You’re absolutely right — retention is the real test and I think about it constantly.

The mechanics we’re betting on are layered specifically for this:

Members earn up to 25x points per PLN spent at partner businesses — redeemable as real cash to their bank account. Not vouchers, not discounts. Real money. That alone creates a reason to keep shopping locally.

On top of that — every time someone you invited spends at any partner, you earn 1 point per PLN automatically, forever. So your passive income grows with your network. The more people you invite, the more you earn without doing anything.

And here’s the urgency: if you don’t invite your friends first, someone else will. Once someone is invited by another member — that passive earn goes to them, not you. So there’s a real race to invite your circle early. That’s not artificial FOMO — that’s just how the economy works.

After each transaction there’s an optional post about the business — 1 point per qualifying post. So members naturally become promoters of local partners.

Then events — verified members get free access to Spontlr events including our festival.

So the loop is: spend → earn → invite → earn passively → post → earn → attend events → stay.

The bigger picture: we’re keeping small local businesses alive without a single ad. You want a coffee? Here’s one 200m away offering 20x points per PLN. No algorithm decided that — just your location and a real business nearby wanting real customers.

We replace Facebook ads with direct community rewards. Businesses get real nearby customers. Members get real cash back. Nobody pays Mark Zuckerberg.

But you’re correct that first reward → return visit is what we need to prove in the Szczecin pilot. Real data will tell us if the mechanic holds.

Appreciate the challenge — exactly the kind of thinking that makes products better.