Flat subscription is cheaper past a low volume threshold — here's the math
A flat monthly subscription is cheaper than a per-transaction commission once your visit volume passes a fairly low threshold — usually within the first month or two of real trading, based on the one clearly documented commission model in this market.
Saudi loyalty pricing is overwhelmingly flat-subscription: Waya, Niqati, Loyapro, Stamp Me, Go-Stamp, Loyalfy and Jodpass all charge a fixed monthly or annual fee regardless of how many visits you log. The one clear exception is Washy App, a car-wash-only product whose Free tier charges 1 SAR per wash transaction instead of a subscription — unlimited customers and washes, but every wash costs a riyal.
The two models trade off predictability for scale, a distinction our Washy App comparison walks through directly. A commission model costs nothing at zero volume and scales with revenue; a flat subscription costs the same whether you serve 10 customers or 10,000, which is exactly where it starts winning.
- Flat subscription: fixed monthly cost regardless of visit volume (Waya, Niqati, Loyapro, and most of this market)
- Commission: cost scales with every visit — Washy App's Free tier charges 1 SAR/wash
- Washy App's own paid Premium tier (300 SAR/mo) is itself a flat subscription, priced against the same volume math
- Waya's free tier removes the choice entirely for a shop under 100 customers — it's 0 SAR either way
Comparison sheet: subscription-model vendors vs Waya
Figures below are each vendor's own published price as of September 2026, normalized to SAR where needed (marked approx.).
| Platform | Cheapest paid (SAR/mo) | Free tier | Apple + Google Wallet | App required for customers | Geofence | Auto triggers | Scheduled campaigns (working hours) | SAR pricing / Saudi company |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waya | 85 (Growth) | 0 SAR forever, up to 100 customers/100 messages | Both | No | Yes (50-500 m, up to 10 branches) | Yes (welcome, stamp, reward, 14-day win-back) | Yes | Yes / Yes |
| Niqati | 49.99 (Pro) | 50 customers | Both | No | Claimed, radius not disclosed | Partial | Not listed | Yes / Yes |
| Loyapro | 59 (Basic) | None | Both | No | Partial (welcome-at-location only) | Partial | Not listed | Yes / Yes |
| Stamp Me | ≈184 (approx.) | None (30-day trial) | Both | No | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | No / No |
| Go-Stamp | ≈92 (annual-only) | None (90-day money-back) | Apple only | No | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes / Yes |
| Loyverse | n/a (bundled in free POS) | Unlimited, bundled free forever | Neither natively (paid third-party add-on) | No | No (native) | No | Not listed | No / Unknown |
| Loyalfy | 75 (contested figure) | None (15-day trial) | Neither (no wallet pass) | No | Not listed | Partial (birthday, reviews) | Not listed | Yes / Unknown |
| Jodpass | 59.99 (Starter) | None (14-day trial) | Both | No | Not listed | No (only vague "smart notifications") | Not listed | Yes / Yes |
The worked math: nearest-priced flat plans over 12 months
Among the flat-subscription vendors closest to Waya's own price, the annual gap is smaller than the monthly headline suggests.
Waya's Growth plan runs 1,020 SAR/yr billed monthly (867 SAR/yr annual). Niqati's Pro tier at 599.88 SAR/yr (499.99 SAR/yr annual) and Jodpass's Starter tier at 719.88 SAR/yr are both close in absolute terms, while Loyapro's Basic tier at 708 SAR/yr sits almost exactly between them.
Not listed = not on the vendor's site; verify directly.
| Platform | Monthly (SAR) | 12-month cost (SAR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waya Growth | 85 | 1,020 (or 867 billed annually) | Unlimited customers, 5,000 messages/mo included |
| Niqati Pro | 49.99 | 599.88 (or 499.99 billed annually) | Free tier stops at 50 customers, not 100 |
| Loyapro Basic | 59 | 708 (matches Loyapro's own annual price) | No numeric message cap published |
| Jodpass Starter | 59.99 | 719.88 | Capped at 3 employee seats; no geofence or itemized triggers |
The commission model, worked out: Washy App's break-even point
Washy App is the field's clearest commission example, so it's worth running its own two tiers against each other directly.
