LeafprintComparison
Identity resolution vs. loyalty signups
A loyalty signup is a customer choosing a relationship with you. Identity resolution is you learning something about a visitor who has not chosen anything yet. Those are very different starting points.
| Identity resolution | Loyalty signups | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get the data | A pixel and data provider matching | The customer gives it to you |
| Who it covers | Visitors who can be matched | People who choose to join |
| Consent for marketing | Not created by a match | Can be collected at signup with the right language |
| Purchase history | Not included | Typically tied to the program |
| Best use | Understanding anonymous interest | Direct marketing and retention |
What loyalty does better
Loyalty is built on an agreement. The customer gives you their information and expects something in return, and at that moment you can collect the consent you need for email and text. You also usually get purchase behavior, which tells you far more about a customer than page views ever will.
This is why a loyalty list tends to be the most valuable marketing asset a dispensary owns. Nothing about identity resolution changes that, and no one should present it as a replacement.
What identity resolution does better
Loyalty only sees people who join. It tells you nothing about the larger group who browsed and left. Identity resolution gives you a view into that group, including where they came from and what caught their attention. It also works before any relationship exists, which makes it useful for judging marketing that attracts new people.
Where people go wrong
The common mistake is treating identified visitors as if they had signed up. They have not. Moving a matched record into your loyalty messaging skips the very thing that makes that list valuable, and it can expose you to serious risk under text and privacy rules.
Using both together
The two tools work well in sequence. Use identification data to learn which pages get interest from people who are not yet members. Put a strong, clear signup offer on those pages. Watch whether signups climb. Then use loyalty to build the relationship, with the consent you collected yourself.
In that setup, identity resolution acts as a research tool and loyalty remains your communication channel. Each does the job it is suited for, and your list stays clean.
Which should you start with?
If you do not have a working loyalty program, start there. It delivers direct value and gives you a permission-based audience. Add identity resolution when you want to understand the people your program is not reaching. If your loyalty program is already healthy and your signup numbers have plateaued, identity data can help you find out where to look next.
A note on cost
The two also cost money in different ways, so comparing them on price alone misses the point. Loyalty platforms usually charge a subscription or message fees. Leafprint charges per identified lead. Because they do different jobs, judge each one by what it adds to your business. Read about how dispensaries use Leafprint, or see pricing.
Common questions
Can identity resolution replace my loyalty program?
No. Loyalty gives you a relationship, permission, and usually purchase history. Identity resolution gives you insight into people who have not joined.
Can I add identified visitors to my loyalty list?
Not without their consent. Enrolling someone in messaging based on a match skips the agreement that makes the program work.
Which comes first?
Usually loyalty, because it provides direct value and a permission-based audience. Add identification when you want to understand who your program misses.
See it on your own traffic
We will walk through the portal, the pixel, and how consent works, then answer questions about your stores and systems.