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Shopify rewards program: key info, best apps and detailed setup
By
Emma
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Table of content
- 1. Understanding Shopify rewards program: Everything you need to know about it
- 2. Key elements of a successful Shopify rewards program
- 3. Comparison table: Top 5 Shopify rewards program apps
- 4. In-depth reviews of the 5 best Shopify rewards program apps
- 5. Step-by-step guide to implementing Shopify rewards program
- 6. Conclusion
- 7. FAQs
Building a Shopify rewards program is one of the most effective ways to turn first-time buyers into loyal customers.
As customer acquisition costs continue to rise, many Shopify merchants are focusing more on retention and long-term customer relationships. In fact, attracting new customers can cost 6 to 25 times more than retaining an existing one.
While Shopify does not include a native loyalty system, it supports many powerful rewards apps that make it easy to create and manage your program. In this guide, you will learn how a Shopify rewards program works, why it matters, which apps to consider, and how to set up your own reward program step by step.
1. Understanding Shopify rewards program: Everything you need to know
1.1 What is a Shopify rewards program?
Shopify rewards program is a strategic tactic designed to encourage customer loyalty. It offers incentives when customers engage in behaviors you want to promote, such as:
Making purchases
Writing product reviews
Customer referrals
Social media engagement
And more.
These incentives can take the form of points, discounts, store credits, exclusive access, or other defined perks.
There are 4 typical types of rewards programs:
Points-based programs: Your customers earn points by completing desired actions, such as leaving a review, subscribing to newsletter, etc.
Tiered VIP programs: They allow customers to unlock better rewards when they reach higher loyalty tiers.
Referral programs: With these models, customers receive rewards when they refer friends who make a purchase on your Shopify store.
Hybrid programs: These models combine multiple types for maximizing customers’ engagement.
1.2 Benefits of a Shopify rewards program
Below are some key benefits a successful Shopify rewards program can bring to your store.
Increased customer retention: A Shopify rewards program encourages customers to return by giving them exclusive offers, points, or store credit. These rewards make customers feel valued and give them a reason to shop again. Over time, this helps turn first-time buyers into loyal customers who choose your brand for future purchases.
Higher average order values: The best Shopify rewards program motivates customers to spend more in a single transaction. For example, you can offer bonus rewards when customers reach a certain spending threshold, such as points, discounts, or store credit.
Enhanced customer data collection: : A well-designed Shopify rewards program helps you collect valuable data about customer preferences, buying behavior, and engagement patterns. You can use these insights to personalize marketing campaigns, improve promotions, and make smarter business decisions.
Competitive advantage: A strong and well-branded Shopify rewards program helps your store stand out in a crowded ecommerce market. When customers see clear value in your loyalty program, they are more likely to choose your store over competitors.
If your store has a strong Shopify rewards program, it can play an important role in supporting your long-term retention and growth strategy. In fact, 84% of consumers say they are more likely to stay loyal to brands that offer a rewards program. Research from Harvard Business Review also shows that loyalty members can spend up to 18% more than non-members.
2. Key elements of a successful Shopify rewards program
A successful Shopify rewards program is more than just giving customers points or discounts. It should be carefully planned and easy for customers to use. When designed well, a Shopify rewards program can increase engagement, encourage repeat purchases, and support long-term business growth.
Below, we will explore five key elements that help build a successful Shopify rewards program.
2.1 The structure of the program
The structure of your Shopify rewards program plays a major role in how customers interact with it.
Your Shopify loyalty rewards program should consider rewarding every touchpoint throughout your customer journey. Some common actions may include:
Creating an account
Engaging with your brand on social media
Writing product reviews
Celebrating special events
When your program structure is easy to follow, customers are more likely to stay engaged and return to your store.
A well-structured Shopify rewards program helps turn everyday interactions into meaningful loyalty moments. By rewarding both purchases and non-purchase actions, you can build stronger relationships with customers and encourage long-term engagement.
2.2 The reward redemption options
The reward redemption options in your Shopify rewards program determine how valuable the program feels to your customers. If rewards are attractive and easy to redeem, customers are more likely to stay active and continue earning points.
Your Shopify loyalty rewards program should offer flexible redemption choices that match customer preferences. Some common redemption options may include:
Discount codes or percentage-based offers
Store credit for future purchases
Free products or free shipping rewards
Exclusive access to new collections or limited offers
When rewards are meaningful, customers can clearly see the value of joining your program. A well-designed Shopify rewards program should make the redemption process smooth and easy to understand.
2.3 The points and profit relationship
Another key element of a successful Shopify rewards program is balancing customer value with business profit. Your Shopify rewards program should offer rewards that feel exciting but stay within a safe cost range. The goal is to reward customers while protecting your profit margins.
It also helps to add simple safeguards. For example, you can set point expiration dates or minimum redemption levels. These rules stop unused rewards from building up over time.
You should also review your average order value and how often customers shop. Regular performance reviews help you improve your Shopify rewards program and support steady business growth.
2.4. A seamless reward program UX/UI
Branding and user experience play a key role in how customers accept and use your Shopify rewards program. When your rewards program matches your brand voice and style, it becomes easier for customers to recognize and trust it.
To begin, you can give your Shopify loyalty rewards program a memorable name that matches with your brand voice. Also, make sure the program interface is simple, mobile-friendly, and easy to use. Customers should quickly understand how to earn and redeem rewards without confusion. A smooth user experience encourages more customers to join and stay active.