Its Free tier charges 0 SAR flat plus 1 SAR per wash, unlimited customers included. Its Premium tier is a flat 300 SAR/mo (3,600 SAR/yr). The break-even point is simple arithmetic: at 300 washes a month, both tiers cost exactly the same. Below 300 washes, the commission-based Free tier is cheaper; above it, the flat Premium tier wins — and neither Washy tier includes a wallet pass, since the product delivers a browser-based PWA card instead.
| Washy App tier | Monthly cost | Break-even point | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free + 1 SAR/wash commission | 0 SAR flat + 1 SAR per wash | Cheaper below ~300 washes/month | Unlimited customers, no wallet pass (PWA card only) |
| Premium (flat) | 300 SAR/mo | Cheaper above ~300 washes/month | Push notifications claimed; still no wallet pass |
| Waya Growth (flat, any vertical) | 85 SAR/mo | No transaction fee at any volume | Unlimited customers, wallet pass on both Apple and Google |
What to ask before choosing a pricing model
The right model depends on your visit volume, not just the headline number.
- Estimate your monthly visit count before comparing a commission model to a flat one
- Ask whether a commission model has a cap, or scales without limit as volume grows
- Confirm whether VAT applies on top of either the subscription fee or the per-transaction commission
- Check what happens to your customer data if you switch models later
Decide between the two models in five steps
A short volume estimate settles most of this decision before you sign anything.
- Step 1: count your average monthly visits
This single number decides which pricing model actually costs less for your shop.
- Step 2: multiply visits by any commission rate you're quoted
Compare that total directly against the nearest flat subscription's monthly price.
- Step 3: check whether the flat plan has a customer or branch ceiling
A cheap flat plan that caps out early can force an unplanned upgrade.
- Step 4: start on whichever plan is free or cheapest today
Waya's Free plan removes the decision entirely under 100 customers.
- Step 5: re-run the math every quarter as volume grows
The cheaper model at launch isn't always the cheaper model six months in.
Waya's Free plan has no per-visit fee at any volume, up to 100 customers.
Start free at 0 SARThe verdict: flat subscription wins for most shops, and Waya's free tier wins outright below 100 customers
For any shop expecting more than a handful of visits a month, a flat subscription beats a per-transaction commission — Washy App's own numbers show the break-even at roughly 300 washes a month, and most loyalty programs cross that within weeks of launch. Waya's Growth plan (1,020 SAR/yr, or 867 SAR/yr annual) has no transaction fee at any volume, alongside wallet-pass support on both Apple and Google that Washy App's commission model doesn't offer at all.
One Waya cafe ran on the Free plan for about seven weeks with 60 customers enrolled and a 35% return rate — a volume where a 1 SAR/wash-style commission would already have cost more than Waya's 0 SAR.
For a shop under 100 customers, the decision doesn't even matter — Waya's Free plan removes both the commission and the subscription fee entirely. All figures here are current as of September 2026 — pricing changes, so verify the live number on each vendor's own site before you commit.
60 customers, a 35% return rate, reached at 0 SAR — a volume where a per-visit commission would already cost more.
Waya merchant data, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is Waya really free forever, and what happens at 100 customers?
Yes — the Free plan is 0 SAR forever with no credit card, covering 1 stamp card, 1 branch and up to 100 customers and 100 messages a month. New enrollments pause at 100; everyone already enrolled keeps their card.
Do wallet loyalty notifications work the same on Apple and Google Wallet?
Not quite — Apple Wallet delivers directly to the lock screen; some vendors' Google Wallet notifications are rate-limited or generic on certain devices, a platform limitation rather than a vendor choice. Washy App offers neither, delivering a browser-based card instead of a wallet pass.
Is a commission-based loyalty program ever cheaper than a subscription?
Yes, at low volume — Washy App's Free tier (1 SAR/wash) is cheaper than its own flat Premium tier (300 SAR/mo) below roughly 300 washes a month. Above that volume, the flat tier wins.
Which Saudi loyalty vendors charge a commission instead of a subscription?
Washy App is the clearest documented example, charging 1 SAR per wash on its Free tier. Every other vendor in this comparison, including Waya, Niqati, Loyapro and Jodpass, charges a flat monthly or annual fee instead.
Does Waya ever charge based on sales or visit volume?
No. Waya has no commission, no per-visit fee, and no percentage-of-sales component on any plan — Free, Growth, and Premium are all flat prices regardless of how many visits you log.