Why a shop needs loyalty points
A new customer buys once, finds the shop fine, and next week walks into the supermarket across the road because it was on the way. Nothing pulled them back. A loyalty program gives them a small reason to choose you again: the points they already have are waiting at your counter, not anywhere else.
Most small shops know this but stop at a paper card with stamps. Cards get lost, staff forget to stamp them, and the owner has no idea who is actually loyal. Loyalty points software puts the points on the customer's record, so they build up on every bill without anyone remembering to do anything.
What loyalty points do in Cartix Prime
Loyalty points are part of Cartix Prime from the Gold plan. Once you switch them on, the customer's points are tied to their name and phone number, the same record that holds their bills and any credit (udhaar).
- Earning: you set how customers earn points on their bills. Points add up on their own when a bill is saved against the customer.
- Minimum to redeem: you choose how many points a customer must have before they can use them, so points are not spent a few at a time on every bill.
- Maximum share of a bill: you cap how much of any one bill can be paid with points, so a single big redemption does not wipe out the margin on that bill.
- Extra points as an offer: "extra points" is one of the offer types, so you can give more points on a brand, a category or a slow day. See offers and discounts.
Points sit next to the rest of the customer's history, so the owner can see which regulars are building points and which have gone quiet. That is where the customer CRM takes over, with follow-ups and win-back messages on WhatsApp.
Referrals, scratch cards and the customer portal (Platinum)
On the Platinum plan, CRM Pro adds referrals: when a customer brings in a friend, both get points. That turns your best regulars into a small word-of-mouth team.
Platinum also has scratch and spin cards. A QR code on the bill opens the card, so a customer has something to look at after they pay, and a reason to come back to use what they won.
With the Platinum customer portal, customers can sign in with a PIN sent on WhatsApp and see their bills, their khata balance and their points. They no longer need to ask at the counter how many points they have.
How it works at the counter
- The cashier picks the customer by name or phone number before or during the bill.
- The customer's points show along with their balance.
- If they have enough points and want to use them, the cashier takes points off the bill, up to the limit you set.
- The bill is saved, and the points for this bill are added to the customer's record.
- The bill can go to the customer on WhatsApp as a link, as on every plan.
Nothing changes for walk-in customers who do not want to give a number. They are billed as usual.
Setting rules that do not hurt your margin
A loyalty program is a discount paid later, so set it up the way you would set any discount. A few things that help a small shop:
- Keep the minimum to redeem high enough that points feel like a reward, not loose change.
- Use the maximum share of a bill so points never pay for most of a large purchase.
- Use extra-points offers on items with a good margin, not on rice and sugar where you earn very little.
- Tell customers clearly at the counter. A line on a board near the billing desk is enough.
Think of a supermarket in Thrissur that gives extra points on its own packed snacks every weekend. The regulars notice, the snacks sell, and the shop's margin on them carries the cost of the points.
Who loyalty points suit
Loyalty points work best where the same people buy often: supermarkets, kirana and provision stores, bakeries, pharmacies with regular monthly medicines, and fancy or cosmetics shops. They are less useful in a shop where most customers come once a year.
If you mainly sell on credit to known families, points still help: the customer record already exists, so points add to it without any extra step. Read how credit works in our guide to customer credit and udhaar.
Which plan has loyalty points
| Plan | 1 computer + 1 phone | Phone only | Loyalty features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | ₹8,999 | ₹1,899 | Loyalty points, extra-points offers, CRM |
| Platinum | ₹12,999 | ₹2,599 | Adds referrals with points, scratch and spin cards, customer portal |
Prices are for a year, before 18% GST. Every new shop gets 7 days of Silver free with no card needed; you can move to Gold or Platinum inside the app, paying by UPI or card. Compare all plans on the pricing page, or start with Cartix Prime.
Questions people ask
What is loyalty points software for a retail shop?
It keeps reward points on each customer’s record. Customers earn points on their bills and use them on later bills. In Cartix Prime the points are part of the billing, so there are no paper cards and no separate app to install.
Can I limit how many points a customer uses on one bill?
Yes. In Cartix Prime you set a minimum number of points before a customer can redeem, and a maximum share of any one bill that points can pay. Both protect your margin.
Which Cartix Prime plan has loyalty points?
Loyalty points are on Gold and Platinum. Gold costs ₹8,999 a year with a computer and a phone, or ₹1,899 on a phone only, before 18% GST. Platinum adds referrals, scratch cards and the customer portal.
Can customers check their own loyalty points?
On Platinum, customers can sign in to the customer portal with a PIN sent on WhatsApp and see their bills, khata balance and points. On Gold, the cashier sees the points at the counter when the customer is picked.
Does Cartix Prime support referral rewards?
Yes, on Platinum. With CRM Pro, when a customer refers a friend, both of them get points. Gold has loyalty points but not referrals.