How a digital loyalty card works
Customers earn 1 point for every rupee they spend and turn points into rewards the shop chooses. Here is every step, for customers and for the shops that run the card.
A loyalty card rewards you for coming back. Every bill earns points, and enough points become a reward, such as a free coffee or a haircut.
लोयल्टी कार्ड भनेको फेरि-फेरि आउने ग्राहकलाई दिइने पुरस्कार हो। हरेक बिलमा पोइन्ट जम्मा हुन्छ, र पोइन्ट पुगेपछि निःशुल्क कफी वा कपाल काटाइजस्तो रिवार्ड पाइन्छ।
For customers
Free, with one account for every shop on Eknas.
Join free
Create an Eknas account with your email, in the app on Android or iPhone, or on the website. Add your mobile number so shops can find you.
Scan or show your code when you pay
Scan the QR at the counter, or show My code so staff can scan it. Forgot your phone? Staff can find you by your full mobile number.
Every rupee is a point
Staff enter your bill, and 1 point per NPR 1 goes on that shop's card. On a shop's double-points days, you get 2.
Your reward is ready
When your points reach a reward, the app tells you. Many shops add smaller rewards on the way to the main one.
Ask for a one-time code
Open the reward and ask for a code. It has 6 characters, lasts 15 minutes and only you can see it. Show it at the counter and staff confirm it.
Extra points carry over
Points above the shop's goal start your next round, so nothing you earn is wasted.
For businesses
From sign-up to your first returning customer.
Set your goal and rewards
Choose how much a customer spends to reach the main reward, and add smaller rewards on the way. The editor has ideas to start from.
Print your counter QR poster
Put it at the counter and on tables. Customers scan it to join your card and check in when they pay.
Record each bill
Staff scan the customer, or find them by mobile number, and type the amount. Points are added straight away.
Send offers
Tell members about a new dish or a festival offer. Automatic messages (from Growth) handle birthdays and reminders.
See who comes back
Your overview shows sales through Eknas, rewards waiting and regulars who have gone quiet.
Points or stamps
Each shop chooses how its card looks. Both run on the same points underneath, so they never disagree.
A points bar
A bar fills from 0 to the shop's goal, with the smaller rewards marked on the way.
A stamp card (from Growth)
A stamp for every set amount you spend, for example one stamp per NPR 500. A full card earns the reward.
Reward codes, explained
A reward is claimed with a code that proves you are at the counter. That is what stops screenshots, sharing and double use.
- 6
- characters, from an alphabet with no look-alikes such as 0 and O, so it is easy to read out
- 15 min
- before the code expires. Ask again and you get a fresh one
- 1 use
- even if two staff tap confirm at the same moment
- Only you
- can see the code until you show it at the counter. Staff never get it in advance
What if a shop leaves Eknas?
Your rewards are protected by the Customer Reward Protection Policy, which every shop accepts when it signs up.
Day 0
Earning stops
You are told in the app and by email, with the exact final date.
At least 30 days
Time to redeem
The shop must honour every unlocked reward until the final date. It gives 30 to 180 days, or 60 if it doesn't choose.
7 days and 1 day before
Reminders
Eknas reminds you twice before the final date.
Final date
The program ends
Unused rewards expire. Your card, points and purchases stay on record in your account.
Eknas and your wallet points
Payment apps in Nepal give points too. They work differently, and you can use both side by side.
| Eknas | Wallet points (eSewa, Fonepay) | |
|---|---|---|
| How you earn | From your bill at that shop, however you pay | When you pay with that wallet |
| Where you use them | Rewards that shop chose, at that shop | Through the wallet's own partner programme, such as Fonepoints |
| Cash value | None. Points can't be withdrawn, sent or turned into wallet money | Set by each wallet's own rules |
Questions
What is a loyalty program?
A loyalty program rewards customers for coming back. Every purchase earns points or stamps, and enough of them become a reward, such as a free coffee or a discount on a haircut. In Nepali it is often called a लोयल्टी कार्यक्रम or ग्राहक प्रोत्साहन योजना. Eknas runs one for each shop.
How do loyalty points work on Eknas?
You earn 1 point for every rupee on your bill, or 2 points on a shop's double-points days. Points collect on that shop's card. When they reach a reward's level, the reward is ready in your app, and points above the shop's goal carry over to your next round, so nothing you earn is wasted.
How does a digital punch card work?
Some Eknas shops show a stamp card instead of a points bar. You get a stamp for every set amount you spend, for example one stamp per NPR 500, and a full card earns the reward. It runs on the same points underneath, so stamps and points never disagree.
How do I redeem a reward?
Open the reward in your app and ask for a code. You get a 6-character code, valid for 15 minutes, that only you can see. Read it out or show its QR at the counter, staff confirm it, and the reward is marked as used so it can't be used again.
Do reward points expire?
Points don't expire unless the shop turns expiry on, and even then it only applies to points earned after the change. Rewards that are ready stay redeemable for the period the shop sets, 90 days by default. The app shows each reward's expiry date.
Can loyalty points be converted to cash?
No. Eknas points belong to the shop's loyalty card and can only be redeemed for that shop's rewards. They can't be withdrawn, sent to another person or turned into wallet money. That keeps rewards simple and stops the fraud that cash-out apps attract.
What if I forget my phone?
Staff can look you up by your full mobile number and add the bill to your card. Your points are kept in your account, not on the phone, so a new or borrowed phone shows the same cards once you sign in.