2025 Retail Tech Guide

Top 6 Customer Rewards Programs in 2025

Customer Retention
+42%
Average increase
Repeat Sales
+28%
Average boost
Small Business Loyalty Programs Hero
Research Based On
750+ Customer Reviews
From Capterra, TrustRadius & Direct Feedback

At Clavaa, we built our platform after personally experiencing the limitations of existing small business loyalty platforms in the small business space. We discovered that most programs weren't purposefully designed to give small businesses the same powerful loyalty capabilities that larger enterprises enjoy.

In this comprehensive guide, we assembled a very deep examination of the best customer rewards programs for small businesses. Each program's features, pricing, and intended use cases will be addressed to aid you in making an informed decision for your business.

Top 6 Customer Rewards Software Compared in 2025

Research Methodology
Research conducted between December 2024 - February 2025. All pricing and features accurate as of publication.

Customer Rewards Programs: Driving Loyalty for Small Businesses

Customer Retention: The Smart Investment

Studies show that acquiring a new customer costs approximately five times more than retaining an existing one. For small businesses optimizing their marketing budget, customer rewards programs deliver exceptional ROI. Even better, loyal customers spend an average of 67% more than first-time shoppers, making rewards programs a powerful revenue driver.

Compete With Enterprise-Level Rewards Solutions

Major brands generate up to 40% of their revenue through structured rewards programs. Modern customer rewards platforms enable small businesses to implement the same sophisticated loyalty strategies previously only available to large corporations, effectively leveling the competitive landscape.

See how effective rewards programs transform customer behavior - What enterprise solutions can now work for your small business

Actionable Customer Insights Through Data

Rewards programs naturally collect valuable customer data – purchasing patterns, visit frequency, product preferences, and seasonal trends. This information enables data-driven business decisions and powers personalized marketing campaigns with significantly higher conversion rates than generic messaging.

The Rewards Multiplier Effect

Strategic rewards programs create a powerful business ecosystem: customers receive meaningful incentives that enhance their experience, while businesses benefit from increased retention, higher purchase frequency, and organic word-of-mouth marketing as satisfied customers become brand advocates.

Key Benefits of Customer Rewards Programs

  • Increased customer lifetime value (CLV)
  • Higher average transaction value
  • Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty
  • Enhanced competitive positioning
  • Valuable first-party customer data collection
  • Reduced marketing costs through retention focus

Top 6 Customer Rewards Programs for Small Businesses in 2025

We've analyzed dozens of rewards platforms to identify the best solutions for small business owners. Each program was evaluated based on cost, ease of implementation, customer experience, and ROI potential.

1
Clavaa
Top Pick
2
Square
Popular Alternative
3
Toast
Restaurant Solution
4
FiveStar
Established Platform
5
Smile.io
E-commerce Platform
6
BubbleHouse
All-in-One Platform
0% Processing Fees
No Monthly Fees
Restaurant Specific
E-commerce Compatible
Quick Setup

Clavaa

Recommended Solution
Monthly Cost
$0/mo
No subscription fees
Processing Fee
0%
Through Clavaa wallet (vs 2.9% + 30¢ standard)
Availability
In-store & Online
Online currently in beta
Setup Time
15 minutes
No technical knowledge required

Enterprise-grade rewards app, built for small business

What makes Clavaa unique is its innovative approach to combining a payments and rewards app. For years, large enterprises have leveraged co-branded credit cards to build powerful rewards programs, using the savings from payment processing to fund meaningful rewards. Clavaa brings this same model to small businesses through a seamless rewards app that eliminates processing fees entirely when customers pay through the app.

0% payment fees and free rewards platform power your customer retention strategy

Instead of paying processing fees and then additional costs for a rewards program that may or may not work, Clavaa eliminates both expenses. When customers pay through the Clavaa wallet, you pay zero processing fees, allowing you to redirect those savings into an automated rewards program that actually drives repeat business. The result is a self-funding rewards program that costs you nothing to operate while delivering the kind of meaningful rewards that actually bring customers back.

Simple setup, powerful reward program results

Getting started is straightforward. We provide you with custom-designed signage and marketing materials to encourage app adoption. Your customers simply download the app, add their payment method, and start earning rewards automatically with every purchase. The program features customizable tiered rewards—similar to the most successful rewards programs in the world—letting you offer increased benefits to your most valuable customers as they reach Gold tier status.

Reward Program that works with your existing systems

Clavaa integrates seamlessly with your existing point-of-sale system, either through direct integration or our simple add-on app. You maintain complete control over your reward rates, tier thresholds, and program rules through an intuitive dashboard designed specifically for small business owners. While you can still accept regular card payments (2.9% + 30¢), customers who use the Clavaa wallet help you eliminate processing fees while earning rewards that bring them back to your business.

