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POS Loyalty RFP Template
A ready-to-send request for proposal for multi-location and franchise buyers adding loyalty to an existing POS — fill in Part 1, send Parts 2 to 4 to your shortlist.
How to use this template
This is a working RFP for operators adding a loyalty program to an existing POS across multiple locations. Fill in Part 1 with your own details, then copy Parts 2 through 4 into your document or email and send them to a shortlist of vendors with a response deadline. Every row is phrased as something a vendor must answer in writing.
Written answers matter more than demos. A demo shows the best case on the vendor's hardware; an RFP response is a commitment you can attach to the contract. State up front that responses will become an exhibit to the agreement — vendors answer differently when they know that.
The template covers the eight areas where loyalty deals go wrong after signature: integration method, latency at the till, data ownership, export, security, fraud controls, support and exit terms. If a vendor declines to answer any section in writing, that is itself an answer.
Part 1: Your profile and scope
Complete this before sending anything. Vague RFPs get vague answers; vendors can only commit to specifics if you give them specifics.
Locations and ownership mix
For example: 14 locations, 9 corporate and 5 franchised. Franchisees may need separate signatures or opt-in terms — say so here.
POS platform and exact version
Name the POS, the version you run, and any planned migration. Integration answers are meaningless without this.
Transactions per location per day
Give a peak-hour figure as well as the average. Vendors size throughput to your busiest till, not your quietest.
Current loyalty state
Paper cards, a legacy app, POS-native points? Note the member count and whether existing balances must migrate.
Checkout time budget
The maximum extra seconds you will accept per transaction for loyalty. This number drives the latency requirement in Part 2.
Member identification method
Phone number, code on a wallet pass, physical card? Choose what your queue can tolerate at peak.
Timeline and pilot appetite
Target go-live date and how many locations you are willing to pilot before chain-wide rollout.
Contract preferences
Preferred term length, per-location pricing structure, and any cap you want on annual increases.
Decision process and deadline
Who scores responses, who signs, and the date vendor responses are due.
Part 2: Integration and performance
Send these rows verbatim. The second column is the standard you should hold responses to.
| Requirement | What to require in writing |
|---|---|
| Integration method | Name the exact method for our POS: certified native app, published API, or middleware. If middleware, name the provider and who supports it when it breaks. |
| Latency at the till | Member lookup and points accrual must complete within our stated checkout budget from Part 1. Ask how the figure is measured, not just what it is. |
| Offline behaviour | Describe exactly what happens when the internet drops mid-shift: does accrual queue locally and sync later, and what does the cashier see on screen? |
| Retries and duplicates | Failed accruals must retry automatically and be idempotent — a retried transaction can never award points twice. |
| Manual fallback | Provide the documented procedure for staff to record a visit or purchase while the integration is down, and how it reconciles afterwards. |
| POS version support | Written confirmation of support for our exact POS version, and the notice period before any version is dropped. |
| Sandbox and rollout | A test environment that mirrors production, and a location-by-location rollout plan that does not require a chain-wide flag day. |
| Member-facing channel | At least one no-app option for members: wallet pass, web portal, or phone-number lookup. Wallet-native platforms (PushNotice is one) store the card in Apple or Google Wallet with no download and update it remotely. |
| Uptime commitment | A specific uptime figure backed by service credits, plus status history for the past twelve months, public or on request. |
Part 3: Data ownership, export and security
This is the part most free templates skip, and the part you will care about most in year three.
