Honest comparison
Square Loyalty vs done-for-you
Square Loyalty is a real product. If you already run Square and you like setting things up yourself, it can be the better fit. Use the checklist below before you talk to anyone — including us.
Who should pick which
Checklist
Who should pick which Pick Square Loyalty if most of these are true • Your register is already Square. • You want points to land at Square checkout with no second scan. • You like building the program, training the shift, and writing campaigns yourself. • You want POS, loyalty, and Square's other tools on one plan, billed per location per month (see Square's pricing page). • You don't need someone local to design a wallet card and sit with staff. Pick 2080loyalty's done-for-you digital loyalty card if most of these are true • You are not on Square, or you don't want to switch POS to get loyalty. • You want a digital loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, with lock-screen notes and no per-message text fee. • You'd rather pay year one ($1,997, or $499 per quarter) and have Mike set it up, than DIY another dashboard. • After year one you are fine at $149/mo. • You want a printed desk kit and a 15-minute staff walkthrough. If you are on Square and happy DIY-ing, Square is the better fit. Say that out loud before you book a demo.
Questions to ask any vendor
What to ask before you choose any loyalty tool 1. Does it work with the register I already have, or do I have to switch POS? 2. Who sets it up, and who trains the shift? 3. How does a customer join in under 30 seconds? Is there an extra app? 4. What does a reminder cost per send? 5. Who owns the customer list, and can I export it? 6. What do I pay in year one, and what happens in year two? 7. When the room is empty, how do I message people who already visited? Write the answers down. If a vendor can't answer #5 and #6 in one sentence, keep looking.
Helpful free resources
Official help pages you can use this week, whether or not you ever book a demo. Each opens in a new tab.
- Square pricing (official) (opens in a new tab)
Current per-location plan prices live here. Loyalty is listed with Square’s paid software plans. Read this page for what you’ll pay — we don’t copy their dollar amounts.
- Square Loyalty: create a program (opens in a new tab)
Dashboard → Customers → Loyalty → Get Started. Pick how points are earned (spend, item, or visit) and what the reward is. You can add more than one reward later under Settings.
- Square Loyalty: enroll at the register (opens in a new tab)
After a sale, the loyalty screen asks for a phone number. On the POS, open More → Settings → Loyalty and turn on check-in on the customer display so the prompt actually appears.
- Toast Loyalty: get started (official help) (opens in a new tab)
Toast Web → Marketing → Loyalty → Loyalty rewards. Choose visit-based or amount-based, add a reward, then Save and Publish. If you don’t see Loyalty, it isn’t on your subscription — Toast Shop lists Marketing Essentials.
- Toast pricing (official) (opens in a new tab)
Toast’s current POS and plan page. Guest marketing, loyalty, and gift cards are listed with some plans. Check the numbers there — we don’t quote them from memory or from blog posts.
- SBA: marketing and sales plan (opens in a new tab)
A short official outline: who you sell to, why they pick you, how you’ll tell them, and how you’ll measure it. Use it to pick one channel (a weekday note, a Google post) instead of five half-done ideas.
Pros and cons, both sides
Square publishes current plan prices per location per month on Square's pricing page. Loyalty is listed there with Square's paid software plans. Check that page for what you'll actually pay — plans change.
Who sets it up
Square Loyalty: You do it yourself in Square
2080loyalty: Mike designs the card, trains staff, and writes the first messages with you
Best fit
Square Loyalty: You already run Square and like DIY tools
2080loyalty: You want a done-for-you digital loyalty card next to whatever register you have
The card
Square Loyalty: Square's loyalty program, tied to Square checkout
2080loyalty: A digital loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. One scan to join
Messages
Square Loyalty: Square Marketing (email and text). Text allotments and extra per-text fees are on Square's pricing page
2080loyalty: Lock-screen notes on the card, included — no per-message text fee
POS
Square Loyalty: Built into Square Point of Sale — a real advantage if you're already there
2080loyalty: Works alongside the register you have. Not a full POS integration. Staff scan from a phone — an extra beat at checkout
Price
Square Loyalty: Priced per location per month as part of Square's software plans. See Square's pricing page — we don't invent their numbers here
2080loyalty: $1,997 for year one, or $499 per quarter for year one (4 payments); then $149/mo. Package shops renew at $149/month after year one and keep the top-tier features (normally $249/month).
List ownership
Square Loyalty: Ask Square how export works on your plan
2080loyalty: Your customer list is yours, in writing. Export anytime
Square Loyalty — honest take
Pros
- Points can land at Square checkout. No second scan.
- One vendor if you already live in Square.
- You can change rewards yourself, any afternoon.
Cons
- You set it up, train the shift, and write the campaigns.
- You're on Square. Switching POS to get this is a bigger decision than loyalty.
- Message cost and plan price live on Square's pricing page, not in this paragraph.
Done-for-you — honest take
Pros
- A digital loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. No extra app.
- Mike sets it up, trains the shift, writes the first messages.
- Works alongside the register you have. Lock-screen notes included.
Cons
- Staff scan a phone. That is an extra beat compared with Square's built-in flow.
- Not a full POS integration. Not a marketing agency.
- Year one is $1,997 (or $499 per quarter for year one (4 payments)), then $149/mo — more than a DIY monthly add-on if you were going to set Square up yourself.
Square vs done-for-you FAQ
If you're unsure, book 20 minutes. If Square is the better fit, Mike will say so.
hello@2080loyalty.com · Call or text 540-268-0534
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