How to Get More Customers to Sign Up for Your Loyalty Program
Simple Strategies to Build Buy-In and Boost Retention

A loyalty program is one of the most effective ways to retain customers, increase repeat purchases, and build long-term brand affinity. But building a great program is only half the battle - you also need people to actually join it.

So how do you get more customers to sign up? It starts with understanding the value, removing barriers, and asking at the right time.

Why You Want More Loyalty Sign-Ups

Loyalty programs work because they create continuity. Customers feel like they’re earning something with each interaction, and that sense of progress keeps them coming back.

Benefits include:

• Higher retention rates

• Increased lifetime value

• Improved email/SMS engagement

• Valuable data on customer behavior

And yet, many businesses struggle to get sign-ups - not because customers don’t want rewards, but because the process feels annoying or forgettable.

1. Make the Value Clear Upfront

People aren’t going to sign up “just because.” You need to communicate what’s in it for them quickly and clearly.

Instead of:

“Join our loyalty program today!”

Try:

“Earn $10 back for every $100 you spend - tap to join in seconds.”

When the reward is obvious and immediate, the barrier to entry gets lower.

2. Ask at the Right Moment

The best time to prompt someone to join your loyalty program is right after a great experience, when they’ve just made a purchase, enjoyed your service, or interacted with a helpful employee.

That’s when they’re emotionally engaged. That’s when they’re most likely to say “yes.”

3. Remove the Friction

This is the big one. Most loyalty program sign-up forms are:

• Long

• Hard to find

• Easy to ignore

Nobody wants to download another app, fill out a form, or dig through their email while standing at the counter.

If you want more sign-ups, the process needs to be instant.

4. Make it Easy to Say Yes (with a Tap)

That’s where Cheers comes in.

With Cheers’ NFC badges, employees or reps can invite customers to join your loyalty program with a single tap. No apps. No paper forms. No friction.

You define where the badge points-whether it’s a loyalty page, signup form, or app download. The badge does the heavy lifting. And because it’s tied to individual employees, you can track exactly who’s driving sign-ups.

Companies using Cheers have seen loyalty enrollment rates jump significantly - not by changing the program, but by making it easier to access right when it matters.

Final Thought

You don’t need a better loyalty program! You need a better way to invite people into it. Start with timing, simplify the experience, and let tools like Cheers remove the friction that holds customers back.

When it’s easy to say yes, more people do.