UK-based payment provider DNA Payments has started piloting a loyalty programme for selected UK merchants in partnership with Zeal, which provides loyalty and data software for card machines. The service allows participating merchants to identify customers through their card payments, award loyalty automatically, and view customer-level purchasing data, without requiring customers to download a separate app. The pilot is limited to a selected group of merchants, and no date has been given for wider availability.
Customer data for in-person merchants
Online retailers typically have detailed data on who their customers are, how often they return, and what drives them to spend more, while physical merchants often lack this view. The pilot combines point-of-sale transaction data from DNA Payments' terminals with Zeal's loyalty and reporting tools. When a customer taps their card, they are identified, loyalty is awarded, and the merchant can see purchasing patterns to encourage repeat visits.
Colin Neil, CEO of DNA Payments, said merchants have told the company they want to know their customers better so they can serve them better. He added that the partnership allows DNA Payments to offer branded loyalty programmes from the card machine, giving customers rewards and merchants insight into purchasing trends, and that Zeal's technology fits into existing payment journeys on DNA Payments devices.
Zeal scales its terminal software
Omar Ebeid, Founder and CEO of Zeal, said physical merchants should have access to the same customer intelligence that online businesses have used for years, and that the card machine is the one device that sees every customer. In September 2026, Zeal raised USD 10 million, bringing its total funding to USD 14 million, to deepen integrations across payment environments and expand its merchant tools.
Zeal has signed contracts with payment acquirers to activate its software on more than four million card machines over 24 months. For DNA Payments, the pilot extends its work on merchant engagement tools. In August 2026, the company launched DNA Engage with Taployo, a digital receipt platform that lets merchants turn transactions into ongoing customer touchpoints through a QR code shown on the terminal.
