• by Teresa Buyikian , March 4, 2025

Chicago-style hot dog and sandwich purveyor Portillo’s has launched its first-ever loyalty program, except with one key difference from most of the fast casual crowd: the program has no app.

An “app-less loyalty program,” Portillo's Perks is a loyalty card that lives virtually in customers’ smartphone wallets,  and “delivers personalized rewards based on visit frequency and ordering habits.” Guests are required to check in with their digital Perks card during each restaurant visit, which allows then to collect “badges” and earn rewards such as a free large French fry and additional food and retails items. Each visits unlocks new rewards.

"The digital wallet approach allows us to truly personalize offers, so we're able to surprise and delight our guests with easy access and relevant rewards that make each visit engaging, whether it's their first time or their hundredth,” said Michael Osanloo, president and CEO of Portillo's, in the announcement.

While the brand did not cite “app fatigue” in its announcement as the reasoning behind its all-virtual app, it is definitely a factor. Per a recent study by Aarki, there has been an overall 2.3% decline in global app installs for both iOS and Google Play, with app downloads in the U.S. declining by 3.4% to 10.6 billion in 2024.

"Our approach with Portillo’s Perks is centered on removing friction from the guest experience, not adding to it," said Keith Correia, Portillo’s chief information officer, in the announcement. "We eliminated common loyalty program pain points by integrating directly with the digital wallet already on guests' phones—no extra apps to download or passwords to remember. This seamless approach rewards longtime fans while creating an easy pathway for new guests to discover all there is to love about Portillo’s."

Customers receive achievement badges based on their number of visits. They start out earning a "First Bite" badge to later earning  "Top Dog" for frequent diners. The Perks program works in-restaurant, drive-thru as well as on Portillo’s website and app. Per the brand, it is “initially targeting a goal of 1.5-1.7 million membership signups by midsummer 2025.”