What share of POS transactions can you match to a known guest?
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a casual dining group with 20 venues. It checks POS transactions from the last 90 days against loyalty, reservation, online ordering and receipt email records.
- Venue 4: 41,000 transactions, 25,800 matched. Match rate = 25,800 ÷ 41,000 × 100 = 63%.
- Venue 11: 38,500 transactions, match rate 31%.
- Group: 52%.
What the data shows
Venue 11 matches less than half the group rate. Most unmatched transactions there are walk-ins paying by card at the bar.
What it means
Venue 11's guest reports miss most of its regulars, so its retention numbers look worse than they are.
What to do
Offer receipt emails and loyalty sign-up at the bar at Venue 11, and recheck the match rate in six weeks.
Want me to show match rates by venue and payment type?
Guest match rate formula
Why it matters
Every guest-level report, from retention to lifetime value, depends on linking transactions to people. A low match rate means most visits are anonymous, so loyalty, marketing and venue reports understate your regulars. Measuring it by venue shows where data capture needs work.
Frequently asked questions
What is a guest match rate?
It is the share of transactions you can link to a known guest through a loyalty scan, reservation, online order, receipt email or payment card token. The higher it is, the more accurately you can measure visits, retention and guest value.
How can restaurants increase their guest match rate?
Capture details at more moments: loyalty sign-up at the table, receipt emails, reservations, online ordering and guest WiFi. Make each one quick and give a reason to share, then match records across systems to one guest profile.
Why does match rate differ between venues?
It depends on how guests pay and book. Venues with more reservations and online orders match more, while bars and walk-in counters with card payments match less. Comparing venues shows where staff prompts or new capture points would help most.