1
Customer orders and pays
Customer orders whatever they want. Nothing changes at this stage. The loyalty program kicks in when the barista closes the check.
Loyalty program · minimum check for stamp
Loyalty program with a minimum check:
Loyalty program with a minimum check:
stamp only for a real visit
Set the minimum that earns a stamp — e.g., $5. Order $4 — no stamp, the barista sees a red warning "Need $1 more". Order $7 — stamp credited. Tiny purchases don’t dilute card progress, while regulars get rewarded for real visits.
Built for cafés that don’t want to give a stamp for one croissant, for gas stations with cafés (minimum fill-up), for lounge bars with table minimums, for quick-service restaurants. Set the threshold in your currency — the program protects your margin.
19 locales5 min to launchNo customer appThreshold = your margin
Café "Light Brew"
Kyiv · Prorizna 7
5 visits from $5 — sixth free
Qualified visits 4 / 5 · minimum check $5
credited ✓
Get bonus (available after 5/5)
Tiny purchases
earn no stamp
How it works · Qualified visits
How customers collect stamps
Six simple steps — from payment to credited stamp. Key moment — at step 3 the program checks whether the check exceeds your minimum. That’s the main difference from regular 5+1.
2
Barista enters the check amount
On the panel, the barista enters the latest check amount — e.g., $7.50 — and taps "Generate QR". If the amount is below the threshold, the button stays disabled (see step 3).
3
Minimum-check verification
If amount <b>≥ threshold</b> (e.g., $5) — "Generate QR" button is active, the stamp will be credited. If <b>< threshold</b> — a noticeable red warning appears on the barista panel: "Need $X more for a stamp". The barista can gently suggest the customer add an item.
4
Customer scans with camera
Any smartphone camera. No app for the customer. Scans the QR — and is instantly on their card with one more stamp.
5
New customer — in 10 seconds
First time — customer enters email and instantly gets a magic link. Tap the link — they’re on their card with the stamp already credited. No forms, no passwords.
6
Card updates live
If this was the last stamp before the bonus — the customer instantly sees "Bonus available". Birthday and streak bonuses accrue automatically if you’ve enabled them.
How it works · Bonus redemption
How customers redeem bonuses
Five steps from "I have a bonus!" to "bonus delivered". Quick for the barista, clear for the customer.
1
Customer opens the card with the bonus
The customer sees the "Bonus available" indicator, a 4-digit PIN and a QR code on the card. Both valid for one minute or one use. Customer shows the screen to the barista — or simply says the PIN.
2
Barista scans the code
On the barista panel they tap "Issue bonus" and scan the customer’s QR (tablet camera) or enter the 4-digit PIN. In the 5+1 model there’s no tier choice — the barista delivers the drink from your menu per the customer’s choice.
3
On screen — bonus request
Barista’s screen shows "Customer wants a bonus. Confirm or deny?". Quick, no extra details.
4
Barista confirms
One tap — bonus is issued. Customer card updates to "Bonus delivered", accumulated stamps are taken for this bonus — and the customer can immediately start a new card.
5
Customer sees confirmation
A second after confirmation — customer screen shows "Bonus delivered ✓" and a fresh card ready for new collection. No paper receipts, no waiting.
Customer cases
Who’s already using the minimum-check model
Three verticals where the check threshold is critical: cafés that don’t want to give a stamp for a croissant, gas stations with minimum fill-ups, lounge bars with table minimums. Threshold is set to your average ticket.
Café "Light Brew"
Kyiv · single location
Threshold $5 · 5 visitsbonus: any drink
Average check $6. Customer orders a latte for $3 — below threshold, the barista sees "Need $2 more" and offers a croissant for $3. Customer adds, check $6 — stamp credited. Program as an upsell tool: customer happy to get a stamp, barista raised the average check.
+22% average ticket lift from incentive to reach the minimum
Gas station "Fuel" with café
network · 12 locations
Threshold $20 · 5 fill-upsbonus: free coffee
Customers stopping for $2-3 of fuel "to get home" aren’t the target audience. The $20 threshold filters them out. 5 real fill-ups (≥$20) — and a free coffee bonus. Encourages full fill-ups, not "a quarter of a tank".
