Want to launch your loyalty programme without spending months on it? Here's a practical, day-by-day guide to setting up a digital card in one week.

One week really is enough

Many shopkeepers put off launching their loyalty programme because they imagine a long, complicated project. The reality is far simpler: with a digital loyalty card, you can go from idea to launch in one week, by dedicating a little time each day.

Here's a concrete plan, day by day, to get there without stress.

Day 1 (Monday): laying the foundations

Before touching a single tool, take half an hour to answer three questions:

What behaviour do you want to reward? Visit frequency, amount spent, or both?

What reward will you offer? It should be attractive to the customer but profitable for you.

What reward pace? Too long and the customer gives up; too short and you lose out.

A few pointers depending on your business:

BusinessRewardPace CaféFree coffee10 visits RestaurantDessert or -15%Points based on the bill SalonFree treatment8 visits ShopDiscount voucherPoints collected

By the end of the day, you know exactly what your programme will offer.

Day 2 (Tuesday): creating your card

Time to take action. Head to Goodly and create your account for free with the Starter plan.

Creating the card takes a few minutes:

Enter the name and type of your business

Choose the system: stamps or points

Upload your logo and choose your colours

Set the reward and the threshold you decided on the day before

In about twenty minutes, your card is ready and looks like your brand. Take the time to get this detail right: a clean, professional card inspires confidence.

Day 3 (Wednesday): preparing the ground

Now that the card exists, prepare its arrival in your business:

Print the QR code generated by Goodly. Display it at the till, on the counter, on the tables or in the window.

Prepare a small display: a stand or a small sign that explains the programme's appeal in one sentence ("Scan and earn your free coffee every 10 visits").

Test the journey yourself: scan the QR code with your own phone, add the card to your Wallet, validate a visit with the PIN code. This way you understand exactly what your customer will experience.

Day 4 (Thursday): training your team

If you have employees, this is the key step. A loyalty programme only works if the whole team offers it systematically.

Gather your team for ten minutes and show them:

How to validate a visit with the 4-digit PIN code

The line to say to every customer: *"Do you have our loyalty card? It's free, it takes ten seconds."*

Why it matters: every enrolled customer is a customer who comes back more often

The reflex of offering the card at every visit is what will get your programme off the ground. Without that habit, even the best card in the world stays empty.

Day 5 (Friday): a gentle launch

Launch day. You start offering the card to your customers. A few tips for the first days:

Target your regulars first: they're the easiest to convince and the most likely to use it

Keep it simple: a QR code, ten seconds, that's all

Keep your paper cards running alongside if you had any, during the transition

Don't aim for perfection. The goal of day one is simply to get the mechanics going and enrol your first customers.

Day 6 (Saturday): observing and adjusting

After a few days, open your Goodly dashboard and look at:

How many customers have signed up

How fast visits are being validated

Whether the journey is causing trouble for some customers

This is also the time to spot friction. If your customers hesitate, perhaps the sign isn't clear enough, or the team forgets to offer the card. Adjust accordingly.

Day 7 (Sunday): preparing what's next

To turn this launch into a lasting success, prepare your first push notification (available from the Pro plan at 29€/month). A simple message that brings value:

*"Thanks for joining our programme! Your next visit brings you closer to your reward"*

Also plan your communication pace: no more than one notification a week, always with a real reason (something new, an offer, a reminder that a reward is close).

After the first week

Your programme is live. What comes next is to:

Systematically enrol every new customer

Watch your RFM analytics to spot customers slipping away

Send relevant notifications to nurture the relationship

Within a few weeks, most of your regulars will be enrolled, and you'll start to see the effect on visit frequency.

The recap at a glance

DayAction MondayDefine the reward and the pace TuesdayCreate the card on Goodly WednesdayPrint the QR code, prepare the display ThursdayTrain the team FridayLaunch with the regulars SaturdayObserve and adjust SundayPrepare the first notification

Ready to get started?

You don't need more than a week or a big budget. With the free Starter plan, you can begin today and see for yourself.

Launch your loyalty programme →

Launching a digital loyalty programme in one week: a day-by-day guide