Chamoy vs Square Loyalty
Square Loyalty is affordable but requires Square POS and lacks restaurant-specific features. Chamoy is completely standalone and bundles loyalty with reputation management.
Book a demoAt a glance
| Chamoy | Square Loyalty | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/mo | $45/mo |
| Requires specific POS? | No — standalone | Yes, Square POS |
| Contract required? | ||
| Built for | Restaurants specifically | All business types |
| NFC tap-to-join | ||
| Apple & Google Wallet | ||
| Reputation management | ||
| Google review routing | ||
| Digital punch cards | Points-based only | |
| Customer feedback capture | ||
| Setup & onboarding | Free, done for you | Self-serve |
| Support | Founder direct line | Phone + email |
Detailed comparison
Restaurant-specific vs. generic
Square Loyalty was designed for every business type imaginable: retail stores, salons, coffee shops, and restaurants all get the same generic tool. Points are tied to dollar amounts with no way to create visit-based loyalty that restaurants actually need. You're running the same loyalty program as the nail salon next door — that's not how you build regulars.
Chamoy was built from the ground up for restaurants, food trucks, cafes, and bars. Digital punch cards reward visits (not just spend), NFC coasters make signups effortless at the table, and the entire experience is designed for how food service actually works. Your loyalty program should feel like your restaurant, not like a Square product.
Pricing and the POS trap
At $45/month, Square Loyalty looks like a deal — until you realize it only works with Square POS. Not on Square? You'd need to switch your entire POS system just to use their loyalty. Already on Square? You're locked in forever, because switching POS means losing your loyalty program and every customer you enrolled. That $45/month comes with handcuffs.
Chamoy is $50/month and completely standalone — it doesn't connect to or depend on any POS at all. No switching costs, no processing fees, no lock-in, no setup. Sign up and start instantly. Your loyalty program belongs to you, not your POS company. The $5 difference gets you reputation management, NFC coasters, wallet passes, and a platform built for restaurants.
Reputation management
Square doesn't offer any reputation management. No review collection, no feedback routing, no Google review management. To match what Chamoy includes, you'd need to add a separate reputation tool at $50-$100+/month — making your real cost $95-$145/month for what Chamoy does for $50.
Chamoy includes full reputation management in every plan. Happy customers get directed to Google reviews. Unhappy customers get directed to private feedback before they post a 1-star review. One platform, one price, and your online reputation is protected from day one.
Where Square is different
Square's only real advantage is automatic checkout tracking — customers earn points when they pay without a separate scan. But that convenience comes at the cost of POS lock-in, no NFC, no wallet passes, no reputation management, and a generic program that treats your restaurant the same as every other business type. For most restaurants, the tradeoff isn't worth $5 in savings.
$5 more. No POS handcuffs.
Chamoy gives you restaurant-specific loyalty, reputation management, NFC coasters, and wallet passes for $50/month — completely standalone, no POS required. Square can't match that at any price.
Book a free demoCommon questions
- Can I use Chamoy if I have Square POS?
- Yes. Chamoy is completely standalone — it doesn't connect to your POS at all. You keep Square for transactions and use Chamoy separately for loyalty and reputation management. No integration needed.
- Why is Chamoy better than Square Loyalty for restaurants?
- Chamoy is built specifically for restaurants with digital punch cards, NFC coasters, and reputation management. Square Loyalty is a generic tool designed for all business types without restaurant-specific features.
- Is the $5 price difference worth it?
- Chamoy at $50/month includes both loyalty and reputation management as a standalone platform — no POS required. Square at $45/month only includes loyalty and requires Square POS. You'd need to add a separate reputation tool ($50-$100/month) to match what Chamoy includes.
- Does Chamoy have a free plan?
- Chamoy doesn't have a free plan, but we offer free setup and onboarding with no contracts. You can cancel anytime if it's not working for you.