+34% average fill-up amount after threshold introduction
Lounge bar "Aroma"
Odesa · single location
Threshold $12 · 5 visitsbonus: cocktail
One cocktail $10 — below threshold, no stamp. Two friends order two each — $20, stamp credited. Naturally encourages "don’t drop in alone for one drink" — go with a group or place a fuller order. 5 "real" visits = a free cocktail.
+45% average ticket lift via incentive to come with a group
Flexibility
What you can configure
The minimum-check program is not a fixed template. Here are 7 key settings you adapt to your format and margin.
| Minimum check for a stamp | Pick an amount in your currency — e.g., $5, 150 ₴ or 250 PLN. We recommend 70-80% of your typical check: average $7 → threshold $5-6. The threshold should be hit by a "natural" order but cut off "penny" purchases. Below 50% — the threshold is irrational (almost every order beats it); above 100% — customers abandon the program. |
| Bonus threshold | 5 — most popular value (5 qualified visits = 1 free bonus). We recommend 2-10 visits. Threshold change doesn’t affect already earned stamps. Binary rule: visit ≥ minimum check = +1 stamp. Otherwise 0 (no partial credit; for proportional, use a different mode). |
| What to gift | By default — any drink from the menu. You can restrict: price cap (up to $3), category (espresso only), or a list of specific items. |
| Red warning for the barista | If the customer is below the threshold — a noticeable red message appears on the barista panel: "Need $X more for a stamp". The "Generate QR" button stays inactive until the customer reaches the threshold. The barista can gently suggest the customer add an item — an upsell tool that works in both the customer’s and your interest. |
| Anti-fraud protection | Every QR is single-use and lives for a minute. The barista enters the check amount through a closed field — the customer can’t enter their own. Binary threshold check is done on the server — the customer can’t "trick" the threshold even if they know its value. |
| Single card across the network | If you have multiple branches — customers collect stamps everywhere on a single card. No need to set up a separate card for each café, no need to migrate data manually. |
| Boosters: birthday + streak | Toggle in campaign settings — no extra tier, no mode change, no extra campaign. Birthday and streak bonuses are top-ups to `bonuses_available` regardless of the minimum check (the customer gets a free bonus even without qualified visits). |
Bonus · Birthday
Birthday bonus
The fastest way to boost loyalty — without discounts or margin loss. Customer adds birthday on first card add, automatically receives a gift in their birthday week. The birthday reward is a <b>top-up of bonuses_available</b>: a free bonus regardless of the minimum check (even without qualified visits).
1-click toggleCustomer activity threshold±3 days around birthdayFlexible reward- Bonus stamps right to the card — customer gets a free drink in their birthday week
- Anti-freeloader — only customers who bought N bonuses overall get the gift
- Flexible window — exactly on birthday or week around it (your choice)
- Fully automatic — no email blasts, no extra barista work, no separate campaign
+34%more returns in birthday week vs control group (median across our cafés)
Birthday week
+5 stamps gift
Active Nov 15–21. Your card already received bonus stamps — your next visit will be the sixth.
Progress5 / 5 · bonus available
Streak this week
Still 1 day to bonus: +1 stamp for 7-day streak
1 day to bonus: +1 stamp for 7-day streak
Bonus · Regularity streak
Streak
bonus
Reward for regularity — the best way to turn occasional visitors into daily ones. Customer sees the "X days in a row" counter right on their card, and that builds the habit of coming back.