Square

Popular Alternative
Monthly Cost
$45/mo
Per location
Processing Fee
2.6% + 10¢
In-person payments (varies by method)
Availability
All Square POS
Requires Square Point of Sale
Setup Time
30 minutes
With existing Square account

Integrated rewards platform for Square merchants

Square rewards platform is designed to integrate flawlessly with Square's ecosystem of business tools. This program interfaces directly with your Square Point of Sale to track customer visits, process rewards, and manage your rewards program, all from the same interface you use for payment processing. This tight integration affords existing Square platform users the opportunity to introduce a rewards program seamlessly with minimal operational change.

Points-based rewards system

Square's rewards program operates on a simple point-based system whereby customers earn points for every dollar they spend. You can modify that point value and rewards thresholds as you see fit. Customers can track points and any currently available rewards using digital receipts or by simply providing their phone number at the time of checkout, thus avoiding an added download. This simplicity encourages program adoption, and it also offers direct benefits to customers.

Comprehensive rewards reporting and insights

With Square's sophisticated analytics, you can track program performance, customer engagement, and ROI. The dashboard showcases detailed reports on enrollment rates, redemption trends, and impact on customer spending. With these metrics, you can make adjustments to your rewards program design and figure out ways to increase your program's effectiveness, maximising the value you receive from your monthly investment.

Part of the Square small business ecosystem

Though a subscription fee must be paid monthly and processing rates are ordinary, Square rewards wins from being part of Square's broad business platform. The integration with Square Marketing enables you to send specific promotions to rewards members, while the connection to Square's Customer Directory allows you to build more detailed customer profiles. In essence, this trade-off translates to higher strong costs in lieu of a stable system backed by Square's infrastructure.

Toast

Restaurant Solution
Monthly Cost
$75/mo
Per location, requires Toast POS
Processing Fee
2.49% + 15¢
Card-present rate (other rates vary)
Availability
Toast Platform
Restaurants only
Setup Time
1-2 days
With implementation support

Rewards Platform Specifically Tailored for Restaurants

Toast provides a restaurant-specific rewards program that integrates seamlessly with POS systems from the front to the back lines. The system understands restaurant-centric specifics like check splitting, tip adjustments, and menu alterations, thus guaranteeing that rewards points are tallied correctly even in complicated dining situations. Therefore, it specializes in full-service restaurants, QSRs, and cafes.

Multi-channel rewards engagement

Toast provides a fast and efficient, restaurant-oriented rewards program that runs right with a restaurant's POS systems. The system itself is made for restaurants, which means it understands check splitting, tip adjustments, and menu alterations; that is, assurance that the points get tallied correctly even when things get complicated at the table. It caters specifically to full-service restaurants, QSRs, and cafés.

Advanced program customization

Develop strong rewards rules based on your restaurant's needs. Create item-based rewards, time-based promotions, and offers with special birthday promotions. Develop points-based and visit-based programs that allow you to reward him based on his spending or frequency. Set campaigns for a particular item on the menu or for a particular time period when sales tend to lag or to boost sales of high-margin items.

Enterprise-grade features

While the cost of Toast can be a little high, it puts the powers of enterprise-class features like real-time program analytics, customer segmentation, and marketing automation at your fingertips. The system has high-end fraud prevention, detailed log audits, and state-of-the-art reporting tools. For multi-location restaurants, Toast provides centralized program management while still allowing for location-level customization, and this makes it ideal for the growing restaurant groups.

FiveStar

Established Platform
Monthly Cost
$199/mo
Base plan, per location
Processing Fee
Varies
Works with existing processor
Availability
Universal
Works with any POS system
Setup Time
2-3 days
Includes custom configuration

Pioneer in integrated rewards

FiveStar was one of the first to realize that rewards programs must go beyond simple punch cards. The FiveStar platform was this pioneering effort to combine rewards with marketing tools and set up several practices that have become standards in the industry. While most of the capabilities that newer platforms built on it are now relatively basic, the system includes automated communications with customers, customer feedback collection, and reputation management.

Traditional POS compatibility

FiveStar works with almost any point-of-sale system and can integrate with various methods, making it different from systems that require specific point-of-sale hardware. This breadth of compatibility gives businesses a chance to keep running their normal sets of relationships for payment processing while adding rewards capabilities. In spite of this approach providing a wide range of compatibility, it does also mean that the businesses will keep paying traditional processing fees instead of newer payment technologies that could have eliminated that kind of cost altogether.

Established reward structures

FiveStar seduces users with a classical set of customization for programs that include points, visits, and tiered rewards. The system provides classical rewards techniques such as birthday rewards as well as frequency-based incentives. While these trusted solutions may still work for many businesses, the industry has moved toward more progressive models that leverage payment processing savings to fund more lucrative rewards for the merchant.

