Frequently asked questions

Rambla is a platform that connects independent local businesses with the people nearby. Merchants get a branded storefront — with loyalty programs, events, updates, and direct notifications — without needing a developer or a marketing team. Locals get a single place to follow the businesses they love, earn rewards, and stay close to what's happening in their neighborhood.

Social media and Google are built for scale — they run algorithms, serve ads, and decide what gets seen. Rambla is built for relationship. When a business posts an update, their followers see it — no paid boost required. When a local follows a business, they have a direct line to it. There's no feed competing for attention, no algorithm filtering your reach. Just a direct connection between a business and the people nearby who care about it.

We're currently in private beta with a small group of merchants and locals, and we're onboarding new businesses on a rolling basis. Join the waitlist and tell us your city — we'll be in touch when we open to your area.

Right now we're focused on a handful of cities as we refine the product with real merchants and real customers. We're not listing specific cities publicly yet — if you join the waitlist and tell us your city, we'll prioritise your area as we grow.

Yes. Rambla works on iPhone, Android, and in your browser at ramblaclub.com. The experience is optimised for mobile, but everything works on desktop too.

Rambla is built for independent, neighbourhood-scale businesses — the kind of places that depend on regulars and repeat visits. That includes coffee shops, bakeries, bookstores, wine shops, restaurants, barbershops, yoga studios, game stores, plant shops, florists, record stores, and more. If you run a business where relationships with nearby customers matter, Rambla is built for you.

No technical setup required. Your storefront is created and hosted by Rambla — you just fill in your details, upload your branding, and set up your loyalty program. Most merchants are live within a day of being verified.

You choose the format that fits your business — punch cards, points, or custom perks — and set your own reward terms. When a customer visits, you give them a short redemption code. They enter it in the Rambla app and their reward is applied instantly. No paper cards, no complicated setup. You can track redemptions and follower activity from your merchant dashboard.

Yes. Verified merchants can send push notifications directly to their followers — no algorithm, no paid reach. Rambla applies reasonable frequency limits to keep the experience high-quality for locals, so your notifications stay valuable rather than becoming noise.

Rambla is free during beta. We haven't finalised post-beta pricing yet, but it will be a straightforward monthly subscription — no percentage of your sales, no surprise charges. Merchants who join during beta will get preferential rates when paid plans launch.

Every merchant who joins during beta gets full access at no cost for the duration of the beta period. When paid plans launch, beta merchants will have advance notice and won't be charged without explicitly upgrading.

No — not in the current version, and not planned. Rambla's model is a flat merchant subscription, not a commission on transactions.

We manually review every merchant before they go live. In most cases, verification takes 1–2 business days after you submit your details.

Your data belongs to you. If you decide to leave, you can download a full export of your follower engagement, rewards history, and post data.

Rambla is completely free for locals — no subscription, no hidden fees. You can follow businesses, earn rewards, and get direct updates, all at no cost.

Rambla is built around independent, neighbourhood-scale businesses — coffee shops, bookstores, bakeries, wine shops, restaurants, plant shops, barbershops, game stores, record stores, yoga studios, florists, and more. The common thread is that they're the kinds of places that give a neighbourhood its character. As Rambla grows, so does the variety you'll find nearby.

Each business runs its own loyalty program. When you visit a participating merchant, they give you a short redemption code. Enter it in the Rewards tab of the Rambla app and your stamp, points, or perk is applied instantly.

Expiry rules are set by each individual merchant, not by Rambla. Some punch cards have a 12-month validity; others have no expiry. You can see the terms for each program inside the merchant's storefront.

We only use your location to show you nearby businesses in the Discover tab. We don't share your location with merchants, and we don't track you outside the app.