Push notifications for retention: how do they work?

Updated 2026-06-28

Quick answer

Push notifications let you send a message straight to your customers' lock screen — free and unlimited. Unlike SMS (paid, rarely read) or email (often ignored), a push notification from a loyalty card in Apple/Google Wallet appears instantly and is read about 10 times more than an email. It's the most effective channel to bring a customer back at the right moment.

Push vs SMS vs email

Each channel differs in effectiveness and cost:

SMS: paid on every send, often ignored.
Email: free but low open rate, ends up in promotions/spam.
Push (Wallet): free, unlimited, on the lock screen, ~10x more read than email.

What you can send

Daily promo, happy hour, new product, reminder to an inactive customer, birthday message with an offer: push notifications reach the customer where they always look — their phone.

Automate follow-ups

The real gain comes from automation: you set up scenarios once (inactive for 7 days, birthday, points threshold reached) and messages go out on their own at the right moment. The owner does nothing, the tool works.

Send push notifications to your customers in 4 steps

1
Digitize the card
Offer a loyalty card in Apple/Google Wallet: it enables notifications.
2
Get the customer to opt in
The customer adds the card to their Wallet and accepts notifications in 1 click.
3
Write the message
Write a short, clear promo or reminder, with an emoji if relevant.
4
Schedule the send
Automate scenarios (inactivity, birthday) so messages go out at the right time.

Frequently asked questions

Are push notifications really free?

Yes. With a Wallet loyalty card like DimaCard, push notifications are unlimited and included in the subscription, unlike SMS.

Does the customer need to install an app?

No. The card is added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, already on the phone. No app to download.

What's the read rate of a push notification?

A push notification on the lock screen is read about 10 times more than a marketing email.

Put it in place with DimaCard

Loyalty card in Apple & Google Wallet, free push notifications, Google-review wheel. 14-day trial.

Start free trial