The cardboard stamp card has served shops for decades, and it has real qualities: near-zero start-up cost, no technology, nothing to learn. The digital card answers its limits: loss, fraud, absence of data. This comparison puts the two side by side, criterion by criterion.
| Criterion | Paper card | Digikart |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up cost | Near zero (printing cards) | Free (Free plan) |
| Cost over time | Regular reprints | €0 on Free, €17/month incl. VAT on Plus, €49/month incl. VAT on Pro |
| Equipment needed | An ink stamp | The merchant's smartphone |
| On the customer's side | One more card in the wallet | A card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet |
| Risk of loss | High (loss, forgetting, wear) | Near zero, the card is in the phone |
| Stamp fraud | Possible (forged stamp) | Every visit confirmed by the merchant |
| Customer knowledge | No data | Customers, visits, rewards on the dashboard |
| Customer communication | Not possible | Unlimited notifications (Pro plan) |
| Setting up | Immediate | About 15 minutes |
| Reliance on technology | None | The customer's smartphone (web card fallback) |
The paper card remains a defensible choice in some cases: a pop-up business, a strictly zero budget, a customer base overwhelmingly without smartphones, or the wish to depend on no tool at all. It is set up in a day of printing, never breaks down and requires nothing to learn, for you or for your customers. If your programme comes down to a few regulars you know by name, it can be enough.
It quickly hits its limits, however, as soon as the programme matters to your business: cards get lost (and every lost card often means an abandoned programme), stamps can be forged, and above all you know nothing about your customers or how often they visit. The digital card removes those three weaknesses, and Digikart's Free plan, free with unlimited customers, removes the cost argument. The Pro plan is then only justified if you want to communicate, automate and analyse.
Not to begin with: Digikart's Free plan is free, with no limit on customers or duration, whereas the paper card requires regular reprints. The Plus plan (€17 per month incl. VAT) is for when you want the card in your colours and several tiers, and the Pro plan (€49 per month incl. VAT, all inclusive) is only of interest for notifications, POS connection, automations and detailed statistics.
Adding it is done by scanning a QR code once, with no app and no account to create, and the card then stays in the phone. For customers without a smartphone, with a connected till, identification by phone number lets them enjoy the programme without a card.
Loyalty card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, unlimited customers, no bank card, ready in 15 minutes.