The cleverer system loses to the one that is understood in three seconds.
Someone spending triple earns triple. With stamps a coffee and a full meal count the same, and that is not always fair.
You can have reward catalogues, tiers, and double-point promotions on particular products.
Where the ticket varies a lot, points describe what each customer contributes more accurately.
Ten stamps, one free coffee. No conversion, no equivalences, no “how many points do I need?”. That clarity is half the reason it works.
Seven filled slots and three empty ones say more than “730 points”. A stamp card has a shape, and shape motivates.
One scan. Nothing to calculate, nothing to type, nothing that can go wrong with a queue behind.
Use points if your ticket varies widely between customers and you can explain the system without it showing.
Use stamps if your products are similar in price and you want a new customer to understand it with nobody explaining.
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