In this guide
- Log in as SUPER USER
- Open Help → Loyalty Points
- Click the Retail or Restaurant card
- Press Start loyalty
- Type the customer's mobile number on every bill
Loyalty Points is the rewards program built into Speed Plus 9 for shops, restaurants and hotels. A customer earns points on every sale bill that carries their mobile number. They get a WhatsApp message with the balance, and they pay part of a later bill with those points. The owner sees every member, every bill that missed its points, and the total discount still owed, in rupees.
21.1Why loyalty points
Keeping a customer costs less than finding a new one. A points balance gives the customer a reason to come back to you and not to the shop next door, because the balance can only be spent at your counter. Every message also carries your shop's name, so it works as a cheap reminder.
The cashier does one thing: type the customer's mobile number on the bill. Speed Plus 9 works out the points, writes them to the customer's points ledger, sends the message, and stops any redemption that is larger than the balance or your limit.
21.2How points are earned
The setup screen has two ready presets and a Custom choice. The presets suit most shops and most restaurants without changing a number.
| Setting | Retail preset | Restaurant preset |
|---|---|---|
| Points per ₹100 of bill | 1 point (1% of the bill) | 5 points (5% of the bill) |
| 1 point is worth | ₹1 | ₹1 |
| Points expire after | 12 months | 6 months |
| Points can pay up to | 20% of a bill | 25% of a bill |
| Minimum balance to use | 25 points | 50 points |
| Minimum bill to earn | No limit | No limit |
| Reminder before expiry | 15 days | 15 days |
There are three ways to earn. The first two are on the Earning card. Custom is a card on the Program card.
- As % of the bill. The usual way. Points = bill value × the percentage. The Live preview card shows an example while you type.
- By bill amount (slabs). A table of Bill from (₹) and Points. Each slab runs until the next one starts, and the last slab has no upper limit. A bill below the first slab earns nothing. The screen refuses overlapping or empty slabs.
- Custom. Keep the percentage or the slabs, but set every number yourself: point value, expiry months, maximum share of a bill, minimum bill, minimum balance and reminder days.
21.3Setting up the program
Only the owner can create or change the program. Any other user who presses Save sees "Only the owner (SUPER USER) can change the loyalty program." Everyone can still open the screen and read it.
- Log in as SUPER USER and open Help → Loyalty Points.
- On the Program card click Retail, Restaurant or Custom. Each card shows its headline, for example 1% back · 12 months.
- Type a Program name if you want one. Left blank, the program is called Loyalty.
- On the Earning card choose As % of the bill or By bill amount (slabs). Check the numbers: Points per ₹100 of bill, 1 point is worth, Points expire after (0 = never), Points can pay up to (0 = no limit), Minimum bill to earn, Minimum balance to use.
- If you chose slabs, fill the Slabs table. If you switch presets after typing slabs, the screen asks "Replace the slabs you typed with the preset?"
- On the Messages card tick Send a WhatsApp message after each bill and Send a WhatsApp reminder before points expire, and set Days before. Both need WhatsApp credits (Chapter 19).
- Read the Live preview card. It changes as you type and shows what a sample bill would earn.
- Press Start loyalty. From then on the button reads Save; use it for later changes.
21.4Earning points at billing
Only one field changes at the counter. On the POS screen (Chapter 13) type the number in Customer's Mobile No. and press Enter. If the customer has bought before, the name and address come up. Add the items and save the bill as usual. The points for that bill are written to the customer's points ledger the moment the bill is saved.
The same happens on Touch POS (Chapter 14), the Sale screen (Chapter 5) and Touch KOT (Chapter 33). On POS the Loyalty Calculation tick decides, bill by bill, whether the bill earns points. It is ticked by default. A bill saved with it unticked earns nothing.
Points can also be printed on the bill. POS and food bills have three print fields: ON35 (points available), ON36 (points earned on this bill) and ON37 (points balance after this bill). HTML bill formats use {{PointsEarned}} and {{PointsBalance}}. Chapter 7 shows how to place fields on a format, and Help → T-Codes (Print Fields) lists them all.
