A 19th-Century Railway Meets 21st-Century Technology: How Lynton Railway’s New Membership Cards Improved Loyalty, Advance Payments & Cash Flow.

By introducing reloadable cards and QR code accounts, Lynton Railway's customers gained a faster, more convenient way to travel while enjoying preferential pricing. This system improved loyalty, encouraged advance payments, and strengthened the railway’s cash flow for reinvestment. 

"We’ve been using LoyLap now for about 10 years.” - Ashley Clarke,  Managing Director of the Linton and Linmouth Cliff Railway.
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Overview

Lynton Railway, a historic cliff railway first opened in 1890, has been a vital local attraction for over a century. Operating on a unique counterbalance system powered by water tanks, it remains a beloved transport link and tourist experience. To adapt to modern customer expectations and streamline local access, Lynton Railway partnered with LoyLap to introduce a digital-first membership and payment solution.


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The Challenge

While the railway carried strong historic and cultural value, its payment system relied entirely on on-site ticket purchases. This created friction for regular local passengers who had to queue and pay manually each time they used the service. The railway also sought a way to:

  • Encourage loyalty and repeat use among locals.

  • Improve cash flow to reinvest in ongoing maintenance and enhancements.

  • Modernize the passenger experience without undermining the railway’s heritage.

"The locals have a LoyLap card which they load with funds to get a preferential rate to travel on our railway.”

The Outcome

 LoyLap introduced a modern membership system using reloadable cards and QR code accounts.

Each customer could create an account via the LoyLap app, load funds, and link both their physical card and digital QR code for seamless access. This system allowed:

  • Ease of access: Locals could simply tap their card or scan their phone to ride, eliminating queues and cash handling.

  • Increased loyalty: Preferential pricing incentivized customers to pre-load funds, creating stronger customer retention.

  • Improved cash flow: Advance payments gave the railway reliable upfront funds to allocate toward repairs, salaries, and other improvements.

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“They can load it for the whole season, or just a couple of weeks – it really works well with LoyLap on our system.”

Proven Results

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Key Figures Since 2019

Since 2019, Lynton Railway has had 553 users accounts created and 1,992 funds additions, with an average load of  £ 31.34

Looking at quarterly fund additions reveals a strong seasonal pattern:
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⁣Q1 2025 (January-March)

Q2 (April–June)⁣


* 55 funds additions
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*140 funds additions

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That’s a 155% increase in funds added between Q1 and Q2.

This surge in funds additions coincides with better weather, when locals spend more time outdoors and use the railway more often. It also reflects the start of the tourist season, with visitors topping up cards for convenient travel. Preferential pricing further encourages advance loading, boosting both loyalty and cash flow during the busiest months.
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“They come in, they scan their card, and there’s no dramas.”
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OVERVIEW

Tamp & Grind, a specialty coffee shop, relied on a previous loyalty provider’s NFC-based stamp system, facing fraud risks, limited reward options, and shallow customer insights.

CHALLENGE

T&G switched to LoyLap Loyalty, where every reward is tied to a unique QR code, eliminating fraud. T&G also gained the flexibility to offer multiple reward types.

OUTCOME

 In Q1, 656 stamps were collected. By Q2, that surged to 1,721 stamps. This means stamps doubled customers are engaging deeply, turning visits into lasting loyalty.

Floating Coffee Branding Mockup for presenting your design to clients-1
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OVERVIEW

Florence Coffee Co., Montana’s favourite drive-thru café, wanted to launch a 2-day campaign to increase cash flow through customer top-ups on their mobile app.

CHALLENGE

Launch a limited-time Leap Year Campaign, encouraging customers to load $100 into their app by offering 29% credit-back.

OUTCOME

92,115 push notifications sent⁣, 509 customers topped up⁣, and $59,922 funds loaded.

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OVERVIEW

Hays Travel was relying on a pen-and-paper system to manage gift cards —  a process that was outdated, error-prone, and risky for such a large operation.

CHALLENGE

LoyLap stepped in with a smart, seamless solution. By integrating our web-based Merchant App directly into Hays Travel’s existing POS system.

OUTCOME

Since going live in November 2023, Hays Travel has processed over 12,900 gift card transactions, with an average load of £331.72. 

Join thousands of business who are already thriving with LoyLap technology

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EnhancedPayments

Enhanced Payments

Customers got more out of every transaction. Offers such as 13% credit on top ups greater than $50, incentivised their customers to switch over.

Management

Centralized Management

Every customer transaction and interaction was now managed using a centralized LoyLap dashboard.

POS

POS Integragtion

Our integration with your POS means all data is integrated into one system to make it easier for your team to manage

Reconciliation

Easy Reconciliation

Florence Coffee Co saved considerable man hours on end of day reconciliation as the system would automatically send reports.

EffectiveResults

Industry leading and effective results

At LoyLap we don’t just provide the technology, we make sure the technology is the right match for your business and its customers. Florence Coffee Co now has over 15k app downloads and over 700 five star reviews; it is clear that the impact has been overwhelmingly positive for both Florence Coffee Co and its customers.

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