The Cost Problem with Loyalty Software
A quick survey of loyalty platforms available to Indian merchants reveals a common pattern: plans start at ₹500–₹800 per month for basic features, and anything with real capabilities—customer analytics, custom branding, API access—costs ₹2,000–₹5,000 per month. For a kirana store generating ₹50,000 in monthly revenue, a ₹1,000/month loyalty software subscription is 2% of revenue. That's before you even count the actual discount cost of the rewards you give out.
For most local shops, the math never works. The software cost alone makes the program unprofitable before a single coin is issued.
RynoWallet's Different Approach
RynoWallet Closed Loop is free because the business model is different. RynoWallet makes money when merchants upgrade to Network mode—the paid coalition tier. The Closed Loop plan is permanent and free because it costs RynoWallet almost nothing to run an isolated single-shop program, and it creates a natural pathway for merchants to experience the platform and eventually upgrade when they want cross-network benefits.
This is not a freemium bait-and-switch. The free tier is genuinely functional. There is no artificial limit that forces you to pay once you reach a certain number of customers or transactions.
What the Free Plan Includes
RynoWallet Closed Loop at zero cost includes everything you need to run a professional loyalty program:
- Custom coin branding: Name your coins anything. Your logo and shop name everywhere.
- Unlimited issuance: Issue coins to as many customers as you have, as often as you want.
- Slab-based earning rules: Configure tiered rewards (e.g., 10 coins per ₹500, 25 coins per ₹1,000).
- Customer lookup: Search by phone, email, or QR scan.
- Merchant dashboard: Real-time view of issuance, redemption, and customer activity.
- Full audit trail: Every transaction logged permanently.
- REST API access: Integrate with your billing software to automate coin issuance.
What the Free Plan Does Not Include
The Closed Loop plan is genuinely isolated. Your coins work only at your shop. Customers cannot take your coins and redeem them at a nearby pharmacy or grocery store. You do not receive foot traffic from other network shops. If you want the coalition effect—customers from across the neighbourhood walking into your shop with coins they earned elsewhere—that is Network mode, which starts at ₹299/month.
For many single-outlet shops, isolation is fine. You are not trying to share customers; you are trying to keep your own. Closed Loop does that completely, for free.
The Real Cost of Giving Rewards
The only cost you bear in Closed Loop is the discount value of the coins you issue. If you issue 1,000 RC in a month and customers redeem 400 RC, you have given out ₹400 in discounts. That is your loyalty program cost—no different from running a 'regular customer discount.' The difference is that the discount is now systematic, trackable, and tied to purchase behavior rather than given arbitrarily.
Most merchants report that the incremental revenue from repeat visits more than covers the discount cost. A customer who visits twice instead of once because of their coin balance generates more gross profit than the coins they redeem.
When to Upgrade
Stay on Closed Loop as long as it serves you. Upgrade to Network mode when you want to stop competing with nearby shops for the same customer base and start sharing customers in a win-win coalition. The upgrade takes one click and takes effect immediately.