on support throughout the entire process
• Ios and Android customer loyalty app
• Full app customization
• A personalized experience for every shopper
• Spotlight feature for additional customer engagement

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Pricing

Youshie offers a pre-built solution for companies that are just getting started with their loyalty program. The Core pricing includes a branded customer loyalty app for both iOS and Android and a full suite with content management, personalized shopper experience, and AI assistant for increased engagement.

Youshie developers also offer an Unlimited plan with custom features, integrations, a dedicated accounting team, and support with your marketing strategies..

• Core - $199/mo
• Unlimited - custom pricing, get a quote.

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User rating

Our clients find Youshie their right hand to run customer loyalty programs. What they like the most is the Dynamic Rewards feature that targets the right customers for new recommendations. 

Besides rewarding customers, they highlight our Spotlight feature for turning loyalty programs into a community experience.

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#2 Glue Loyalty

Glue Loyalty is a digital loyalty tool designed for local businesses such as pubs, restaurants, nail salons, bakeries, car services, and others. Inspire brand loyalty with a points-earning system, membership levels, coupons, and rewards for your most committed buyers.

They offer a branded web app in their 3rd pricing tier ($127/month) with push campaign builders, and customization options. They don’t have a mobile app for now.

Features

• Customer management system and members club
• Points earning system and digital stamp cards for additional incentive
• Branded loyalty program app for your small business
• An integrated CRM for unlimited customers and leads
• Automated marketing campaigns to send reminders, promotions, and rewards to customers

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Use cases

• Customer retention and reward programs—Implement a points-based system where customers earn points for each purchase, which they can redeem for free drinks or pastries. This will encourage repeat visits and customer loyalty.
  
  
• Automated marketing campaigns — Send personalized offers and reminders to customers who haven't visited in a while, encouraging them to return with special discounts or promotions.
  
  
• Mobile app engagement — Use the app to send personalized birthday or anniversary discounts, reminding customers to purchase your products for their special occasions.
  
  
• Customizable rewards structures—Create a tiered rewards program in which customers earn higher rewards, such as discounted services or free products, as they reach different loyalty levels.
  
  
• Multi-channel engagement — Engage customers through SMS, email, and in-app notifications about upcoming workshops, membership deals, and event reminders.

Pros

• Membership tiers and levels
• Collecting loyalty points
• Digital loyalty cards
• Coupons to retain customers
• Referral program for scaling the business growth

Pricing

Glue Loyalty offers three different price sets, starting from $88/mo, billed annually. You can explore the app for free, including up to three users to experience the branded app, basic customer journey, coupons, and rewards.

• $0/mo: Create up to 3 member profiles and a branded app for free, and check out the functionalities to see if this is the app for you.
• $88/mo: Scale your local business with up to 500 customers onboard.
• $127/mo: Build your branded app. Invite up to 1.000 members to leverage your discounts, collect coupons, and help you grow with a referral program.
• $159/mo: Bring up to 2.000 of your most loyal customers together. Strengthen brand loyalty with powerful features such as POS integration, automated marketing campaigns, and unlimited coupons, rewards, and digital stamp cards.

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*Each of these plans includes a one-time $199 fee for setting up and shipping a physical kit for adding members.

User rating

Small business owners love how intuitive Glue Loyalty is for creating personalized loyalty apps. It shows the best results when used by local businesses such as coffee shops, barber shops, florists, or a retail store. Nick Cotter reviewed Glue Loyalty and gave it a 4.2/5.

#3 Smile.io

Smile offers a flexible platform to streamline your tailored loyalty programs. It was created to support large enterprises and help Shopify Plus businesses manage loyalty programs. 

They don’t offer branded loyalty apps, but you can embed their program across your store or creat a separate loyalty page.

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Features

• Point programs for customers to boost direct online engagement
• Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, and Wix integrations
• Tiered rewards and exclusive VIP membership
• Integrations with marketing tools such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and others
• Flexible customization options, including branding
• Pre-designed referral marketing environment

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Use cases

• Brand loyalty — Strengthen brand loyalty by rewarding customers for purchasing products across various retail channels, including online and in-store.
  
  
• Product launches — Prompt early adopters and loyal customers to try new products by offering exclusive rewards and early-bird access.
  
  
• Exclusive access — Provide high-end customers with exclusive rewards, early access to new collections, and special events, enhancing the luxury brand experience.
  
  
• Event engagement — Reward participation in events, webinars, and community activities with points and rewards, driving higher engagement and user satisfaction.
  
  
• Foster a stronger community — Offer points for actions such as sharing feedback, participating in community forums, and referring friends, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.

Pros

• All-in-one tool for creating a successful loyalty program for big-scale e-commerce
• Integrations with leading e-commerce stores
• VIP programs for luxury brands
• Loyalty points program for loyal customers
• Integrated referral marketing software
• Simple interface and comprehensive analytics and reporting

Pricing

Smile defines three pricing plans depending on the number of orders you receive through your e-commerce store:

• $49/mo for up to 500 monthly orders
• $199/mo for 2500 monthly orders plus $20 per extra 100 orders
• $999/mo for 7500 monthly orders plus $5 for an extra 100 on top of that.

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The starter plan includes a points program, referral marketing, basic reports, and two integrations. By upgrading to the growth plan, you get unlimited integrations, VIP membership, access to events, and SEO for your page. 

User rating

Entrepreneurs and sales teams on Shopify use Smile as a part of their digital loyalty program, and they rate it a high 4.9 stars. The strong side of the app is the support team, which is very helpful for users.

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Online e-commerce stores that implement their digital loyalty programs through Smile leverage this tool for customer retention. Unlike some of the tools we’ve mentioned here, Smile is not very focused on fostering a community but rather on retention and customer acquisition through referral programs.

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#4 LoyaltyLion

LoyaltyLion is a customer loyalty solution similar to Smile. It is designed to support Shopify brands and help them convert one-time buyers into loyal customers. Even though Smile and LoyaltyLion are not standalone loyalty program apps, they compensate for that with mobile-friendly websites.

You won’t have a branded loyalty app but personalized loyalty pages that show points, grant early access, or offer promotions.

Features

• Personalized customer experience
• Redeemable loyalty points on-page and at checkout
• Automation tools to optimize your loyalty program
• Custom-branded loyalty page with a palette of rewards
• Comprehensive customer analytics and ROI calculator
• Support for setting up your loyalty programs
  
  

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Use cases

• E-commerce integration — Integrate with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce, allowing for seamless implementation and management.
  
  
• Automated campaigns — Set up automated loyalty campaigns that trigger based on customer behavior, such as post-purchase follow-ups or win-back campaigns for lapsed customers.
  
  
• ROI measurement — Measure the return on investment of loyalty programs and make data-driven decisions to optimize effectiveness.
  
  
• Email and SMS campaigns — Engage customers through targeted email and SMS campaigns highlighting their loyalty status, points balance, and available rewards.
  
  
• On-site notifications—Use on-site notifications and pop-ups to inform customers about their points and rewards and encourage them to engage more frequently.

Pros

• Integrations with major e-commerce platforms
• Earning and redeeming points at multiple places throughout the customer journey
• VIP membership for exclusive customers
• Marketing campaigns via multiple channels
• Automation and actionable customer insights

Pricing

LoyaltyLion bases its pricing plans on your company’s annual revenue.

Their basic plan starts at $249/mo for companies with less than $2 million revenue. Advanced plans are divided for revenues of less than $5m and store revenue over $5m.

• $245/mo: Designed loyalty page, rewards, marketing integrations, analytics, and referral program
• Get a quote: For VIP tiers and points on product pages
• Get a quote: Advanced features such as automation, and additional integrations

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User rating

High-end Shopify stores benefit from LoyaltyLion’s robust features and opportunities to scale with customer loyalty programs and referral marketing strategies. 