21.5Redeeming points
On POS, the Sale screen and Touch KOT, a bill with a mobile number shows the customer's Available Points in the payment box. Touch POS earns points but has no Redeem Points box. To pay part of the bill with points, type the amount in Redeem Points. Each point is worth the value set in the program (₹1 in both presets).
- Enter the customer's mobile number and the items.
- In the payment box read Available Points.
- Type the points to use in Redeem Points. Press Space in the Points box to put the whole amount to collect there (the other payment boxes are cleared). If that is more than the program allows, the software stops you and says which limit applies.
- Collect the rest in cash, card or UPI, and save.
The software checks four limits and tells you which one stopped the redemption:
| Limit | What happens |
|---|---|
| Balance | You cannot use more points than the customer has. The message reads "Only 30 points available (worth ₹30.00)." |
| Points can pay up to | Points cannot pay more than the program's share of the bill (20% Retail, 25% Restaurant). The message names the rupee limit, for example "Points can cover up to 20% of this bill (₹120.00)." |
| Minimum balance to use | Below 25 (Retail) or 50 (Restaurant) points the customer cannot redeem yet: "Points can be used once the balance reaches 25 points. Balance now: 18 points." |
| Oldest first | Points are used in the order they were earned, so the lot closest to expiry goes first. |
21.6Expiry, reminders and WhatsApp
Every lot of points has its own expiry date. It is counted from the bill date using the program's months. A daily job removes expired points and writes an Expired line in the customer's ledger. Nothing is deleted, so the ledger keeps the history.
Two messages go out when the ticks on the Messages card are on and credits are available:
- After each bill: "Thank you for shopping at <your shop>. You earned 30 points. Balance: 30 points (worth ₹30)."
- Before expiry: a reminder the set number of days before the oldest lot expires (15 days in both presets).
When no credits are left, or the sender is off, the bill still saves. The points print on the bill if the format has the fields, and the Usage tab counts the message under WhatsApp not sent.
21.7The Loyalty Report
Open Help → Loyalty Report. This is the report of the new engine. A company still on old loyalty cards sees the classic report until it is upgraded (21.9). Four tiles sit at the top: Members, Points held, Liability (the rupee value of all live points, which is the discount you still owe) and Expiring in 30 days. Below them are four tabs. Ctrl+Tab moves between the tabs.
Members
One row per customer: Customer, Total sale, Earned, Redeemed, Points, Worth, Expiring, Last activity, Messages. Type in Search mobile or name to filter. Double-click a row or press Customer ledger to open that customer's ledger.
Missed bills
Bills whose points are wrong or were never posted, with Voucher ID, Date, Type, Amount and Mobile. Press Repair these bills. The screen asks "Repair N bill(s)? No customer gets a message." The list covers bills of the last 30 days (or since loyalty was started, if that is later). Only bills up to yesterday are touched.
Adjust points
SUPER USER only. Type the Customer mobile, the points (plus to add, minus to take back) and a Reason, for example festival bonus. Press Apply. The reason and the user are kept in the customer's ledger. Other users see a locked card.
Usage
Tiles for Loyalty on/off, Members, Sale bills, 30 days, Bills with a mobile (as a percentage), Members who used points, WhatsApp sent, WhatsApp not sent and Usage last sent.
The Members tab also carries the actions of the old report. Tick customers (or press Tick all / Clear), then use a button:
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Asks for the message text, then sends it to the ticked customers with a review link. Needs vTycoon to be activated, like Upload. Customers marked No WhatsApp are left out. | |
| Upload | Sends every customer's points to vTycoon. Needs vTycoon to be activated. Always all customers, not only the ticked ones. |
| Print / Excel | Prints or exports exactly the rows on screen after your search. |
| No WhatsApp for the selected customer (tick box) | Stops all loyalty messages for the selected customer. The Messages column shows the setting. |
| Refresh | Reloads the tiles and the lists. |
21.8A customer's points ledger
The Points ledger opens from the Members tab. It is read-only and answers the question "why is the balance what it is?". Five tiles sit on top: Balance now, Total earned, Used, Expired, Total sale.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Date | The bill's date (or the day the entry was posted). |
| Posted | When the points were actually written. |
| Bill No. | The sale bill behind the entry. |
| Type | Earned, Used, Returned, Expired, Adjusted, Opening, Referral or Reversed. |
| Bill Amount / Points / Balance | The bill value, the points added or taken (+/−) and the running balance. |
| Expires on | The date the lot expires. |
Lines undone by an edit or a delete are struck through and tagged UNDONE, and their total shows as Reversed. Press Excel to export the customer's ledger.