Custom visit threshold
Custom period
Custom bonus
Soft-fail
Bonus threshold — e.g., 7 visits in 7 days (one each day of the week)
- Reward type — extra stamps to card or instant free drink
- Soft-fail — one missed day doesn’t reset the streak, just pauses it
- Counter visible right on the card — that itself is the motivation
3.4×increase in visit frequency for streak-bonus customers vs standard 5+1
Comparison
Costless 51 vs alternatives
Many loyalty programs offer a check threshold, but almost all require their own POS or enterprise licensing. Costless is the only one offering minimum-check in the SMB range without POS dependency.
| Feature | Costless 51 | Loopy Loyalty | Stamp Me | Loyverse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check threshold for stamp | ✓ ✓ | ✗ ✓ | ✗ ✓ | ✓ |
| No mandatory third-party POS | ✓ iiko/SberFood | iiko POS only | ✗ Localization | 19 languages |
| EN + RU | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ EN only |
| RU only | ✓ | RU + EN | ✓ | ✗ |
| Birthday + streak built-in | partial | partial | via add-ons | Starting price |
Overview
Watch in 90 seconds
Full cycle — customer orders for $4 → red warning "Need $1 more" → customer adds a croissant → green check → stamp credited. Slogan at the till: "tiny purchases earn no stamp". Voice in English, subtitles in 19 languages.
Minimum check for a stamp · Costless 5+1
Pricing
Fair price. Free start.
Pay only when the program brings you customers. Free tier — forever, no expiration, no hidden conditions.
Most Popular
Business
$69 /mo
- 10 locations
- 10 campaigns
- 20 baristas
- All 6 stamp modes
- Full + export
Explore other loyalty mechanics
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Common questions
What people ask before launch
Everything about the minimum-check model — how the threshold works, how to pick it, how it differs from regular 5+1, whether partial credit is possible.
How does the minimum-check model work?
The barista enters the check amount after payment. If it’s ≥ the threshold — a stamp is credited. Below the threshold — no stamp. You configure the threshold in the admin panel: for a café with $7 average check — threshold $5; for a bar with $20 average — threshold $12-15.
How does it differ from a regular 5+1 stamp card?
In regular 5+1, a stamp is credited for the fact of a visit, regardless of amount. Bought a $1 croissant — got a stamp. Bought a $12 set — got the same stamp. That’s unfair to the business. In minimum-check mode, a stamp is credited only for a "real" visit with the minimum you set — the program rewards customers who actually spend.
How do I pick the right check threshold?
Usually the threshold is 70-80% of the typical check. If the average check is $7 — threshold $5-6. The threshold should be hit by a "natural" order (full breakfast, lunch with a side, two drinks etc.), but cut off "penny" purchases. Below 50% — the threshold is irrational, because almost every order beats it. Above 100% — customers abandon the program because they always fall a bit short.
Can I change the threshold after launch?
Yes, in campaign settings. Change doesn’t affect already-earned stamps — current cards continue with the old threshold to bonus, new qualified visits count with the new threshold. Lets you experiment: try $5, switch to $7 — without losing existing customer loyalty.
What does the barista see when the customer is below the threshold?
A noticeable red warning: "Need $X more for a stamp". The "Generate QR" button is inactive until the customer reaches the threshold. The barista can gently suggest the customer add an item — a dessert, an aperitif, an extra drink. It’s an honest upsell tool: the customer’s happy to get a stamp, the barista raised the average check.
Is partial credit — say 0.5 of a stamp — possible?
No, the mode is binary: visit ≥ threshold = +1 stamp, otherwise = 0. If you need proportional credit (1 stamp per $X spent, with partial progress) — pick a different mode in Costless: "stamp per spend amount". It suits scenarios like "every $25 = +1 stamp" where the check varies widely.
What if the customer tries to game the stamps?
Every QR is single-use and lives only one minute from creation. The barista enters the check amount through a closed field (in the admin panel) — the customer can’t enter their own. The threshold check is done on the server: even if the customer knows the threshold, they can’t "trick" the system. Without a barista, without a register tablet — no stamp is credited.
Launch your minimum-check program in 5 minutes
Free tier · 1 location · unlimited customers · threshold in your currency. No app, no POS dependency. Tiny purchases don’t dilute card progress. Birthday gift and streak bonus — on paid plans.
Create card free →No credit cardCancel any timeYour data — yours forever