Local merchants - frequent buyer programs

My Airbnb apartment is near a coffee shop that gives a free coffee for every 10 you buy. To track purchases, they give out these paper loyalty punch-cards that I’ve enjoyed using myself. But how do I get guests to use them? The idea would be to either
(1) pay it forward and gift someone a free coffee - for example after 10 guests who buy a coffee and get the loyalty card punched, the 11th guest would get a free coffee
OR
(2) well I could use the card for free coffee myself

I left a few punch-cards on the coffee table (with no note or explicit request) and guests don’t seem to use them even though some of them have gone out to the coffee shop and made purchases of their own.

I have the same question for other local merchants my guests use. Technically I’m bringing in extra business to the neighborhood businesses, so is there a way to monetize any guest purchases?

Loaylty programs such as having the guest use my Walgreens or RiteAid card could work if I figure out how to get the guest use the card… So far they have not been doing it and if we’re talking Walgreens or RiteAid they may have a loyalty membership there on their own already.

Maybe there’s another way to be almost like an affiliate for the local merchants and collect a small percentage for every food order or restaurant visit my guests tender.

Just curious if anyone else is doing something like this and how? If not, do you find the idea of having such secondary revenue stream appealing or more of an operational/marketing distraction from the main service/product you make money on (lodging)?

Rather than looking it as having a free coffee for yourself. Why don’t you give your guests credit to get a free coffee at a local cafe - a nice welcome to your neighbourhood.

There’s no incentive for guests to use the loyalty cards as there is no real benefit for them in doing so.

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@helsi excellent point - incentive!

My marketing and comms background coming out :slight_smile: