Square Loyalty Program: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

Last updated: March 2026

Square Loyalty is one of the most searched loyalty programmes for small businesses — and for good reason. If you already use Square to process payments, adding a loyalty layer sounds simple.

But there are two things worth knowing upfront: it costs $49 per month per location (as part of Square Plus), and it only works if Square is your point-of-sale system.

This review covers exactly what you get, what you don’t, and whether it is worth the price — with honest alternatives if it is not.

Key Takeaway: Square Loyalty is a solid option for businesses already invested in the Square ecosystem. If you do not use Square POS, or if $49/month per location is too steep, there are better-suited alternatives — including free ones.

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What Is Square Loyalty?

Square Loyalty is a digital loyalty programme built into Square’s point-of-sale software. Instead of paper stamp cards, customers earn points or stamps every time they make a purchase through your Square register.

Customers do not need to download a separate app. They identify themselves at checkout — typically by phone number — and their reward progress is tracked automatically. Since early 2023, iOS customers can optionally add a loyalty pass to Apple Wallet, which then auto-activates when they pay with Apple Pay at a Square terminal.

The key distinction from standalone loyalty tools: Square Loyalty lives inside Square’s ecosystem. It only works if you process payments through Square POS, Square Online, Square Terminal, or Square Register.

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Square Loyalty Pricing

Square Loyalty is included in Square Plus, which costs $49 per month per location. Square Plus bundles loyalty together with staff management tools, marketing features, and a customisable website — it is not a standalone loyalty subscription.

There is no loyalty-only plan and no permanent free tier.

What that looks like in practice:

Business setup	Locations	Monthly cost
Single café	1	$49/mo
Small chain	3	$147/mo
Growing brand	5	$245/mo

The cost multiplies with every location. For a multi-site business, loyalty fees compound quickly.

There is a free trial available, but after it ends, you either subscribe or lose access to the loyalty data you have collected.

For context: according to research by Bain & Company, cited in Harvard Business Review, increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25–95%. The question is whether a $49/month subscription is the right vehicle for capturing that return — or whether a free alternative delivers the same result.

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What You Get with Square Loyalty

Loyalty structure

Square Loyalty supports two programme types:

• Visits-based: Customers earn a stamp for each visit (transaction)
• Spend-based: Customers earn points per dollar spent

You set the reward threshold — for example, earn 8 stamps, get a free coffee. Rewards can be percentage discounts, fixed amounts off, or free items.

Customer experience

Customers do not need an app. At checkout, they give their phone number. Square matches it to their loyalty profile and updates their progress. On iPhone with Apple Pay, a Wallet pass added after enrolment will auto-activate at the terminal — no phone number needed.

One important gap: Google Wallet is not supported. Android customers must always enter their phone number. There is no Google Wallet pass option in Square Loyalty.

Analytics

The Square Dashboard shows:

• Total visits and spend per customer
• Reward redemption rates
• Most loyal customers ranked by visits or spend
• Basic loyalty programme performance overview

Customer messaging

Square Loyalty does not include direct messaging. Sending loyalty-triggered promotions requires a separate Square Marketing subscription — an additional cost on top of the $49/month Plus plan.

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The Big Limitation: POS Lock-In

This is the most important thing to understand before signing up.

Square Loyalty only works with Square POS.

If you process payments through Toast, Clover, Lightspeed, SumUp, or any other system — Square Loyalty is not available to you. Stamps are triggered by purchases processed through Square. There is no manual stamp option, no third-party integration, and no workaround.

This is not a limitation that will be patched. It is how the product is built: loyalty is a retention layer on top of Square’s payment rails, not a standalone tool.

For businesses already all-in on Square — hardware, Square Online, all transactions — the integration is straightforward. For everyone else, it simply does not apply.

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Who Square Loyalty Is Actually Good For

Square Loyalty makes the most sense when:

• You already use Square POS for all transactions
• You have one location (or a small number where $49/location is manageable)
• Your customers are primarily on iPhone (Apple Wallet pass works; Google Wallet does not)
• You want loyalty to be frictionless — no separate platform to manage

It is a poor fit for:

• Businesses not using Square POS (zero compatibility)
• Multi-location businesses where per-location fees add up fast
• Businesses with a significant Android customer base
• Anyone wanting to test loyalty before committing to a monthly fee

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Square Loyalty Alternatives

If Square Loyalty does not fit — wrong POS, wrong budget, or wrong approach — here are the main alternatives.

FaveCard — Best free alternative

FaveCard is a digital loyalty card platform that works with any POS — or no POS at all. Customers receive a stamp card directly in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, so it works on both iPhone and Android without any app download.

Staff stamp cards using a mobile scan app. No payment processing is involved.

The free plan is not a trial — it is a fully functional loyalty card. Unlimited customers, Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, mobile scan app. No time limit, no credit card. Every new account also gets 30 days of Pro to try everything.

Pro ($12/month EU, $19/month US) turns it into a full loyalty platform: your own logo, colours, and banner on the card. Employee accounts. Detailed analytics on visit frequency, redemption rates, and customer behaviour. Customer data export. And direct messaging to customers through the Wallet card — no app, no phone numbers, no SMS costs.

According to the Bond Brand Loyalty Report 2024, 79% of consumers are more likely to recommend brands with solid loyalty programmes, and 85% say they are more likely to keep buying from that brand. That kind of return does not require a $49/month subscription to achieve.

Loopy Loyalty — Wallet-based, no POS required

Loopy Loyalty is a digital stamp card platform that issues Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes. It starts at $25/month with no free plan. Like Square Loyalty, you pay from day one.

Stamp Me — App-based

Stamp Me requires customers to download a separate app before they can collect stamps — which adds friction at sign-up. Pricing starts at $49/month with no free tier. Same price as Square Loyalty, but without the POS integration.

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Square Loyalty vs FaveCard: Side-by-Side

	Square Loyalty	FaveCard Free	FaveCard Pro
Monthly cost	$49/location	$0 (no time limit)	$12–19/mo
POS required	Square POS only	Any POS or none	Any POS or none
Unlimited customers	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apple Wallet	✓ (Apple Pay only)	✓ (all iPhones)	✓ (all iPhones)
Google Wallet	✗	✓	✓
Custom branding	Yes	No	Yes (logo, colours, banner)
Employee accounts	Yes	No	Yes
Analytics	Basic	Basic	Full (visit frequency, redemptions, behaviour)
Customer data export	Via Square Dashboard	No	Yes
Customer messaging	Separate subscription	No	Yes (via Wallet card, no SMS costs)
Multi-location	Yes (+$49/location)	Yes	Yes (flat rate)
POS lock-in	Yes	No	No

The decision comes down to one question: are you using Square POS?

If yes — and you are already paying for Square Plus — loyalty is bundled in. But remember: you are locked to Square for everything. Switching POS later means losing your entire loyalty history.

If no — Square Loyalty is not an option. FaveCard works with any POS and costs nothing to start.

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Is Square Loyalty Worth It?

For existing Square users — conditionally. If you are already paying for Square Plus, loyalty is included. But keep in mind: your loyalty data stays inside Square. If you ever switch POS systems, you lose your customer history. That is a real cost that does not show up on the invoice.

For businesses not on Square — no. The product is not available to you regardless of budget.

For anyone evaluating loyalty for the first time — probably not as a starting point. Committing $49/month before you know whether your customers will engage is a meaningful risk. A free digital loyalty card lets you run a real programme — not a trial — and pay only when you want advanced features.

A loyalty programme works best when customers actually use it. Testing without a monthly fee at stake makes that first step much easier — and you keep your data regardless of which POS you use tomorrow.

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FAQ

How much does Square Loyalty cost?

Square Loyalty is included in Square Plus, which costs $49 per month per location. There is no standalone loyalty-only plan and no permanent free tier. Each location is billed separately.

Does Square Loyalty require Square POS?

Yes. Square Loyalty is built into Square’s payment infrastructure and cannot be used with any third-party POS. Stamps are triggered by purchases processed through Square — not by manual check-ins or app scans.

What is the best free alternative to Square Loyalty?

FaveCard offers a permanent free plan with unlimited customers, digital stamp cards in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and a mobile scan app. It works with any POS, requires no customer app download, and every new account starts with 30 days of Pro. No credit card required.

Does Square Loyalty support Google Wallet?

No. Square Loyalty added Apple Wallet support for iOS users in early 2023, but there is no Google Wallet integration. Android customers must always identify by phone number at checkout.

Does Square Loyalty work for multiple locations?

Yes, but each location adds $49/month. Three locations means $147/month in loyalty fees alone — before other Square costs.

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