Chamoy vs FiveStars
FiveStars (now part of SumUp) charges $299+/month for loyalty. Chamoy delivers restaurant-focused loyalty and reputation management starting at $50/month, with no contracts.
Book a demoAt a glance
| Chamoy | FiveStars | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/mo | $299/mo |
| Annual savings vs. FiveStars | $2,988/year | - |
| Contract required? | Annual contract | |
| NFC tap-to-join | ||
| Apple & Google Wallet | Limited | |
| Reputation management | ||
| Google review routing | ||
| Requires specific POS? | No — standalone | POS integration required |
| SMS marketing | Coming soon | Yes (extra cost) |
| Email campaigns | Coming soon | |
| Setup & onboarding | Free, done for you | Self-serve |
| Cancellation | Anytime, no fees | Difficult, annual lock-in |
| Support | Founder direct line | Ticket-based |
Detailed comparison
Pricing: 6x the cost, not 6x the value
FiveStars starts at $299/month — their base tier. Higher tiers run $400-$500+/month. All plans require annual contracts, locking you into $3,588+ before you see results. Restaurants frequently report difficulty canceling even when unsatisfied, with auto-renewals and unresponsive support making it feel like a trap.
Chamoy starts at $50/month with no contract. Even our Growth plan with NFC coasters at $199/month is cheaper than FiveStars' base price — and you can cancel anytime with a single message. That's $3,000/year you keep in your restaurant instead of sending it to a loyalty company.
Loyalty program approach
FiveStars uses a points-based system with their own payment terminal or POS integration. They've built autopilot campaigns that trigger based on customer behavior. Sounds impressive — but most independent restaurants never touch those features. You're paying $299/month for complexity your staff won't use and your customers won't notice.
Chamoy focuses on what actually drives repeat visits: digital punch cards, NFC coasters for instant signups, and wallet passes. Staff learns it in minutes, guests join in seconds, and you see results without configuring a single automation campaign. Simple beats complex when complex goes unused.
Contracts and cancellation
One of the most common complaints about FiveStars is difficulty canceling. Restaurants report being locked into annual contracts, experiencing auto-renewals they didn't expect, and struggling to reach support when trying to cancel. On review sites, "hard to cancel" appears repeatedly.
Chamoy is month-to-month with no contract. If it's not working for you, cancel with a single message. No annual lock-in, no auto-renewal surprises, no cancellation hoops to jump through.
Reputation management
At $299/month, you'd think FiveStars would include reputation management. They don't. No review collection, no Google review routing, no feedback capture. You'd need yet another tool at $50-$100/month, pushing your total cost to $349-$399/month for what Chamoy does for $50.
Chamoy includes reputation management in every plan. Happy customers get routed to Google reviews, unhappy ones to private feedback before they post publicly. One platform, one price — loyalty and reputation covered.
Where FiveStars is different
FiveStars has more marketing automation: drip campaigns, customer segmentation, and multi-channel outreach. They also have a consumer-facing network for discovery. But these features only matter if you have a marketing team to manage them. For independent restaurants, paying 6x the price for automation you'll never configure isn't an investment — it's a waste.
Save $3,000/year vs. FiveStars
Get restaurant loyalty and reputation management for $50/month with no contracts. See why restaurants are switching from FiveStars to Chamoy.
Book a free demoCommon questions
- How much cheaper is Chamoy vs FiveStars?
- Chamoy starts at $50/month vs FiveStars at $299/month. That's a savings of $2,988 per year. Even Chamoy's Growth plan at $199/month is $100/month cheaper than FiveStars' base plan.
- Can I switch from FiveStars to Chamoy?
- Yes. Chamoy is completely standalone — no POS connection needed, no complex migration. Sign up and start instantly. Your customers simply start using the new loyalty program.
- Does Chamoy offer SMS marketing like FiveStars?
- SMS and email marketing campaigns are coming soon to Chamoy. Currently, Chamoy focuses on loyalty programs, reputation management, and customer feedback. Many restaurants find that a strong loyalty program and good reviews drive more repeat business than blast marketing.
- Is FiveStars really hard to cancel?
- Multiple review sites show customers reporting difficulty canceling FiveStars subscriptions, including unexpected auto-renewals and unresponsive support. Chamoy is month-to-month with no contract. Cancel anytime with a simple message.