Çentik vs Zonal: the short answer
Choose by scope, not by brand size. Çentik is a focused loyalty layer designed to work alongside an existing till: its public English site documents app-free browser cards, NFC and QR earning, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet access, customer segmentation, campaigns and a 30-day free trial. Zonal’s loyalty product is part of a much wider hospitality technology ecosystem covering EPoS, ordering, reservations, operations, CRM, gift cards and more. Zonal also documents loyalty rules such as points, percentage discounts, money-off rewards, one-off rewards and tiers, plus physical cards, QR codes, barcodes and branded-app options. Çentik +2 Zonal +2
Feature comparison
| Core scope | Focused digital loyalty for cafés and repeat-visit businesses, with NFC/QR, digital cards, campaigns, analytics and QR Menu Pro. Çentik | Broader hospitality stack with EPoS, ordering, reservations, operations, marketing, CRM, gift cards, vouchers and loyalty. Zonal |
| Customer access | Browser-based loyalty card with no dedicated app required; Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are documented. Çentik | Zonal documents physical loyalty cards, QR codes, barcodes, a white-labelled mobile app and a website balance/rewards widget. Zonal |
| In-store earning | Çentik Stamp NFC touchpoint or QR; both feed the same digital card. Çentik | Public loyalty materials document physical cards, QR codes and barcodes, plus integrated redemption and balance checking through Zonal technology. The reviewed loyalty page does not document an NFC tap flow. Zonal |
| Reward design | Digital stamp card, multiple reward tiers, first-visit, double-stamp, win-back and birthday campaigns are publicly listed. Çentik | Points-based, percentage discount, money-off and one-off rewards, multiple tiers and simultaneous programmes are publicly documented. Zonal |
| POS relationship | No POS integration is required; Çentik says it can run independently of the till. Çentik | Loyalty is designed to integrate with Zonal EPoS and the wider Zonal suite. Zonal |
| Customer data and marketing | Regulars list, new/active/lapsed segmentation, repeat-visit analytics and campaign tools are documented. Çentik | Zonal says loyalty can track visit frequency and spend and combine loyalty data with other customer data across its ecosystem; Airship CRM is part of its marketing stack. Zonal +1 |
| Operational breadth | Not positioned as a replacement for EPoS, reservations, stock, kitchen or PMS systems. | Zonal documents EPoS, ordering, reservations, kitchen, stock, purchasing, PMS, reporting and other operational products. Zonal |
| Public pricing | A 30-day free trial is documented, but the reviewed English homepage and pricing page currently show inconsistent price/currency values, so the UK price should be verified before publication or purchase. Çentik +1 | No public loyalty price was found on the reviewed Zonal loyalty page; the page directs buyers to make an enquiry. Capterra UK also lists Zonal starting price as not provided by the vendor. Zonal +1 |
| Implementation | Designed as an add-on loyalty layer rather than a till replacement; the site says it is ready in minutes. Çentik | For EPoS switching, Zonal describes a staged process covering kickoff, data, menus, training, go-live, advanced training and ongoing support. Zonal |
Where Çentik is the more focused fit
Çentik is most relevant when the buying question is, “How do we add a modern loyalty experience without replacing the till?” Its public flow is deliberately narrow: the customer can tap an NFC counter point or use QR, open the loyalty card in the browser, and optionally keep it in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. That makes it a different purchasing decision from adopting a full hospitality operating stack. Çentik
That focus also defines its limits. Çentik is not presented as an EPoS, reservation, kitchen, stock, purchasing or hotel PMS platform. If those are part of the same procurement project, Zonal has substantially broader documented scope. Çentik’s public English site also needs housekeeping before a UK comparison page goes live: the homepage and pricing page disagree on price/currency, and the homepage lists multi-location support while its FAQ says multi-location management is still in progress. Those details should be resolved and re-verified before making firm UK pricing or multi-site claims. Çentik +1
Where Zonal has broader documented capability
Zonal is built around a connected hospitality ecosystem rather than loyalty alone. Its current site positions Aztec EPoS for complex multi-site operators and also markets Akru POS to independents. The loyalty product can run multiple programmes across different sites or brands, supports several reward mechanics and integrates with Zonal EPoS for redemption and balance checking. Zonal also lists more than 200 integrations across its broader ecosystem. Zonal +2 Zonal +2
Independent reporting also points to a materially larger installed base and corporate footprint. Restaurant Online reported in February 2026 that Zonal had been acquired by Volaris Group and provided technology to more than 17,000 UK hospitality businesses, while remaining an autonomous subsidiary. That scale is relevant to vendor maturity and procurement confidence, but it should not be treated as evidence that its loyalty product will outperform a simpler system for every operator. restaurantonline.co.uk
Who each option is best suited to
- Çentik: independent cafés, coffee shops and repeat-visit venues that want loyalty without replacing their current POS, and that value an app-free browser journey plus NFC, QR and mobile-wallet access. Çentik
- Çentik: teams that want a focused loyalty and retention layer rather than a large hospitality technology transformation.
