Best Loyalty Apps in New Zealand for Small-to-Medium Businesses

New Zealand's small business landscape is vibrant, with the majority of enterprises being independently run. According to MBIE, 97% of New Zealand businesses are classified as small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). In a market dominated by small businesses, customer retention is everything. One of the most effective ways to build loyalty, repeat visits, and referrals is with a digital loyalty app. But with so many options out there, how do you know which one is right for your business?

This guide compares the top loyalty apps available to New Zealand businesses in 2025, with a focus on ease of use, pricing, features, and real customer reviews. Whether you run a local cafe, a salon, a fitness studio, or a boutique retail shop, you’ll find a loyalty solution tailored to your needs.

Why Loyalty Programs Matter for New Zealand SMBs

Customer acquisition is expensive, but retention is cost-effective. A returning customer is more likely to spend more, refer friends, and engage with your brand. In New Zealand, where local competition is fierce and communities are tightly-knit, loyalty programs give small businesses an edge.

Digital loyalty apps eliminate the need for physical punch cards and offer a smoother experience for both customers and business owners. From automated rewards to SMS notifications and data insights, they make running a loyalty program easier than ever.

What to Look For in a Loyalty App (Especially in NZ)

When evaluating loyalty apps, New Zealand small businesses should consider:

• Ease of Use: For both staff and customers
• Affordability: Transparent NZD pricing and no long-term lock-ins
• Industry Fit: Some apps are better for cafes, others for fitness studios or salons
• Customer Experience: Does the app feel modern, fast, and user-friendly?
• Marketing Tools: SMS, push notifications, automation

Stamp Me – The Top-Rated Loyalty App for New Zealand (4.9*)

Stamp Me is one of the best loyalty card apps in New Zealand, due to its simplicity. We take the traditional ‘Buy X & Get Y Free’ style paper punch card approach and make it easily accessible on your customer’s phone. We’re proud to be the world’s leading digital stamp card provider.

Stamp Me prioritizes simplicity when crafting a loyalty solution for New Zealand small businesses in mind; we understand that the average cafe customer doesn’t want to bother with complicated integrations and interfaces. In fact, over half of consumers want a loyalty program that is easy to use. 

Watch this short video to learn all about Stamp Me and how it can benefit your business!

Key Features:

• Easy sign-up process for your customers
• No sign-up fees or messy integrations
• Easily manage your loyalty program from the Stamp Me Merchant Console
• Update customers on new items or services, loyalty progress, or a simple hello — all seamlessly with Stamp Me’s SMS and push notifications
• Access to valuable customer data and insights 
• CRM integration for advanced customer communication and campaign personalisation
• A range of engagement campaigns including Scratch & Win and Re-lapsed customers in order to further drive engagement 
• NZD pricing and local support
• Eco-friendly alternative to paper cards

Stamp Me is ideal for business owners who want a set-and-forget loyalty solution that still feels personal and effective. It’s consistently rated 4.9+ stars on the App Store and offers a 30 day free trial to get you started.

CandyBar (4.6*)

CandyBar offers a simple, no-app-needed loyalty solution. Customers scan a QR code and earn stamps via their browser.

Pros:

• The setup process is straightforward and quick, which is ideal for busy business owners
• CandyBar works well for fast-paced environments like cafes, where speed and simplicity are essential

Cons:

• Businesses have less control over branding and the customer experience compared to fully branded apps.
• The platform lacks robust analytics or campaign tools, which may limit long-term growth strategies

Flex Rewards (4.2*)

Flex Rewards is a modern loyalty app designed for independent service and retail businesses. It offers a strong visual customer interface and rewards structure.

Pros:

• Customers can easily check in and earn rewards using QR codes, which simplifies participation.
• Includes built-in email and SMS marketing features
• Offers a well-designed, branded interface

Cons:

• Best suited to single-location businesses and may not scale easily for multi-site operations
• Not optimised for iPads, limiting usability for businesses using tablet-based systems

Marsello (3.9-4.4*)

Founded in New Zealand, Marsello is a more advanced loyalty platform combining customer rewards with email and SMS marketing automation. It functions as a web-based app that integrates directly with platforms like Shopify, Vend, and other POS systems. It's great for retail and hybrid eComm stores using platforms like Shopify or Vend.

Pros:

• Offers deep integration with point-of-sale systems
• The platform comes with advanced segmentation and customer insights

Cons:

• The system can be more complex to set up and navigate, particularly for those without prior marketing automation experience
• Marsello's pricing is on the higher end and may not suit small to medium-sized businesses operating on a limited budget

Loyalzoo (3.8-4.4*)

LoyalZoo is a good option for businesses that want to go fully SMS-based with minimal tech.

Pros:

• Offers a minimal and intuitive user flow that requires minimal training or onboarding
• Customers can participate in the loyalty program without downloading an app

Cons:

• Offers limited personalisation options, which may reduce engagement over time
• Lacking in engagement campaign options such as a Birthday Club to further excite customers beyond rewards

Conclusion

We hope you’ve found our guide to the five best NZ loyalty apps helpful. Choosing the right loyalty app for your New Zealand business can be challenging, but rewarding.

The best loyalty solution is the one that meets your specific needs, budget, and customer preferences. Whether you need something simple and effective like a digital punch card, or a more robust loyalty and marketing automation suite, there’s a solution here for you.

Consider how your customers prefer to engage, how much time you want to spend managing your program, and how you plan to scale. Start with a free trial, test out the platform, and talk to your customers about what they enjoy. Good luck!

*App store ratings as of 26 August 2025