| Requirement | What to require in writing |
|---|---|
| Data ownership | The contract must state that member records, balances and transaction history are our property, not the vendor's — including anything derived from them. |
| Self-serve export | Full member and transaction export in CSV or JSON, available from the dashboard at any time during the term, without a support ticket or fee. |
| Consent portability | Marketing opt-in records must export alongside member data, so members can lawfully be contacted from a future platform. |
| Card data scope | Confirm the loyalty flow never touches cardholder data. If card-linked features exist, state who carries the PCI DSS scope and how. |
| Access controls | Role-based access per location — a store manager sees their store, head office sees everything — plus an audit log of admin actions. |
| Subprocessors and hosting | A current subprocessor list, hosting regions, advance notice of changes, and residency options if we operate across borders. |
| Breach notification | A contractual notification window after a confirmed breach affecting our data (commonly 72 hours) and a named security contact. |
| Data processing terms | A signed data processing agreement naming us as controller and the vendor as processor, aligned to the privacy laws where we operate. |
Part 4: Fraud controls, support and exit
| Requirement | What to require in writing |
|---|---|
| Accrual velocity limits | Configurable caps on points per member per day and per transaction, so a keyed-in error or deliberate gaming cannot mint unlimited points. |
| Staff adjustment controls | Manual point adjustments must require a permission level, be attributed to a named staff login, and surface in a report we can review. |
| Returns and refunds | Refunded transactions must claw back the points they earned automatically. State how partial refunds are handled. |
| Redemption verification | Explain how a redemption is validated at the till so a screenshot or a reused code cannot be redeemed twice. |
| Anomaly reporting | A report or alert for unusual accrual patterns, broken down by member, staff login and location. |
| Support terms | Support hours in our time zone, severity definitions, and separate response times for a till-blocking incident versus a cosmetic issue. |
| Escalation path | A named account contact for multi-location customers and an escalation route beyond first-line support. |
| Exit terms | Termination notice period, any early-exit fees, and confirmation there is no automatic renewal without prior notice. |
| Data on exit | A final full export in a documented format, a defined deletion timeline after termination, and written certification of deletion. |
| Renewal pricing | A pricing schedule at our full location count, and a percentage cap on renewal increases written into the contract. |
Running the process
- 1
Shortlist three or four vendors
Filter by confirmed support for your exact POS before sending anything. A broad blast produces responses you will never have time to score properly.
- 2
Send Parts 1 to 4 with a deadline
Two weeks is a reasonable window. State in the cover note that written responses will be attached to the final agreement as an exhibit.
- 3
Score responses before any demo
Score on paper first so a polished demo cannot overwrite weak written answers. Disqualify any vendor who dodges data ownership or exit terms.
- 4
Demo against your own POS
Require the demo on your POS version in a sandbox, running your transaction flow — including a refund and a simulated network outage.
- 5
Pilot before signing for the chain
Run two to five locations for a defined period with agreed success criteria. Negotiate chain-wide pricing before the pilot starts, not after it succeeds.
- 6
Attach the answers to the contract
The responses on latency, export, support and exit become contract exhibits. Anything promised only verbally does not exist.
Response scorecard
Run every vendor response through this list. Each unchecked box is a follow-up question; several unchecked boxes is a disqualification.
Latency answered with a number
Fast or instant is not an answer. A serious vendor states a figure and how it is measured.
Integration method named precisely
Certified app, API or middleware, with the certifying party named. We integrate with everything is a red flag.
Offline behaviour described concretely
The answer names what the cashier sees and how queued transactions reconcile afterwards.
Export is genuinely self-serve
If export requires a support ticket or a professional-services fee, your data is effectively held hostage.
Data ownership stated in contract language
Look for the customer owns wording in the draft agreement. A marketing-page claim is not a clause.
Consent records included in export
Member data without opt-in records cannot lawfully be used for marketing on the next platform.
Refund clawback is automatic
Manual clawback across many locations never actually happens in practice.
Adjustment audit trail exists
Every manual points change is tied to a staff login and visible in a report.
Support SLA distinguishes severities
A till-blocking incident and a typo cannot share one response time.
References match your shape
Same POS, similar location count. Call at least one before signing.
Exit terms hold no surprises
Notice period, no silent auto-renewal, and deletion certification — all in writing.
Pricing quoted at full location count
A per-location price that only covers the pilot hides the real cost of rollout.
From the guide: POS Loyalty Program: Add Loyalty Without Switching POS
This resource accompanies the full article — worth reading before you commit to a tool.