What Shopify business owners like the most about this tool is its smooth performance and excellent customer support. They rated it a high 4.6 stars out of 5.

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#5 WaveToGet

WaveToGet caters to the needs of both larger enterprises and small businesses. They offer iOS and Android apps for enterprise and small business loyalty programs, engaging loyal customers through promo codes, social media, and membership cards.

Features

• Flexible loyalty software adjusted for iOS and Android
• Monitoring clients' balance and tracking customer spending
• Customizable features to address customer preferences
• QR-code system for easier payments
• Convert coins into gifts, USD, or exclusive benefits
• Personalized approach to incentivize existing customers

Use cases

• Mobile apps — Create mobile apps for both Android and iOS, allowing customers to easily access their digital loyalty cards, check their points balance, and redeem rewards on the go.
  
  
• In-app experiences — Enhance the customer experience by offering in-app loyalty interactions, making it convenient for customers to participate in the loyalty program directly from their smartphones.
  
  
• Special offers — Provide exclusive offers and discounts to loyal members, encouraging long-term membership and referrals.

Pros

• Optimization for desktops, tablets, and mobile devices
• Automated and personalized marketing campaigns
• Customer behavior and spending tracking for deeper insights
• In-store, online, and mobile touchpoints for earning loyalty points

Pricing

WaveToGet has three payment plans, depending on the features you need.

• $49/mo: Setup an e-commerce plugin for your loyalty program
• $99/mo: Install in-store touchpoints at two locations for a multichannel experience
• $149/mo: Setup your loyalty web page and involve multi-location touchpoints

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User rating

If you ask a small business sales team, WaveToGet is a simple solution that enables easy implementation of gift cards, cash back, and multi-channel marketing campaigns. Their strongest side is ease of use and dedicated customer support.

Comparison Table

5 strategies to maximize your loyalty app

Looking to scale and make the best out of your loyalty program apps? These five strategies will help you boost your loyalty program efforts through the roof:

1. Run special promotions and rewards during holidays and seasonal events to drive customer engagement.
   
   
2. For a popular loyalty program, implement gamification programs fast by integrating quick setup features and instant rewards for engagement, such as daily challenges and quests, to boost your loyalty app's effectiveness.
   
   
3. Implement a system for collecting and acting on customer feedback to improve the loyalty program and overall customer experience. Use analytics, insights, feedback, and customer data to continually refine and optimize the loyalty program.
   
   
4. Tailor rewards and offers based on individual customer preferences and behaviors to increase engagement. Offer exclusive rewards and benefits to every customer participating in your referral program.
   
   
5. To keep customers motivated, provide instant rewards for certain actions, such as making a purchase or sharing on social media. Instant gratification is a powerful psychological strategy that produces immediate results.

Conclusion

By choosing the right loyalty program app and building successful loyalty programs, small businesses can incentivize repeat purchases, strengthen brand recognition, and gain a competitive advantage.

While many loyalty apps focus on a rewards program, Youshie is dedicated to boosting customer engagement and creating a healthy community around your brand values. This is why we offer community management features that help you build a deeper bond with the most loyal customers.

Sounds like a good fit? Sign up for a free trial and design your customer loyalty app today!

FAQs

How do I create a digital loyalty card for my business?

Sign up for a Youshie account to implement your loyalty app and design a digital loyalty card. Customize the app and loyalty cards according to your brand and strategy.

How much does it cost to create a loyalty program for a small business?

You can kickstart your small business loyalty programs and start rewarding every loyal customer for free. As your company grows, upgrade your loyalty apps to expand your digital loyalty program.

How much does it cost to have a loyalty app?

You can set up basic loyalty apps for free. For advanced features such as a personalized loyalty experience, referral rewards, and unlimited customers, you can purchase a loyalty app for $49 per month.