21.9Year-end, old cards and the engine upgrade
New financial year
When you create next year's company (Chapter 16), tick Loyalty Points Transfer in Change Financial Year, or open the Settings icon → Company Profile of the new year and click Import Loyalty. Members and their live points come across as Opening lots. Then open Loyalty Report → Missed bills and press Repair these bills. If March bills are entered in the old company later, run Import Loyalty again; only the new part is added.
Companies with old loyalty cards
Older companies may still run the classic card program (the LOYALITY CARDS screen with Silver / Gold style cards and Referal Points). For such a company the menu opens the classic screens, and the classic report has the Slab Check button. To move to the new program, open Help → Loyalty Points (the LOYALITY CARDS screen) and press Upgrade loyalty engine....
The Loyalty engine screen lists every customer with Balance Now, Recalculated and Difference, plus tiles for Customers, Points now, Recalculated, Below zero and Invalid mobiles (press Show invalid... to see them). Nothing changes until you press Upgrade now. Choose the mode first:
- Keep the balance customers see today (recommended). Each customer starts with the Balance Now column.
- Recalculate from bills (slab on each bill). Each customer starts with the Recalculated column.
Old data is kept. After the upgrade the program is Custom: points can pay any part of a bill, there is no minimum balance, and the WhatsApp ticks are off. Open Help → Loyalty Points, set the limits you want, tick the two message switches and press Save. Switch back to old engine is on the engine screen, but manual adjustments and expiries made in the new engine are then not counted, and a later upgrade starts the new ledger fresh.
Feedback and referrals from the classic program still exist in two places. The WhatsApp button on the Members tab sends a review link, so the customer can see their points and leave a rating. The POS screen has a Sponsor ID (Mobile No.) box, and referral credits appear in the ledger with the type Referral.
Points on your Web Store. If your shop has a Web Store (Chapter 29), a customer who logs in and verifies their mobile number sees a Your points card on the Rewards tab: the balance, its worth in rupees, any points about to expire, and the time the balance was read. The card is read-only. Points are always spent at the shop counter, never online.
21.10Troubleshooting
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Only the owner (SUPER USER) can change the loyalty program." | A staff login pressed Save or Start loyalty. | Log in as SUPER USER and try again. Staff can read the screen but not change it. |
| "Loyalty is not set up yet" in a company that had loyalty last year | The new financial-year company was created without the loyalty import. | Open Settings icon → Company Profile → Import Loyalty, then Loyalty Report → Missed bills → Repair these bills. |
| Bill saved, but no points for the customer | No mobile number on the bill (and none on the party), the bill is not a sale, the bill is still a Hold, or Loyalty Calculation is unticked on POS. | Check the mobile number on the bill. Open Loyalty Report → Missed bills and press Repair these bills. |
| "Only 30 points available (worth ₹30.00)." at the counter | The cashier typed more points than the balance. | Type a number within Available Points. The bill also cannot take more than the program's share of the bill. |
| "Points can cover up to 20% of this bill (₹120.00)." | The redemption is more than Points can pay up to allows on this bill. | Type the rupee figure from the message or less, and collect the rest in money. |
| "Points can be used once the balance reaches 25 points." | The balance is below Minimum balance to use. | Let the customer earn a little more. The owner can lower the minimum in Help → Loyalty Points. |
| Customer did not get the WhatsApp message | No credits, sender off, the message ticks are off, or the customer is marked No WhatsApp. | Check the Usage tab counts. Recharge credits (Chapter 19) or tick the switches in Help → Loyalty Points. Until then print the points on the bill. |
| Points show in the ledger as UNDONE | The bill was edited or deleted; its points were reversed and posted again. | Nothing to do. The new line below carries the correct points. |
| "The loyalty program could not be read. Close this screen and open it again." | The program or engine setting could not be read at that moment. | Close and reopen the screen. If it repeats, tell your dealer. |
| "Something went wrong" with code SP9-982754 when typing a mobile number in POS or printing a bill | Older builds failed to read the points on some PCs. | Fixed in version 261007 and later. Update with Help → Check for Updates. |
| Upload says "Sent N" but vTycoon shows nothing | The upload reports the count even when the internet is down. | Check the internet and press Upload again. |
Questions and answers
How does a customer join the program?
