The short version
Walaa (منصة ولاء) doesn't publish a pricing page — walaa.com.sa/pricing returns a 404 as of September 2026, and the site directs visitors to sign up at app.walaa.com.sa for details. That makes a like-for-like price table impossible; we can only compare what's publicly named.
The clearest difference is channel choice. Walaa's homepage explicitly names sending "via notifications, email, and WhatsApp," while Waya is deliberately wallet-only: lock-screen messages on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, no SMS, no WhatsApp channel at all.
Walaa's site also references "wallet cards" and location-based alerts without ever naming Apple Wallet or Google Wallet explicitly on the page we fetched — worth asking about directly if wallet-pass parity matters to you.
Notifications, side by side
Walaa is the one platform in this batch that puts WhatsApp and email on equal footing with wallet notifications — a genuinely different retention model, not a gap to hold against them. For how Waya sends its own campaigns, see how to send a wallet notification.
| Notification feature | Waya | Walaa |
|---|---|---|
| Lock-screen push | Apple Wallet + Google Wallet, named explicitly | "Wallet cards" referenced, but Apple/Google Wallet not explicitly named on their site |
| Geofence | Apple Wallet, up to 10 branches, 50-500 m radius, zero message quota | Claimed — "automatic alerts when the customer is near your location" — radius and branch count not disclosed |
| Automatic triggers | Welcome, stamp added, reward redeemed, 14-day win-back | Partial — targeting is implied but no named trigger list (no welcome/win-back terminology found) |
| Scheduled campaigns (working hours) | Yes — a send outside opening hours moves to the next open slot | Not listed on their site (Sept 2026) |
| Audience targeting | Everyone, lifecycle segment, program, or hand-picked list | Generic reference only, no itemized segmentation model |
| Message pricing | Free 100/mo, Growth 5,000, Premium unlimited, 500-message top-up for 5 SAR | No pricing page published; figures unavailable (Sept 2026) |
| SMS / WhatsApp | None — no SMS, no WhatsApp channel | WhatsApp and email both explicitly named as merchant-to-customer channels |
Pricing: one side of the table is empty
Waya's three tiers are public: 0 SAR forever up to 100 customers, 85 SAR a month for Growth (867 SAR prepaid annual), and 149 SAR a month for Premium (1,520 SAR prepaid annual). Walaa's pricing simply isn't published anywhere on walaa.com.sa as of September 2026 — you'd need to sign up at their app portal to find out.
That's not the same as Walaa being expensive or cheap; it's genuinely unknown from the outside. If a written quote before commitment matters to your finance process, ask Walaa for one directly rather than estimating from ours. Prices and features on both sides can change without notice, so verify anything here on the vendor's current page.
| Plan | Monthly | Twelve months | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waya Free | 0 SAR | 0 SAR | Forever, up to 100 customers, no credit card |
| Waya Growth | 85 SAR | 1,020 SAR (867 SAR prepaid) | Unlimited customers, up to 10 cards, 3 branches |
| Waya Premium | 149 SAR | 1,788 SAR (1,520 SAR prepaid) | Unlimited cards, branches, staff, messages |
| Walaa | Not published | Not published | No public pricing page; sign up at app.walaa.com.sa for a figure |
Where Walaa is the better pick
If your retention plan already runs through WhatsApp broadcast lists and email, Walaa builds those channels in directly, rather than asking you to add a wallet-only tool alongside them. Their homepage also explicitly positions the product as working "بدون نقاط بيع (POS)" — without a point-of-sale system — the same POS-independent stance Waya takes.
Waya's limits, stated plainly once: no POS or till integration, no SMS, the Android merchant app is in closed testing, and Free stops at 100 customers and 100 messages a month.
Where Waya wins
These points reflect what Walaa's own public site does and doesn't say, as of September 2026 — a fair comparison requires asking Walaa directly for anything marked unconfirmed here.
- Public pricing you can plan against — 0, 85, or 149 SAR a month — versus Walaa's quote-only model with no published figures
- A geofence with a stated radius and branch count (50-500 m, up to 10 branches), where Walaa discloses neither
- Four named automatic triggers with a stated 14-day win-back window, versus Walaa's unnamed, implied targeting
- Working-hours-aware scheduled campaigns, unlisted on Walaa's site
- Free forever for up to 100 customers with no credit card on file
Barbershops and WhatsApp reminders
Many Saudi barbershops already run a WhatsApp broadcast group for regulars, so Walaa's built-in WhatsApp and email channels can slot into a habit that's already there rather than replacing it. Walaa's site doesn't name barbershops as a specific vertical — its case study is a perfume and cosmetics retailer — so treat this as a channel-fit observation, not a confirmed vertical focus.
Waya takes a different route for the same shop: a wallet pass on the customer's lock screen plus a 14-day win-back trigger tuned to the roughly three-week haircut cycle, detailed in the barbershop loyalty program guide. Neither approach is wrong — the question is whether your regulars already expect a WhatsApp message or a lock-screen card.
How to decide in 5 steps
With one side of the pricing table empty, the decision leans more on channel preference than on a head-to-head cost comparison.
- Get Walaa's price in writing
Sign up at their app portal or contact them directly for a monthly figure, since none is published on their marketing site.
- Decide on your primary channel
If WhatsApp and email are already how you reach customers, Walaa builds around that. If a lock-screen wallet pass fits better, Waya is wallet-only by design.
- Ask about wallet-pass parity
Walaa's site never explicitly names Apple Wallet or Google Wallet — confirm directly whether their "wallet cards" are the same pass format.
- Start Waya's free plan in parallel
At 0 SAR for up to 100 customers, you can test wallet-based enrollment while you wait on Walaa's quote.
- Compare the geofence numbers once you have them
Waya publishes a 50-500 m radius across up to 10 branches; ask Walaa for the same specifics before assuming equivalence.
Frequently asked questions
Is Waya cheaper than Walaa?
It can't be answered from public information: Walaa doesn't publish pricing on walaa.com.sa as of September 2026, while Waya's three tiers are public at 0, 85, and 149 SAR a month. Get a written monthly figure from Walaa before comparing it against Waya's published numbers.
Do customers need an app?
On Waya, no — customers scan a QR code, add a first name and mobile number, and tap once to add the pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, with a web card fallback elsewhere. Walaa's site references wallet cards without explicitly naming Apple or Google Wallet, so confirm with them whether an app or account is required.
What happens after 100 customers on Free?
New enrollments and new messages pause at 100 customers and 100 messages a month, while everyone already enrolled keeps their card and keeps collecting stamps. Growth at 85 SAR a month removes the customer ceiling and raises the message allowance to 5,000 a month.
Does Waya connect to my POS?
No. Waya has no POS or till integration — staff scan the customer's card on an ordinary phone. Walaa makes the same POS-independent claim on its own site, describing itself as working "بدون نقاط بيع (POS)."
Does Walaa send WhatsApp messages?
Yes, according to their own homepage, which names sending "via notifications, email, and WhatsApp." Waya has no WhatsApp channel at all — messages go to the Apple Wallet or Google Wallet lock screen only.