With Lecy, a customer earns a loyalty point by holding their phone to an NFC tag placed at the till, then opening the link that appears. They have nothing to download, nothing to add to their wallet, nothing to type. The first time, and only the first, they confirm with one gesture (Face ID or fingerprint) so that their phone is recognised on the following visits. They stay anonymous if they wish: no name, no email, no number is asked of them to earn their points.
The gesture they already make to pay
The customer holds their phone to the tag. It is exactly the contactless payment gesture, and that is deliberate: there is nothing new to learn. In France, nearly seven in ten card payments at the point of sale are contactless, and phone payments almost doubled in 2023 (Banque de France, 2024). The phone shows a notification, the customer opens it, a page in the shop's colours appears with their point added and the number of visits left before the reward. The sequence takes one second. On iPhone as on Android, NFC is on by default on the vast majority of devices sold in Europe; there is nothing to switch on.
The first time: one confirmation, only one
On the first visit, the page offers "Create an account". The words are misleading, because there is nothing to fill in: the customer confirms with Face ID or fingerprint, their phone's own security standard, and it is done. That gesture creates an access key (a passkey) stored on the phone. It contains no personal data; it serves only to recognise that phone the next time. If the customer changes phone, the key moves with their account, like their other passkeys.
The following visits: nothing
On the following visits, the customer holds up their phone, opens the link, and the point is added. They are recognised through their browser's cookies: no confirmation, no login. After a long absence, once the cookies have gone, the page offers "Log in": one Face ID or fingerprint gesture, and the customer finds their points again. They never have a password to remember, because there is none.
Nothing to download, nothing to carry, nothing to type
This is where Lecy stands apart, and it is worth saying precisely. Loyalty apps require a download and an account: most in-store customers never clear that step. Wallet cards require adding the card, then finding it and presenting it at every visit. Tablets at the till require typing a phone number in front of everyone, with the fear of spam that goes with it. Stamp cards require having them on you. Lecy asks for none of that. To our knowledge, it is the only solution to combine all four: nothing to type, nothing to carry, nothing for the team to do, and a customer who stays anonymous.
Anonymous by default, GDPR compliant
By default, Lecy collects no name, no email, no phone number. Points are tied to the phone's access key, not to an identity. The customer can therefore earn their points, unlock their rewards and leave a review without ever giving a piece of personal data. They leave their number in two cases only, and at their own request: to receive a promo code by text, or to follow the shop's news and offers. That consent is never pre-ticked, and it can be withdrawn at any time. No data is sold. The details are in the privacy policy.
One access key, points per shop
The Lecy access key is created once and works in every equipped shop. The customer does not have to sign up again at the baker's after signing up at the hairdresser's. It is the logic of Apple Pay: you are not a member of it, you have a key that works everywhere. Points, however, belong to each shop: your points at your shop, in your programme, in your colours. Lecy is the tool; the programme is the shopkeeper's.
Frequently asked questions
Does the customer have to switch anything on?
No. NFC is on by default on iPhone since the iPhone XS and on the vast majority of Android phones. If a phone does not read the tag, the shopkeeper can add the point manually from their dashboard; it is rare.
What does the customer see when they open the link?
A page in the shop's colours: their number of points, what is left before the reward, and depending on the shopkeeper's plan, a question about how it went, the news and links to the social networks or the online shop.
And if they do not want to leave their number?
They do not, and they keep everything: their points, their rewards, their access key. The number is only used for the texts they asked for.
Next article in the series: dynamic NFC, a unique, short-lived link at every scan, is what makes this journey secure. The most frequent questions are in the FAQ.