- Zonal: pub, restaurant, hotel, leisure or multi-site operators that want loyalty connected to EPoS and a wider suite of ordering, reservations, operations and marketing tools. Zonal +1
- Zonal: organisations that are comfortable with a sales-led implementation and, where EPoS is being replaced, a structured migration and training programme. Zonal
Migration considerations: Zonal to Çentik or Çentik to Zonal
A loyalty migration is not just a customer CSV. Before moving platforms, document the customer identifier, current points or stamp balance, unredeemed rewards, tier status, site or brand ownership, visit history that must be retained, marketing permissions, the source and date of those permissions, and suppression or opt-out records. Decide how legacy balances will map to the new programme and whether old rewards remain redeemable during a transition window. Run a pilot before full cutover and reconcile sample accounts so customers do not lose or duplicate earned value.
For UK electronic marketing, do not assume that moving a customer record also gives permission to email or text that customer. ICO guidance says unsolicited electronic marketing to individual subscribers normally requires consent unless a relevant soft opt-in applies, and the products-and-services soft opt-in has specific conditions including collecting the details directly, marketing similar products or services, and offering an opt-out at collection and in every subsequent message. Preserve consent evidence and suppression data during any migration. This is operational guidance, not legal advice. ICO +1
Decision checklist
If you only need loyalty and want to keep your current till, compare setup time, customer friction, reward mechanics, staff workflow and the cost of the loyalty layer itself. If you are also replacing EPoS or consolidating ordering, reservations, stock, CRM and reporting, compare the total platform architecture, implementation plan, integrations, support model and contract rather than evaluating loyalty in isolation. For Zonal, obtain a current quote and confirm the exact modules included. For Çentik, confirm the live UK price and multi-location status because the reviewed English pages are currently inconsistent on those points. Çentik +3 Zonal +3 Zonal +3
Independent evidence: what is strong and what is thin
Zonal has meaningful independent trade-press coverage, including the February 2026 Volaris acquisition report. Public software-review evidence is much thinner: Capterra UK showed only one review for Zonal at crawl time, so its rating is not a robust basis for judging customer satisfaction. For a serious procurement decision, ask both vendors for recent references from businesses that resemble your own in venue count, service model and transaction volume. restaurantonline.co.uk +1
Is Çentik a full replacement for Zonal?
Not if you use Zonal as a full hospitality stack. Çentik is positioned as a focused loyalty and retention layer, while Zonal also covers EPoS, ordering, reservations, operations and other hospitality functions. Çentik +1
Do customers need an app for Çentik?
No. Çentik says its loyalty card works in the browser, and customers can also add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Çentik
Does Zonal require customers to use a branded app?
Zonal’s loyalty page documents several formats: physical cards, QR codes, barcodes and a white-labelled mobile app, plus a website widget for balance and rewards. Its public page does not say that a branded app is mandatory. Zonal
Does Çentik need POS integration?
No. Çentik’s public site says it can run independently of the till, so a business can add loyalty without changing its current POS. Çentik
Which platform has the broader multi-site hospitality stack?
Zonal has the broader publicly documented stack, including enterprise EPoS and multiple operational modules. Çentik’s public English pages currently conflict on the status of multi-location management, so that capability should be verified before relying on it for a multi-site rollout. Zonal +1
What should we verify before signing?
For Zonal, verify the current quote, contract, required modules, integrations and implementation scope. For Çentik, verify the live UK price, multi-location status, data migration method and any hardware or onboarding terms. In either case, confirm how loyalty balances, unredeemed rewards and marketing permissions will be handled.
