The Loyalty Club vs Lokaly
UK NFC stamps with barista-worn NFC tags. Free tier + £10-25/mo. Very low price. High threat for UK coffee market.
Quick Verdict
TLC is better if...
Any business that wants maximum customer adoption — no app, no signup, just tap and go
- +NTAG 424 DNA anti-clone
- +Square POS integration
- +Wider business types
- +Card-linked auto-stamp
Lokaly is better if...
UK coffee shops wanting cheapest NFC loyalty with barista-worn tags
- +Lower price (free to £25)
- +Barista-worn tag UX
- +Free tier available
Feature Comparison
| Feature | The Loyalty Club | Lokaly |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Engagement | ||
| NFC Tap-to-Stamp | NFC — impossible to clone, unlike standard NFC | Barista-worn NFC tags |
| NFC Anti-Fraud | Bank-grade cryptographic verification on every tap | No |
| QR Code Stamps | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Beacon | No | No |
| Capacitive Touch Device | No | No |
| WiFi Captive Portal | No | No |
| Customer Experience | ||
| App Download Required | No | No |
| Apple Wallet Passes | Native passes with geofencing — auto-appears near the store | No |
| Google Wallet Passes | Coming soon | 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 | No | No |
| SMS Campaigns | No | No |
| Automated Marketing | No | No |
| Referral Program | Planned | No |
| Cross-Merchant Network | No | No |
| Business Features | ||
| Multi-Location Support | Manage all locations from one dashboard | No |
| White Label / Branded | Your brand, your colours, your logo throughout | No |
| Developer API | Planned | No |
| Analytics Dashboard | See who visits, how often, and who stopped coming back | Basic dashboard |
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
The Loyalty Club
Unlimited customers, per-location pricing, 3 staff cards. No commission. Hardware sold separately.
Lokaly
Limited features
Free tier
Full features
First Year Total Cost (cheapest plan)
£348.00
TLC
Free
Lokaly
Lokaly entry price is lower, but TLC is flat-rate with no per-user fees, anti-fraud NFC, Apple Wallet, and zero app downloads.
What Real Users Say
App Store
Google Play
Review Summary
UK-focused NFC stamp card provider. Merchants like the low price and NFC approach. However, the barista-worn NFC tags are controversial — some find it awkward, and tag durability is an issue. No anti-clone NFC protection.
Common Complaints from Lokaly Users
Barista-worn NFC tags are socially awkward — customers must tap staff's wrist/lanyard
NFC tags use basic NTAG — no anti-clone protection
Requires app download for full features
Limited analytics and reporting
Free tier limited to very few customers
No POS integration
Choose Lokaly if you...
- You prefer barista-worn NFC tags (staff tap for customers)
- You're a coffee shop wanting the simplest NFC setup from £10/mo
- You don't need anti-clone protection or POS integration
Choose TLC if you...
- You want anti-clone NFC (NTAG 424 DNA vs basic NTAG)
- You prefer counter-based tags — less awkward than staff-worn
- You want Square POS integration for automatic stamps
- You want Apple Wallet passes and App Clip support
- You want zero app download for customers
Switching from Lokaly to TLC
Switching from Lokaly to TLC means upgrading from basic NFC to anti-clone NTAG 424 DNA, and moving from barista-worn tags to a counter-based tag that customers tap themselves. No awkward personal contact needed. Setup takes under 30 minutes.
Under 30 minutes
Full setup from scratch
Zero downtime
Run both in parallel
No data loss
Customers start fresh on NFC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Loyalty Club really better than Lokaly?
+
It depends on your needs. TLC is better if you want NFC tap-to-stamp with anti-fraud security and no app downloads. Lokaly may be better if: UK coffee shops wanting cheapest NFC loyalty with barista-worn tags. We believe in honest comparisons -the best platform is the one that fits YOUR business.
Can I switch from Lokaly to TLC?
+
Yes. TLC 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 TLC starts fresh with your customers.
What does Lokaly do that TLC doesn't?
+
Lokaly's advantages include: Lower price (free to £25); Barista-worn tag UX; Free tier available. TLC is focused on the core stamp card experience with maximum simplicity and security.
How much does Lokaly cost compared to TLC?
+
TLC Club is £39/month and VIP is £79/month per location. No hidden fees, no setup fees. NFC hardware sold separately from £12.95. See the pricing comparison section above for Lokaly's full pricing breakdown.
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
Related Resources
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Set up NFC loyalty stamps in under 30 minutes. No app downloads. No hidden fees.