Business analytics foundation

FiveStar provides solid analytical tools and insights into customers to set the baseline of what to expect from this platform. The system permits tracking of customer behavior patterns, generates spending analyses, and determines customers that may be at risk. These features already laid the groundwork for newer-generation rewards platforms that embrace numerous more advanced approaches to program funding and reward generation through payment innovation.

Smile.io

E-commerce Platform
Monthly Cost
$49/mo
Starting price (Growth plan)
Processing Fee
Varies
Uses existing payment provider
Availability
E-commerce
Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.
Setup Time
1 hour
Self-service installation

Built for online retail rewards programs

Anyone in the e-commerce rewards space knows Smile.io, a program with which we can have very specific integrations within the likes of Shopify and BigCommerce. The system is basically designed around online shopping behaviors, allowing merchants to reward customers not only for their purchases but also for completing actions such as account creation, product reviews, and social shares. While this online shopping focus would be great for mostly e-commerce merchants, it will present difficult issues for those businessmen trying to undertake a merging of online and offline experiences.

Points and VIP programs

The standard points-based rewards and VIP tiers are part of what they call their platform, following conventional e-commerce rewards paradigms. The retail program builds upon reward-points schemes based on purchases and engagement activities, allowing subsequent redemption discounts on future orders. The tiered VIP program encourages customer retention by offering better and better rewards with each tier and each level of spending; however, the actual rewards are typically limited to standard e-commerce incentives, including discount coupons and free shipping.

Quick deployment

What makes Smile.io stand out is the quick setup, especially among supported e-commerce platforms. The self-service installation lets merchants set up a basic program in under an hour. They provided template program designs and reward structures that merchants can customize from a user-friendly interface. While easy and quick to set up, the setup process offers less sophistication in the design of the programs compared to a few others that allow higher flexibility.

E-commerce analytics loaylty reports

Provides e-commerce special reports, starting with online shopping statistics for e-commerce concerning average order values and redemption rates, as well as points liabilities. It approaches the nitty-gritty on the performance of the program as seen through the lens of their online sample, but not necessarily reflecting its totality in terms of the customer relationship for organizations that have both a digital-first and brick-and-mortar side. The reporting suite integrates very well with the e-commerce platform, but some other tools will be needed for more in-depth customer analysis.

BubbleHouse

All-in-One Platform
Monthly Cost
Custom
Based on business size
Processing Fee
None
Works with existing systems
Availability
E-commerce
One-time & subscription
Setup Time
1-2 days
Guided implementation

Comprehensive loyalty solution

This e-commerce loyalty program is quite comprehensive with points, tiers, referrals, and subscription rewards offered through the same unified platform. The core objective is to increase repeat purchases and further improve customer lifetime value for one-time purchase and subscription-based businesses. The end result is a very well-defined customer loyalty program that incorporates over 30 reward options, alongside a configurable rewards engine, which enables merchants to create very personalized programs aligned with their business objectives.

VIP tiers and referrals

Through the platform, businesses can create sophisticated VIP tier programs that award exclusive perks and privileges to their most valued customers. With the referral system, BubbleHouse helps make an advocate out of every happy customer by giving incentives for bringing in new customers. While retaining existing customers is important, gaining new customers through trusted recommendations will have favorable results.

Subscription-focused features

BubbleHouse stands out with its specialized tools for subscription businesses. The platform helps identify potential churn points throughout the subscription lifecycle and provides flexible reward options to maintain subscriber engagement. This targeted approach to subscription retention helps maximize subscriber lifetime value while reducing churn through timely and relevant rewards.

Zero-party data collection

The platform helps businesses collect valuable zero-party data through strategic reward incentives. By encouraging customers to share preferences, interests, and other relevant information, businesses can build deeper customer relationships and deliver more personalized experiences. This approach to data collection, combined with robust program analytics, helps businesses make data-driven decisions about their loyalty initiatives.

Clavaa Payment and rewards Solution

Revolutionizing Small Business rewards Programs

Why We Built Clavaa

The rewards platform gap

For years, we watched as large enterprises built incredibly successful rewards programs funded by co-branded credit cards. Airlines, hotel chains, and major retailers don't just avoid paying processing fees—they actually earn revenue from payment processing through these partnerships. Meanwhile, small businesses were stuck paying high processing fees AND additional costs for basic rewards programs.

More than just another solution

We didn't set out to build a better version of existing rewards platforms. Instead, we asked a fundamental question: Why shouldn't small businesses have access to the same powerful rewards economics that drive the world's most successful programs? This led us to completely reimagine rewards from the ground up, combining payments and rewards in a way that eliminates processing fees entirely.

Democratizing enterprise rewards programs

The result is more than just a free rewards program—it's a complete reversal of traditional loyalty economics. By eliminating processing fees through the Clavaa wallet, we enable small businesses to redirect those savings into meaningful rewards that actually drive customer behavior. No monthly fees, no processing costs, just pure value creation for both businesses and their customers.

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