Why use scratch cards?
Digital scratch cards turn a standard promotion into a simple game. Instead of giving every shopper the same visible discount, the retailer adds a moment of chance and reveal, usually through an app, loyalty account, QR journey, or email-linked experience. That makes the mechanic feel more engaging than a normal coupon while still allowing the retailer to control when cards are earned, what prizes are available, and how redemption works.
For retailers, the appeal is not just novelty. A well-designed digital scratch card can support customer acquisition, repeat visits, threshold spend, app usage, and supplier-funded promotions. It can also be measured much more precisely than a paper mechanic, because the offer can be tied to a known customer, stored digitally, and redeemed in a controlled way online or in store using Spaaza's redemption tools.
Why retailers use them
Digital scratch cards are typically used when a retailer wants to make a promotion feel more interactive without making it difficult to understand. The mechanic is familiar, fast, and easy to communicate: complete an action, scratch, and see what you have won.
Common objectives include:
- increasing app adoption or loyalty sign-up
- encouraging shoppers to identify themselves at checkout
- driving a minimum spend threshold
- nudging a return visit with a future-use reward
- promoting featured products or supplier-funded campaigns
Key advantages
The biggest advantage over a standard coupon is engagement. The reveal moment creates anticipation and gives customers a reason to participate repeatedly. Digital delivery also gives retailers much more flexibility than paper.
Key strengths:
- offers and prize pools can be changed centrally without reprinting anything
- rewards can be linked to a customer account, making attribution and reporting much easier
- prizes can be personalised, segmented, or funded by brand partners
- redeemed rewards can be stored in-wallet or in-app instead of being lost or forgotten
- fraud controls and campaign rules are easier to manage than with loose paper vouchers
Key limitations and risks
This mechanic is not automatically a good fit for every retailer. It works best when there is already a digital relationship with the customer or a practical way to identify them during the journey.
Main watch-outs:
- weaker fit for audiences with low app usage or low loyalty participation
- requires clean operational execution across app, CRM, and checkout systems
- poor prize design can make the promotion feel gimmicky or overly discount-led
- if overused, it can train customers to wait for rewards instead of buying at full price
Traditional scratch cards vs modern digital scratch cards
| Dimension | Traditional paper scratch cards | Spaaza digital scratch cards |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Handed out in store, at till, in direct mail, or as pack-ins | Delivered via app or mobile web |
| Flexibility | Fixed once printed | Rules, prize pools, and creative can be adjusted centrally |
| Measurement | Limited attribution and weak customer-level reporting | Can be linked to an account, campaign, basket, or segment |
| Redemption | Easy to lose; often redeemed manually | Stored digitally and redeemed through a controlled process |
| Personalisation | Usually none | Can be personalised by customer, segment, store, or campaign |
| Operational effort | Printing, distribution, stock control, manual handling | More technical setup, but lower ongoing physical handling |
In simple terms, paper scratch cards are easier to deploy when no digital customer link exists. Digital scratch cards are stronger when the retailer wants control, targeting, and measurement.
Common earning mechanics
Most digital scratch card campaigns use a very simple trigger. The goal is usually to reward a desired action without forcing the customer to learn complex rules.
Common examples include:
- every qualifying transaction with a loyalty scan or app identification
- spend above a set threshold
- purchase of a featured product or participating brand
- one play per day or per visit in the app
- scanning an in-store QR code during a campaign period
- completing a sign-up, profile action, or other engagement step
Common prize types
The prize structure usually combines lots of low-cost wins with occasional higher-value rewards. That keeps the mechanic feeling generous without making it too expensive.
Typical prizes include:
- money-off vouchers for a future purchase
- percentage discounts on selected products or categories
- free products or free samples
- bonus loyalty points or account credit
- branded merchandise, gift cards, or event-style rewards
- entry into a larger draw or sweepstake
Selected retailer examples
Lidl Plus (UK)
Lidl uses in-app scratch card activations linked to Lidl Plus, with rewards such as discounts on selected items or future-shop coupons.
Source: Lidl GB — Lidl Plus activations
Lidl Malta
Lidl Malta has used a Scratch & Win format in its app-based loyalty environment, again showing the mechanic as a digitally delivered reward rather than a paper handout.
Source: Lidl Malta — Scratch & Win
Coop Switzerland
Coop has run an app-based scratch mechanic built around daily participation and product discount rewards, showing how the format can be used to create regular app engagement.
Source: Coop Switzerland — 3 Wins
FairPrice Group (Singapore)
FairPrice has used a scan-and-win journey in which customers scan an in-store QR code and then reveal a reward digitally in the app.
Source: FairPrice Group — Scan & Win
Coles (Australia)
Coles has used shop-and-scan promotional mechanics tied to loyalty identification and qualifying spend, which is a close cousin of the digital scratch card model and shows the same basic logic of rewarding identified customer behaviour.
Source: Coles — Shop Scan Win
Summary
Digital scratch cards are best seen as a promotional wrapper rather than a standalone strategy. They work when the retailer already knows what behaviour it wants to drive and uses the game layer to make that behaviour more appealing. Compared with paper scratch cards, the digital format usually gives better control, better targeting, and better measurement, but it also depends more heavily on digital adoption and solid execution.