How to Set Up a Welcome Offer on Blinko

The hardest visit to get is the second one. A customer who just had a great experience is at peak enthusiasm — and if you give them a concrete reason to return before they walk out the door, you've changed the odds for good. Blinko's Welcome Offer fires automatically the moment a new customer scans your QR code for the first time. Nothing from you. Nothing from your staff. It just fires. This guide shows you how to set one up.

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What is a Welcome Offer?

A Welcome Offer is an automatic campaign that triggers exactly once per customer — on their very first check-in at your business. The moment someone scans your QR code and follows you on Blinko, the offer lands in their app. No staff action needed. No follow-up. Done.

You pick the format. A discount on their next visit, a free item with their next purchase, a head start on their stamp card — or a simple "thank you" coupon valid for a set window. That's up to you.

Here's the thing: timing is everything. A customer who just experienced your business for the first time is forming their impression of you right now. The Welcome Offer lands at exactly that moment, reinforcing the positive experience and giving them a specific, time-limited reason to come back.

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When to use it

A Welcome Offer should always be on — it's a permanent fixture in your campaign stack, not a one-time promotion. Set it up once. Leave it running. It'll:

• Fire automatically for every new customer going forward
• Never double-fire for the same customer
• Require zero management after the initial setup

It's especially valuable when:

• You're in a competitive area where customers have easy alternatives and need a nudge to return
• Your business runs on a first-visit-to-regular conversion (salons, coffee shops, gyms, restaurants)
• You've just placed your QR sticker and you're actively growing your customer base
• You want to differentiate your welcome experience from competitors who offer nothing to first-time visitors

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What you'll get

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How to set it up

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Option 1: Mobile App

Time to complete: ~2 minutes

Step 1 — Open the Campaigns tab

Tap Campaigns in the bottom navigation bar.

Step 2 — Tap + and select Welcome Offer

Tap the + icon and select Welcome Offer from the campaign type picker.

Step 3 — Choose your offer type and configure

Select from the available offer types:

• Discount (% off): e.g., "10% off your next visit"
• Discount (fixed amount): e.g., "$3 off your next order"
• Free item: e.g., "Free regular coffee with your next purchase"
• Stamp card boost: e.g., "Start with 2 stamps already on your card" — pairs perfectly with a running stamp card campaign

Fill in:

• Offer description: What the customer receives. Be specific and generous-sounding.
• Expiry window: How many days the offer is valid after receipt. 7–14 days creates urgency without feeling stingy.

Step 4 — Publish

Tap Publish. Every new customer from this moment forward receives the offer automatically.

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Option 2: Web Portal

Time to complete: ~3 minutes

Step 1 — Go to Campaigns

Log in at local.blinko.ai and click Campaigns in the left sidebar.

Step 2 — Click New Campaign → Welcome Offer

Click New Campaign and select Welcome Offer from the list.

Step 3 — Configure the offer

• Offer type: Percentage discount, fixed discount, free item, or stamp card boost
• Offer value / description: What the customer receives
• Validity window: Days from receipt until the offer expires (recommended: 7–14 days)
• Redemption instructions (optional): A note for staff on how to honour the offer

Step 4 — Click Publish Campaign

Click Publish Campaign. The offer activates for all new customers immediately.

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Option 3: AI Copilot

Tell the Copilot what kind of welcome experience you want:

"Create a welcome offer that gives new customers 10% off their second visit, valid for 14 days."

"Set up a welcome offer for new customers — free upgrade with their next appointment."

"Welcome new customers with 2 free stamps on their loyalty card."

The Copilot drafts the campaign with customer-facing copy ready to review. Tap Activate when you're satisfied.

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What your staff need to do

The Welcome Offer delivers automatically when a customer scans your QR code for the first time — staff don't trigger it and don't need to track who's received it. Their role starts only at redemption.

No action needed at delivery

When a new customer scans your QR sticker, the Welcome Offer fires and lands in their Blinko app. Nothing for staff to do here.

At redemption — staff action required

The customer shows the Welcome Offer screen in their Blinko app on a subsequent visit. Here's what staff do:

1. Customer shows the active offer on their phone
2. Staff open the Blinko Business app → tap Redeem
3. Customer holds up their in-app QR code
4. Staff scan it — the offer is marked as redeemed in the app
5. Staff apply the discount or provide the free item at the register

The app confirms validity instantly. If the offer's already been redeemed or has expired, the app says so — staff shouldn't honour it in either case.

Brief your team: "If a customer shows a welcome offer in their Blinko app, scan their QR code to redeem it, then apply the discount at the register."

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Tips for better results

Give them a taste of your best thing

The Welcome Offer isn't the moment to push your least popular item or your smallest discount. It's your shot at a strong first impression. Lead with what you're most proud of — a free upgrade, the item customers rave about, a discount on their favourite category. Generosity here pays back in lifetime value.

Set an expiry — don't leave it open-ended

An offer with no expiry creates no urgency. That's a problem. A 7-day or 14-day window signals that this is a genuine, time-limited opportunity. Customers who'd have eventually returned "someday" now have a reason to come back this week.

Connect it to your stamp card

Running a stamp card? The most effective Welcome Offer is a stamp card boost. Telling a new customer "You already have 2 out of 8 stamps — 6 more to go!" creates instant progress toward the reward. Progress that already exists feels like something to protect, not something to earn from scratch.

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Frequently asked questions

What if a customer has already followed my business before I set up the Welcome Offer? Welcome Offers only trigger for customers acquired after the campaign is published. Existing customers won't receive it retroactively. To reach existing customers with a similar offer, use a Discount Coupon campaign targeted at all active customers.

Can I run a Welcome Offer and a Stamp Card at the same time? Yes — and you should. These two campaigns are designed to work together. The stamp card handles ongoing loyalty tracking; the Welcome Offer locks in that all-important second visit. Running both simultaneously is the standard setup for most Blinko businesses.

Can I have more than one Welcome Offer at a time? No — one Welcome Offer can be active at a time. To update your welcome offer (say, to change it seasonally), edit the existing campaign rather than creating a new one.

How does a customer redeem the Welcome Offer? The customer shows the offer notification in their Blinko app to your staff. Your staff taps Mark as Redeemed in the business app. The offer is marked as used and can't be redeemed again.