The recommendation: stamps for one flat price, points for tiered pricing
If every wash at your location costs the same price, use a stamp card — one stamp per visit, a free wash after a fixed count. Reach for a points card only once your price list actually varies, say a sedan wash priced differently from a full SUV detail, because points tied to riyals spent handle that variation automatically and a stamp card can't.
Most single-location car washes on a flat per-wash price should default to stamps and switch to points only when the price list genuinely forces it — not because points sound more sophisticated. A stamp card that everyone at the till understands beats a points card nobody can explain in one sentence.
Stamp card vs. points card, side by side
The two mechanics solve different problems. Stamps count visits; points count value. For a wash where every ticket looks the same, counting visits is exact and effortless. For a wash where tickets range from a 20 SAR basic wash to an 80 SAR full detail, counting visits treats those two customers identically, which isn't fair to either.
| Stamp card | Points card | |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Flat, uniform per-wash price | Pricing varies by vehicle size or service |
| How it's earned | One stamp per visit | Points proportional to amount spent |
| Staff training | Scan once, done | Scan once, amount recorded |
| Customer clarity | Very high — visible progress toward a free wash | Needs a clear points-to-reward table |
| Plan availability | Free and up | Growth and Premium (paid plans) |
A concrete reward-sizing example
On a stamp card, a 6-stamp threshold with the 7th wash free is roughly a 14% discount averaged across the whole cycle — generous enough to notice, small enough not to hurt margin on a 25-35 SAR wash. On a points card, a common pattern is 1 point per SAR spent with a reward at 250 points, which at a mixed 30-50 SAR average ticket takes 5-8 visits to earn — landing in a similar range to the stamp card's payout speed, just weighted by spend instead of visit count.
The points version rewards the customer who pays 80 SAR for a full detail faster than the customer who pays 25 SAR for a basic wash, which is the entire reason to run points instead of stamps once pricing varies. If your price list is close enough that customers don't perceive the tiers as different, that fairness doesn't matter, and stamps stay simpler.
- Flat price, single service → stamp card, 6th or 7th visit free
- Two or three price tiers by vehicle size → points card, 1 point per SAR spent
- Mostly flat pricing with one occasional premium add-on → stamps for the base wash, handled separately from the add-on
- Unsure which fits → start with stamps; it's the simpler mechanic to unwind if you switch later
Why stamps win the default, even though points feel more "complete"
Points cards feel more sophisticated, but sophistication has a cost: a customer has to remember a points-to-reward conversion, and a cashier has to enter the right amount every time rather than tapping one button. On a flat-price wash, none of that complexity buys you anything, because every visit already earns the same amount by definition — a stamp card gets you the identical outcome for less staff friction.
Waya supports four card types — stamp, points, balance, and discount — all living on the same kind of card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, working across every branch on one dashboard. Choosing the simpler mechanic when pricing is uniform isn't a compromise; it's the correct call for that pricing structure. For a wash where pricing genuinely does vary, see points for variable-priced packages for the reverse case.
Setting up whichever mechanic fits your price list
Both card types are set up from the same screen in the dashboard, and switching from a plan choice you've already made doesn't require starting over.
- Check your own price list
List every wash or service you sell and see whether the prices are close enough to call "flat."
- Pick stamp or points accordingly
Flat pricing → stamps. Two or more real tiers → points, tied to amount spent.
- Set the reward threshold
For stamps, 6-7 visits is a common default; for points, size the conversion so a typical customer earns a reward in 5-8 visits.
- Train the scan, not the math
Whichever mechanic you pick, the staff step is still one scan on an ordinary phone.
- Launch on Free, upgrade if pricing gets more complex
Free supports 1 stamp card; points, balance, and discount cards need Growth or Premium.
The limits that apply regardless of which mechanic you pick
Neither card type changes Waya's structural limits: there's no POS or till integration, so a stamp or point is added by staff scanning the customer's card on an ordinary phone rather than automatically at the till. There's no SMS channel either — messages land on the wallet lock screen only. The Android merchant app is in closed testing, so Android staff use the web dashboard.
Free supports only the stamp card type, capped at 1 card, 1 branch, and 100 customers. Points, balance, and discount cards require Growth (85 SAR/month) or Premium (149 SAR/month), which is the practical reason many washes start on stamps even when they suspect points would eventually fit better.
Frequently asked questions
Should a car wash with one flat wash price use stamps or points?
Use a stamp card. When every wash costs the same, a stamp per visit is exact and effortless to scan, and there's no fairness gap for a points system to solve.
When does a car wash actually need a points card?
Once pricing genuinely varies by vehicle size or service tier — a sedan wash priced differently from a full SUV detail. Points tied to riyals spent reward the higher-ticket customer faster, which a stamp card can't do.
Is a 6-stamp or 7-stamp threshold better for a car wash?
A 6-stamp card with the 7th wash free works out to roughly a 14% discount across the cycle, a common and sustainable default. Longer thresholds lower the discount but slow down how quickly customers see progress.
Can a car wash switch from stamps to points later?
Yes, though it requires moving to Growth or Premium since points cards aren't available on Free. Most washes should start with stamps regardless, since it's the simpler mechanic to run and easy to justify switching away from if pricing changes.
Does Waya add a stamp automatically when a customer pays?
No. Waya has no POS or till integration, so a staff member scans the customer's card on an ordinary phone after the wash, using the web dashboard or the Waya iOS app. There's no SMS either — messages go to the wallet lock screen only.