From sign-up to your first stamp.
Whether you're grabbing coffee or running the shop, here's exactly what happens at each step.
Getting your first stamp
Three steps, and you're already building a real record of your coffee habit.
Create your account
Sign up, tell us what you like to drink, and Cup Cartel starts surfacing independent shops worth your time nearby — filtered by real road-distance, not a straight line.
Check in when you visit
Scan the QR code at the register at a Member shop, or check in by GPS at a Community-listed shop. That's what verifies the visit — no self-reporting, no gaming it.
Watch the rewards add up
Cartel Points, passport stamps, streaks, and that shop's own loyalty tiers all build automatically with every real visit — check your Passport tab any time to see it filling in.
Getting your shop set up
Four steps from "we're interested" to real regulars checking in.
Claim your shop
Apply through the Founding Shop form — tell us which shop is yours, and we verify it's really you before anything goes live.
Customize your presence
Add your profile, photos, and menu, then set up your own 5-tier Shop Loyalty program — your tier names, visit thresholds, and rewards, not a generic template.
Get discovered
Show up for coffee lovers actively looking for independent shops nearby — filtered, searched, and recommended right alongside every other real listing.
Turn visitors into regulars
Verified check-ins, weekly challenges, and your loyalty ladder give people a real reason to come back — and you can watch it happen in your Owner Portal analytics.
Ready to start?
Open the app to find your next coffee shop, or apply to bring your shop to Cup Cartel.