A restaurant loyalty program built into your own ordering
Updated October 19, 2026
A restaurant loyalty program rewards customers for coming back, and the simplest kind gives a share of every order back to spend next time. Menuthere's loyalty program works that way, inside your own ordering site. Each completed order earns a percentage back as points. One point is worth one unit of your currency, and customers spend points at checkout on their next order. You set separate rules for delivery, pickup and dine-in, and points never expire. Customers don't need an app, a card or a password: they sign in with their phone number when they order. Loyalty is on the Pro plan (US$39 a month), with 0% commission on every order.
In short
- Earn: a percentage of each completed order's total, in whole points. A minimum order to earn is optional.
- Spend: at checkout, up to the share of a bill you allow (100% by default), once a customer has your minimum points.
- Per order type: different rules, or none, for delivery, takeaway and dine-in.
- Fair by design: points spent on an order that's canceled or never paid go back to the customer. Each order is rewarded once.
- You see what you owe: the Loyalty screen shows points outstanding with their money value, issued and redeemed.
Types of restaurant loyalty program, and what Menuthere does
| Program type | How it works | In Menuthere? |
|---|---|---|
| Points | A % of spend back as points, spent on later orders | Yes, Pro |
| Stamp card | Buy a set number, get one free | Not digitally. The free loyalty stamp card maker prints paper cards for the counter. |
| Spend-based rewards | A free dish or money off once the bill passes an amount | Yes, as discounts: free item and Buy X get Y on Pro, coupons from Lite |
| Tiers (silver, gold) | Better rewards as customers spend more | No |
| Paid membership | Customers pay a fee for perks | No |
| Points in your own app | Points shown inside your branded app, with push offers | Yes, on the Branded App plan (US$99 a month) |
Points work best for restaurants because they reward every order in proportion to its size, and they can be spent on any order. Stamp cards suit single, same-priced items, such as coffee: see our loyalty program for cafes.
What a points program really costs
A points program is a discount on a customer's next order, paid for by this one. Two rules decide the real cost: the earn rate, and the fact that points are whole numbers, rounded down, worth one unit of currency each.
| Order total | Earn rate 2% | Earn rate 3% | Earn rate 5% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $18 | 0 points | 0 points | 0 points ($0.90 rounds down) |
| $34 | 0 points ($0.68) | 1 point ($1) | 1 point ($1.70 rounds down) |
| $62 | 1 point ($1.24) | 1 point ($1.86) | 3 points ($3.10) |
| $120 | 2 points | 3 points | 6 points |
Three things follow from the table:
- Low rates reward nothing on small orders. At 2%, a customer needs to spend $50 on one order to earn a single point. If your average ticket is $30, you need an earn rate of about 4% or more for a typical order to earn at least one point.
- No expiry means plan for redemption. Points don't expire, so treat the Points outstanding figure on your Loyalty screen as money owed. If you want part of every bill paid in cash, lower Max bill coverage below 100%.
Set rules per order type
Each order type has its own switch and its own rules. An example for a restaurant that wants more pickup and dine-in, and is happy with delivery as it is:
| Rule | Delivery | Takeaway (pickup) | Dine-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earn rate | 3% | 5% | 4% |
| Minimum order to earn | $25 | $15 | none |
| Max bill coverage | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Minimum points to redeem | 5 | 5 | 5 |
A type you switch off earns and redeems nothing, which is useful if you only want to reward visits. Points are given when you mark an order Completed, so keep your order screen up to date.
Bring members back, not just reward them
A program people forget about rewards nothing. On Pro, the same plan includes the tools to remind them:
- Points messages on WhatsApp. A flow can fire when points are earned or redeemed and message the customer from your own number. Meta charges per message on your WhatsApp Business account.
- Comeback messages reach customers who have gone quiet, with built-in limits: at most 2 per customer, ever, at least 60 days apart.
- Customer segments such as VIPs, regulars, at risk and lapsed, so you can see who your loyal customers really are.
- Export the member list as a CSV with each customer's balance, lifetime earned and redeemed, and last activity.
More ideas in can I run a loyalty program on WhatsApp.
Launch it in an afternoon
- Ask Menuthere support to enable loyalty points, then switch it on in Settings → Features (Pro plan).
- Set your rules. In Promotions → Loyalty → Settings, choose each order type and set the earn rate, minimum order to earn, max bill coverage and minimum points to redeem.
- Check the example line. The settings page shows what a sample order would earn, so you can see the rounding before customers do.
- Tell customers where to find it. A line on your menu banner, your receipts and your table cards: "Order here and get X% back as points".
- Watch the totals. The Loyalty screen shows loyal customers, points outstanding, issued and redeemed. Correct any balance by hand with a reason the customer can see.
Plans
Loyalty points are on Pro (US$39 a month), which also includes WhatsApp on your own number, free-item and Buy X get Y deals, and your own delivery riders. Pro has a 7-day free trial; a card is needed to start it, and nothing is charged until it ends. See the pricing page. Looking at dedicated loyalty tools? Compare our pages on Thanx, 5Loyalty and LoyaltyPlant.
Frequently asked questions
How does a restaurant loyalty program work on Menuthere?
Each completed order earns a percentage of its total back as points. One point is worth one unit of your currency, and customers spend points at checkout on a later order, up to the limits you set.
Do customers need an app or a card?
No. Points belong to customers who sign in with their phone number when they order on your site. A guest order earns nothing.
Do loyalty points expire?
No. Points don't expire. A balance stays until the customer spends it or you remove points by hand.
What earn rate should a restaurant use?
Points are whole numbers rounded down, so pick a rate that gives a typical order at least one point. With a $30 average order, that means an earn rate of about 4% or more.
Can I give different points for delivery and dine-in?
Yes. Delivery, takeaway and dine-in each have their own switch, earn rate, minimum order and redeem limits.
What happens to points if an order is canceled?
Points spent on an order that is canceled, or whose online payment never completes, go back to the customer, with a Refunded entry in their history.
How much does the loyalty program cost?
It is included in the Pro plan at US$39 a month, with 0% commission on orders. There is no extra fee per member or per point.
Sources (7)
- Menuthere Docs, "Set up loyalty points": https://menuthere.com/docs/promotions/set-up-loyalty-points (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "How customers earn and redeem points": https://menuthere.com/docs/promotions/how-customers-earn-and-redeem-points (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "Manage loyalty members": https://menuthere.com/docs/promotions/manage-loyalty-members (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "Offers, discounts or loyalty: which to use": https://menuthere.com/docs/promotions/offers-discounts-or-loyalty-which-to-use (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "Comeback messages": https://menuthere.com/docs/whatsapp/comeback-messages (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "Flow triggers": https://menuthere.com/docs/whatsapp/flow-triggers (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, "How customers sign in": https://menuthere.com/docs/online-store/how-customers-sign-in (accessed 19 Oct 2026)