There is no form to fill. The first sale bill with their mobile number creates the member and the first points.
Which bills earn points?
Sale bills only, from POS, Touch POS, the Sale screen and Touch KOT. Purchases, receipts and challans do not.
Do points earn more points?
No. Points are earned only on the part of the bill paid with money, never on the part paid with points.
What is 1 point worth?
₹1 in both presets. A Custom program can set another value in 1 point is worth.
Why does the bill show 24 points when 1% of Rs 2,450 is 24.50?
Points are stored to two decimals, but the customer sees and spends whole points. The 0.50 stays in the balance and counts once more points come in.
Can points pay the whole bill?
Only if you set Points can pay up to to 0 (no limit) in Help → Loyalty Points. The presets cap it at 20% (Retail) and 25% (Restaurant).
When do points expire?
12 months after the bill (Retail) or 6 months (Restaurant). Set Points expire after to 0 and they never expire.
Can I give a customer bonus points by hand?
Yes, as SUPER USER in Help → Loyalty Report → Adjust points. A reason is compulsory and stays in the ledger.
Can points go negative?
No. Redemption always stays within the balance and the program's limit. A return that cannot be taken back is listed in the report, not forced below zero.
What happens when I delete a bill?
Its points are reversed and shown struck through as UNDONE in the ledger. They never move to another customer and are never doubled.
I saved a bill without the mobile number. Can the customer still get the points?
Open the bill, add the mobile number and save it again. If the points still do not appear, use Loyalty Report → Missed bills → Repair these bills the next day.
A customer does not want messages. What do I do?
Select the customer in the Members tab and tick No WhatsApp for the selected customer. Points still work; only the messages stop.
I have no WhatsApp credits. Does loyalty still work?
Yes. Points are earned and redeemed as usual, and you can print them on the bill with ON36 and ON37 (Chapter 7).
Does Repair send messages to customers?
No. Repair these bills only posts the points. The confirm box says so: "No customer gets a message."
What is Liability on the report?
The rupee value of all live points. It is the discount you still owe your customers today.
Does the report send my customers' numbers anywhere?
No. Only counts go to the Speed Plus server once a day. Upload to vTycoon is a separate action you press yourself.
Do points carry to the new financial year?
Yes. Tick Loyalty Points Transfer in Change Financial Year (Chapter 16) or click Import Loyalty in the new year's Company Profile, then run Repair in Missed bills.
Can my customers see their points on the Web Store?
Yes. After logging in and verifying their mobile number, they see a Your points card on the Rewards tab (Chapter 29). They cannot spend points online; points are used at the shop.
Can a staff member change the program?
No. Staff can open Help → Loyalty Points and read it, but only SUPER USER can save a change.
Does Touch POS let the customer redeem points?
Touch POS earns points but has no Redeem Points box. Use POS, the Sale screen or Touch KOT when a customer wants to spend points.
Does loyalty work on SQL Server companies?
Yes, on both Access and SQL Server companies (Chapter 20).
Where did the Silver / Gold cards go?
They belong to the classic program. A company still on it keeps its screens until the owner runs Upgrade loyalty engine... → Upgrade now.
I upgraded the engine and now points pay any part of the bill. Is that right?
Yes. After an upgrade the program is Custom with no limits and the WhatsApp ticks off. Open Help → Loyalty Points, set Points can pay up to and Minimum balance to use, tick the message switches and press Save.
POS showed "Something went wrong" (SP9-982754) when I typed the customer's mobile. What now?
That was a fault in reading points on some PCs in older builds. It is fixed in version 261007 and later. Update with Help → Check for Updates.