How to save loyalty cards on your smartphone and make them digital

An overfilled wallet is undoubtedly a clutter, considering that when we are not at home it is permanently in our back pocket. And most of the time it is not cash that causes this clutter, but cards. Everyone has had at least for a while loyalty cards that they no longer used for a long time but that could always come in handy.

In addition to freeing us from cash and leading us towards a cashless society, our smartphone can also help us reduce the clutter in our wallets. In fact, in addition to the various mobile payment methods that are becoming increasingly popular in recent times and whose diffusion has been accelerated due to the pandemic, loyalty cards can also be saved on smartphones.

The operation can be performed on both Android and iPhone , however it is not immediate for a layman. In this guide we explain how to save loyalty cards on your smartphone and always have them at your fingertips when it comes time to pay in your favorite stores.

The operations we are about to show you can be carried out via free apps, it is not necessary to pay commissions or sign up for subscriptions either to pay from your smartphone or to store and use a loyalty card.

Save and use loyalty cards on Android with Google Pay

Google Pay is the mobile payment platform for Android . It is pre-installed on all the latest generation Android smartphones and allows you to pay with your smartphone by simply bringing it close to the POS as you would with a credit card, provided that the smartphone is equipped with NFC connectivity.

Among its features, Google Pay also offers the ability to save loyalty cards to use them at the right time. If you want to save a loyalty card on Google Pay you will first have to open the Google Pay app, then swipe up from the bottom on the screen that appears. You will then have to select the Add a card item and then choose the Loyalty or Gift Card category.

Once you have done this, you will need to tap on the name of the merchant or program, then you will just have to follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Once you have added all the loyalty cards to Google Pay, you can change their order. To do this, you can open the Google Pay app and tap the bottom of the screen , then swipe up. Press and hold on the card you want to reorder and swipe up or down to move it, then release the card.

How to use loyalty cards saved on Google Pay? When you are at the checkout, open the Google Pay app and tap the bottom of the screen, then swipe up. Tap the loyalty card you want to use and ask the cashier to scan the barcode . If the card does not have a barcode, you will need to tell the cashier your membership number.

If the cashier is unable to scan the card, try cleaning the screen, checking for creases in the barcode, or have the cashier type the loyalty card code directly into the cash register.

How to Save Loyalty Cards on iPhone

Just like there is Google Pay on Android, Apple also has its own mobile payment system for iPhones with a pre-installed app. The application we are talking about is Wallet , which also allows you to save loyalty cards on your smartphone to use them when needed.

Once you enter the Wallet application, you can add a card by simply tapping on the + button located at the top right of the screen. This will give you the possibility to scan the barcodes of the loyalty cards and store them in your virtual wallet.

In your Wallet stack, you can reorder cards by touching and holding the card you want to move, then dragging it to a new position in the stack. The order of your loyalty cards is automatically updated on all your iPhones, iPod Touches, and Apple Watches that you're signed in to with your Apple ID .

Third party apps

If we put aside for a second the payment systems already integrated into Android and iOS, there are also many other third-party apps that allow the use of loyalty cards directly from the smartphone. Among the most used is the one we recommend, namely Stocard .

The application is free and allows you to add many loyalty cards to have a digital copy of them and lighten your back pocket. For some loyalty cards you can also receive offers for the purchase of products. The application is available for free on the Play Store and App Store. Among the other most valid applications for saving loyalty cards on your smartphone are Fidme and CardPlus , also integrated with dozens of loyalty cards from stores throughout Italy.

Buy equipment on Usatocomenuovo

If you are a merchant and need equipment for your cash register that also allows you to read loyalty card barcodes, you can take a look at the Usatocomenuovo store .

You will find many used and refurbished commercial equipment equal to the new to buy at prices significantly lower than new. You will also get advantageous warranty conditions on the refurbished, shipping in 24 hours and after-sales support.