Membber vs Airship
Data-driven CRM and email marketing platform exclusively for UK hospitality. Founded 2003 in Sheffield. Integrates with 55+ hospitality tech providers (EPOS, WiFi, booking, ordering) to build single customer view. "Proof of Presence" technology tracks visits via WiFi login, table booking, order & pay apps, feedback, or voucher redemption. Sister company Toggle handles gift cards and retail. Used by major chains: Welcome Break, Wahaca, The Alchemist, Revolution Bars, Byron, Turtle Bay, Honest Burgers. Three tiers: Essentials, Plus, Expert — location-based fixed monthly pricing. 4-6 week onboarding. Unlimited email sends. SMS at 3.5p/message. AI-powered "Flight Assist" feature. NOT a stamp-card loyalty platform — focuses on CRM, email marketing, and customer data aggregation.
Quick Verdict
Membber is better if...
Any business that wants maximum customer adoption, no app, no signup, just tap and go
- +TLC offers instant NFC tap stamps — Airship has no physical stamp mechanism
- +TLC works for independent venues — Airship targets multi-site chains
- +TLC has transparent pricing (£29/mo) — Airship requires sales contact
- +TLC zero-friction setup (minutes) — Airship takes 4-6 weeks
Airship is better if...
Medium to large UK hospitality chains (restaurants, pubs, hotels) wanting CRM, email marketing, and customer data aggregation across 55+ integrations. Not suitable for small independents or stamp-card loyalty.
- +Airship has 20+ year track record in hospitality
- +Deep EPOS/WiFi/booking integrations TLC lacks
- +Multi-channel visit tracking (Proof of Presence)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Membber | Airship |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Engagement | ||
| NFC Tap-to-Stamp | NFC — impossible to clone, unlike standard NFC | No |
| NFC Anti-Fraud | Bank-grade cryptographic verification on every tap | No |
| QR Code Stamps | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Beacon | No | No |
| Capacitive Touch Device | No | No |
| WiFi Captive Portal | No | Proof of Presence via WiFi login at venue |
| Customer Experience | ||
| App Download Required | No | No |
| Apple Wallet Passes | Native passes with geofencing — auto-appears near the store | No |
| Google Wallet Passes | Native Android passes with stamp cards, vouchers, remote updates, and wallet callbacks | No |
| Account Creation Required | No | No |
| Personal Info Required | No | No |
| Push Notifications | Via Apple Wallet passes and location triggers | No |
| POS Integration | ||
| Square POS | Fully automatic card-linked stamping | No |
| Stripe POS | Planned | No |
| Clover POS | Planned | No |
| Lightspeed POS | Planned | No |
| Toast POS | No | No |
| Dojo | Planned | No |
| SumUp | Planned | No |
| Epos Now | No | No |
| Other POS Systems | Planned | No |
| Card-Linked Auto-Stamp | Pay with the same card and stamps land automatically | No |
| E-Commerce | ||
| Shopify Integration | Planned | No |
| WooCommerce Integration | Planned | No |
| Security | ||
| Anti-Fraud Measures | NFC anti-fraud + rate limiting + device fingerprinting | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | No |
| Marketing | ||
| Email Campaigns | Campaign and journey infrastructure exists; deliverability and consent hardening remain before broad rollout | Unlimited sends, AI builder, automation, templates |
| SMS Campaigns | No | No |
| Automated Marketing | Journey engine and scheduled campaign processing exist; needs production hardening | No |
| Referral Program | Planned | No |
| Cross-Merchant Network | No | Multi-site chains share customer data |
| Business Features | ||
| Multi-Location Support | Store switching and multi-site foundations exist; polished multi-location operations remain a priority | Core design — pricing scales by location count |
| White Label / Branded | Branding is deep across cards and apps; full white-label audit still required | Branded email templates |
| Developer API | Planned | No |
| Analytics Dashboard | See who visits, how often, and who stopped coming back | No |
How Stamp Collection Actually Works
Fewer steps = less friction = more stamps collected = more repeat visits
First Visit (Cash)
Customer pays cash, collects first stamp
First Visit (Card)
Customer pays by card, collects first stamp
Returning Visit (Cash)
Known customer pays cash, collects stamp
Returning Visit (Card)
Known customer pays by card, collects stamp
Pricing Comparison
Membber
Unlimited customers, per-location pricing, 3 staff cards, Membber branding, no POS integration. No per-stamp charges, no contracts, a 1.5% platform fee on top of Stripe, no monthly cap. Hardware sold separately.
Airship
No automations, no rewards, no board pack, no teams
Setup: £75.00 one-time. Entry tier. Location-based pricing — exact amount not publicly listed, requires sales contact. Includes unlimited emails, contacts, users, forms, AI email builder, automation builder shell, SMS (3.5p/msg), ROI dashboard, Flight Assist AI.
Named Account Management included
Setup: £200.00 one-time. Mid tier. Adds managed automations and rewards program. Location-based pricing not publicly listed.
Key Account Manager, Board Pack, strategic support
Setup: £600.00 one-time. Premium tier. Full platform with board reporting and strategic account management. Exact pricing requires sales call.
First Year Total Cost (cheapest plan)
£468.00
Membber
£75.00
Airship
Airship entry price is lower, but Membber is flat-rate with no per-user fees, anti-fraud NFC, Apple Wallet, and zero app downloads.
What Real Users Say
Review Summary
Mixed. Positive: Fast push notification infrastructure, proactive product team, good consulting support. Negative: Unintuitive UX/UI, glitchy software, slow test emails (up to 15 min), support tickets take days/weeks, 24-month contract lock-in with difficult exit, some call it overpriced.
Choose Airship if you...
- You are a multi-site hospitality chain (10+ locations)
- You need deep EPOS/WiFi/booking integrations for customer data
- Your priority is email marketing campaigns, not stamp-card loyalty
- You want automated customer journey mapping across channels
Choose Membber if you...
- You are an independent cafe, restaurant, or small chain
- You want simple NFC tap-to-stamp loyalty your customers actually use
- You need transparent pricing without 24-month lock-in
- You want to be live in minutes, not 4-6 weeks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Membber really better than Airship?
+
It depends on your needs. Membber is better if you want NFC tap-to-stamp with anti-fraud security and no app downloads. Airship may be better if: Medium to large UK hospitality chains (restaurants, pubs, hotels) wanting CRM, email marketing, and customer data aggregation across 55+ integrations. Not suitable for small independents or stamp-card loyalty.. We believe in honest comparisons -the best platform is the one that fits YOUR business.
Can I switch from Airship to Membber?
+
Yes. Membber is designed for quick setup -you can be running in under 30 minutes. Your customers don't need to download anything; they just tap the NFC tag on their next visit. There's no complex data migration needed since Membber starts fresh with your customers.
What does Airship do that Membber doesn't?
+
Airship's advantages include: Airship has 20+ year track record in hospitality; Deep EPOS/WiFi/booking integrations TLC lacks; Multi-channel visit tracking (Proof of Presence); Better for large chains with 50+ locations; Automated email marketing campaigns; Named account management and strategic support. Membber is focused on the core stamp card experience with maximum simplicity and security.
The research is clear: retailers with poorly-implemented loyalty programmes grew at just 2.28% — while those with no programme at all grew at 4.26%. McKinsey
Choosing the cheapest option can cost more than having no loyalty at all. See the full breakdown
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