The Loyalty Club vs SQUID Loyalty
NFC loyalty with NTAG213 (clonable) tags, requires app download. Square POS integration. Cross-merchant Wave Points network.
Quick Verdict
TLC is better if...
Any business that wants maximum customer adoption — no app, no signup, just tap and go
- +No app download required
- +NTAG 424 DNA anti-clone
- +Lower friction (3 steps vs 10)
- +Flat pricing no tiers
SQUID Loyalty is better if...
Merchants wanting cross-merchant loyalty network with Square POS
- +Larger user base
- +Cross-merchant network
- +More established brand
Feature Comparison
| Feature | The Loyalty Club | SQUID Loyalty |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Engagement | ||
| NFC Tap-to-Stamp | NFC — impossible to clone, unlike standard NFC | NTAG213 — clonable, no anti-clone protection |
| 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 | Must download SQUID app |
| 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 | Via SQUID app |
| POS Integration | ||
| Square POS | Fully automatic card-linked stamping | Yes |
| 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 | Via Wave Points |
| 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 | Yes |
| SMS Campaigns | No | No |
| Automated Marketing | No | No |
| Referral Program | Planned | No |
| Cross-Merchant Network | No | Wave Points cross-merchant currency |
| 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 | Yes |
How Stamp Collection Actually Works
Fewer steps = less friction = more stamps collected = more repeat visits
First Visit (Cash)
Customer pays cash, collects first stamp
SQUID Loyalty requires app download
First Visit (Card)
Customer pays by card, collects first stamp
SQUID Loyalty requires app download
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.
SQUID Loyalty
Limited active users
More active users
Unlimited
First Year Total Cost (cheapest plan)
£348.00
TLC
€180.00
SQUID Loyalty
SQUID Loyalty 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
Trustpilot
11 reviews
Google Play
Review Summary
Mixed reviews. Customer app praised for ease of initial NFC tap but criticised for Android reliability (works ~1/10 times on some devices), stamps disappearing, app crashes/freezes. Merchants report unprofessional support (5-7 day response times), restricted data access, fake chat support (AI frontend only). CRITICAL: NFC tags confirmed clonable — NTAG213 reverse-engineered on GitHub (burovdaniel/SquidLoyaltyNFC).
Common Complaints from SQUID Loyalty Users
NFC tags are CLONABLE — NTAG213 publicly reverse-engineered using Flipper Zero (GitHub repo exists)
Android stamp reliability — vibrates but doesn't register ~90% of attempts on some devices
Stamps disappear from accounts without explanation
App crashes constantly when loading loyalty cards or using NFC
No offline stamp recording — requires internet at scan time
Screen freezes requiring force-close multiple times per session
Must download SQUID app to collect stamps — barrier for new customers
Choose SQUID Loyalty if you...
- You want a cross-merchant loyalty network (Wave Points)
- Your customers are already on the SQUID app (750K+ users)
- You use Square POS and want spend-based loyalty via Wave Points
- You are in Ireland where SQUID has strongest presence
Choose TLC if you...
- You want anti-clone NFC security (NTAG 424 DNA vs clonable NTAG213)
- You don't want customers forced to download an app
- You want flat predictable pricing instead of per-active-user billing
- You need reliable Android support
- You want to own your customer data with full export
- You want lower friction for first-time visitors (3 steps vs 10)
Switching from SQUID Loyalty to TLC
Switching from SQUID to TLC: NFC tag swap required (SQUID uses clonable NTAG213, TLC uses NTAG 424 DNA). Customer data export NOT available from SQUID — fresh start required. Run TLC alongside SQUID briefly, then remove SQUID tag. Your customers don't need to download any app with TLC.
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 SQUID Loyalty?
+
It depends on your needs. TLC is better if you want NFC tap-to-stamp with anti-fraud security and no app downloads. SQUID Loyalty may be better if: Merchants wanting cross-merchant loyalty network with Square POS. We believe in honest comparisons -the best platform is the one that fits YOUR business.
Can I switch from SQUID Loyalty to TLC?
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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 SQUID Loyalty do that TLC doesn't?
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SQUID Loyalty's advantages include: Larger user base; Cross-merchant network; More established brand. TLC is focused on the core stamp card experience with maximum simplicity and security.
How much does SQUID Loyalty cost compared to TLC?
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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 SQUID Loyalty'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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