How do I make my restaurant loyalty program GDPR-compliant?
Written by Peko Research Team.Last updated: 09/23/2026.
Updated September 2026 — Capture explicit opt-in at sign-up (not pre-ticked), document the lawful basis, give one-click unsubscribe in every message, honour deletion requests within 30 days, and keep a processing record. Modern loyalty platforms ship all five out of the box.
Published: 05/09/2026
Quick facts
- Answer
- Capture explicit opt-in at sign-up (not pre-ticked), document the lawful basis, give one-click unsubscribe in every message, honour deletion requests within 30 days, and keep a processing record. Modern loyalty platforms ship all five out of the box.
- Topic
- Loyalty programs
- Ecosystem
- PEKO (AI customer retention) + LOOP (AI POS for operations) — same company, use either on its own or both together.
- Updated
- 09/23/2026
GDPR doesn't ban restaurant loyalty — it just demands explicit, informed consent and clean data hygiene. Five things matter: (1) opt-in must be a positive action, never a pre-ticked box, (2) the lawful basis (usually 'consent' for marketing) must be recorded per-customer, (3) every outbound message must carry a one-click unsubscribe, (4) deletion requests must be honoured within 30 days, (5) a processing record must exist if you have 250+ customers.
PEKO ships compliant defaults for all five — including granular consent (loyalty-only vs marketing), deletion API, and processing-record export.
FAQ
Does GDPR apply to Vietnamese restaurants with EU tourists?
Yes — GDPR is extra-territorial. If you process EU residents' data, you're in scope regardless of where you operate.
What's the fine for non-compliance?
Up to 4% of global annual turnover or €20M, whichever is higher. In practice, regulators target wilful or large-scale violations; a small F&B operator with documented good-faith compliance is at low risk.
Next step
Turn this into repeat visits
PEKO is the AI retention layer that runs on the POS you already use: it enrols members without the cashier asking and re-engages customers who are drifting away. Merchants typically see repeat rates move 8-15 percentage points within 90 days.
Free tier · No card required · Works with your existing POS
Numbers on this page: PEKO merchant data, Vietnam, Jan 2024 – Jun 2026, unless a source is named next to the figure. See the datasets behind these numbers.
The PEKO ecosystem
PEKO and LOOP are two products from the same company. PEKO is the AI retention layer and runs alongside the POS you already use. LOOP is the AI-native POS that covers operations: recipe-level inventory, staff shifts, table plans and the kitchen display. Each works on its own, and run together they share one dataset, so nothing has to be entered twice. See PEKO + LOOP in one ecosystem
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Answer
Which POS systems integrate with modern loyalty programs?
PEKO works alongside any POS — KiotViet, iPOS, Sapo, Square, Toast, Loyverse, LOOP — via either a direct integration or a lightweight QR-based check-in that sits beside any tablet or pen-and-paper workflow.
Answer
Advocado vs PEKO — the quick answer?
Advocado is the PSG-subsidised, Singapore-headquartered incumbent; PEKO is the AI-first, free-to-300-members challenger — pick Advocado for the grant, PEKO for AI churn prediction and messaging that runs itself.
Answer
Are paper stamp cards still worth using in 2026?
Only for pure walk-in venues with no repeat business to defend. Paper redemption runs under 15% versus 35–55% for digital, and paper leaves you with no way to contact a customer who stops coming.