Stmpz: Digital Loyalty Cards Replacing Paper Stamps

Project Overview

Traditional paper loyalty cards create problems for everyone. Customers lose them, forget them, or accumulate wallet-stuffing stacks. Businesses waste money printing replacements and miss out on valuable customer data. Stmpz solves both problems with a digital loyalty platform that connects businesses directly with their customers.

The platform consists of three integrated components: a cross-platform mobile app for customers, a comprehensive business dashboard for merchants, and a headless Drupal backend that ties everything together. Businesses can now track every stamp, award vouchers, send targeted promotions, and gain real-time insights into customer behaviour.

Challenges

Building a loyalty platform that works for both customers and businesses required solving several technical and UX challenges:

• Instant stamp collection - Customers expect the same speed as paper. No fumbling, no waiting. The system needed to be faster than physical cards.

• Offline resilience - Coffee shops and cafes don't always have perfect connectivity. The app needed to function reliably regardless of network conditions.

• Real-time business intelligence - Merchants wanted immediate visibility into stamps collected, rewards redeemed, and customer patterns. Stale data wouldn't cut it.

• Multi-channel communication - Businesses needed to reach customers through push notifications, in-app promotions, and targeted campaigns without spamming.

• Scalable backend - The architecture had to support thousands of businesses and their customers while maintaining sub-second response times.

Solution

Headless Drupal Backend

Drupal serves as the central hub, managing business configurations, customer data, loyalty rules, and content. The headless architecture exposes clean APIs that power both the mobile app and business dashboard.

Key backend capabilities:

• RESTful APIs for all mobile app interactions
• Real-time data synchronisation across devices
• Flexible content types for promotions and notifications
• Role-based access control for multi-business support
• Automated voucher generation and redemption tracking

Cross-Platform Mobile App

The customer app delivers a frictionless stamp collection experience:

• NFC tagging - Customers tap their phone at the till. One gesture. Done.
• QR code fallback - For devices without NFC or businesses preferring visual verification
• Digital wallet - All loyalty cards in one place, never lost or forgotten
• Push notifications - Timely alerts for rewards earned, promotions, and expiring vouchers
• Offline support - Stamps queue locally and sync when connectivity returns

Business Dashboard

The merchant portal provides complete visibility and control:

• Real-time analytics - Stamps collected by hour, day, week, and month. Identify peak engagement periods.
• Customer insights - Track individual loyalty journeys, redemption patterns, and visit frequency
• Promotion management - Create time-limited offers, happy hour bonuses, and targeted campaigns
• Voucher control - Issue, track, and manage reward redemptions
• Direct communication - Send notifications to all customers or segment by behaviour
• User management - View customer details and engagement history

NFC Integration

The NFC implementation was critical to matching paper card convenience. Each business receives NFC tags that customers tap to collect stamps. The interaction takes less than a second, faster than fumbling for a paper card and waiting for a stamp.

The system supports multiple stamp configurations:

• Single stamp per visit
• Multiple stamps based on purchase value
• Bonus stamps during promotional periods
• Staff override for special circumstances

Environmental Impact

Paper loyalty cards represent a significant environmental cost. Each business printing cards, customers discarding lost or full cards, the cumulative waste adds up. Stmpz has eliminated the need for tens of thousands of physical cards, supporting sustainability while delivering a better experience.

Results

• Eliminated tens of thousands of physical loyalty cards
• Delivered sub-second stamp collection via NFC
• Provided businesses with real-time customer engagement data
• Enabled direct customer communication through push notifications
• Created a scalable platform supporting multiple businesses
• Reduced environmental impact compared to paper alternatives