2.5. An effective promotional strategy
Your Shopify rewards program will not succeed if customers do not understand how it works or why it matters. Clear communication helps customers see the value of joining your program. When customers know how to earn and use rewards, they are more likely to stay active.
Use different channels to share updates and reminders. For example, you can send welcome emails to new members. You can also send reward balance updates or reminders before points expire. These messages help customers stay connected to your Shopify rewards program.
You can also promote your program during the shopping journey. Use banners, pop-ups, or in-app messages to show earning opportunities. For example, highlight double point events or bonus rewards for writing reviews. These reminders help customers notice your program and encourage them to return to your store.
3. Comparison table: Top 5 Shopify rewards program apps
App | Feature | Pricing | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
Points, referrals, VIP tiers, integrations with major apps | Free plan available; Paid from $49+/month | Small to medium stores | |
Points, referrals, VIP tiers, popup widgets, multilingual support | Free plan available; Paid from $25/month | All Shopify store sizes | |
Reviews, referrals, SMS, and subscription integrations | Free plan available; Paid from $199/month | Omni-channel and subscription-based brands | |
Unlimited members, branded widgets, VIP tiers | Free plan available; Paid from $49–$499/month | Growing and scalable stores | |
Customizable rewards, time-limited offers, referral & tier programs | Free plan available; Paid from $19 to $499/month | Mid-sized Shopify stores |
4. In-depth reviews of the 5 best Shopify rewards program apps
4.1 Smile: Loyalty Program Rewards
💎 Built for Shopify
Rating : 4.9 🌟(4,127 reviews)
Smile: Loyalty Program Rewards is the oldest rewards program app on the market. Established back in 2014, it operates as the market leader with 100,000+ businesses using the platform.
Smile.io provides you with a comprehensive features set, including:
Easy-to-use interface: The app provides a friendly interface and onboarding flow for fast setup.
Robust analytic feature: Track point spending behavior down to every transaction. The app also offers analytic dashboards for every types of rewards program.
On-site visibility: Featuring “Nudge”, the on-site reminders to increase program engagement.
Integration: The app is native to Shopify POS, checkout, and customer accounts. You can also integrate Smile with your favorite tools like Klaviyo, Gorgias, and 25+ others
About pricing, Smile.io offers 4 plans for Shopify store owners:
Free: Up to 200 monthly orders
Essential $15/ month: Up to 500 monthly orders + additional features
Standard $79/ month: Up to 1,000 monthly orders + additional features
Growth $199/ month: Includes 2,500 monthly orders, then $20 per additional 100 orders
If you run a mid-sized store and want to build a reliable Shopify rewards program, this app is a strong fit. Begin with the Standard plan to understand your monthly order volume. As your store grows, you can upgrade to the Growth plan for more advanced features.
Smile also works well for seasonal campaigns or special sales events, such as Black Friday or holiday promotions. Its bonus point campaigns make it easier to boost short-term engagement while encouraging customers to return.
4.2 BON Loyalty Program & Rewards
Rating : 5.0 🌟(1,683 reviews)
BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is a unified app that increases repeat purchases through rewards and referral programs.
Some outstanding benefits from BON Loyalty include:
Various reward types: It offers customers various rewards, such as money off, percentage off, free shipping rewards, etc.
Customizable widgets: You can customize the widgets on your store to encourage customers interaction. From icons, additions to product pages, and loyalty pages.
B2B loyalty program: BON Loyalty also supports B2B programs by allowing partners to earn and redeem points easily.
Flexible display: You can display your programs on every customer touchpoint: product pages, homepage, checkout.
Global expansion: BON Loyalty supports over 250+ languages and multi-currency discounts
About pricing plans, BON Loyalty offers 4 price packages:
Free: Up to 250 monthly order limits.
Basic $25/month: Up to 500 orders/month, adds multilingual support, email automation, and widget styling.
Growth $99/month: Unlimited orders; includes VIP tiers, custom CSS, and priority support.
Professional $349/month: Unlimited orders; adds API access, headless setup, and more custom options.
The BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is a strong choice for merchants who sell in many markets, both online and in physical stores. It is also a good long-term option because the Growth and Professional plans offer unlimited monthly orders at no extra cost.
With these plans, you can adjust your storefront to match your brand across different regions and sales channels. If you have an in-house technical team, they can use the Software Development Toolkit and full API access in the Professional plan. This allows them to build custom integrations and create more flexible workflows.
4.3 Yotpo: Loyalty Rewards Program
Rating : 4.7 🌟(920 reviews)
Yotpo: Loyalty Rewards Program app allows you to set up an ideal loyalty program with the following features:
Various loyalty and rewards program: Yotpo offers many loyalty and rewards program without coding with 20+ out-of-the-box campaigns.
Multiple reward types: The app offers many reward types for your customers, such as points, discounts, or free gifts.
Redeem points at checkout: Allow your customers to redeem points right at the checkout page for the rewards of their choice.
Advanced analytic dashboard: Track revenue growth, engagement, and more for an optimized reward program.
Yotpo Loyalty & Rewards Referral has three pricing plans, including:
Free: Up to 100 orders a month
Pro $199/month: Up to 500 orders a month + $0.20 for each additional order
Premium $799/ month
This app is suitable for omni-channel and subscription-based brands due to its seamless integration with Yotpo’s broader ecosystem, including SMS marketing, reviews, and subscription tools.
What we don't like about the app is that you can not manage it directly in your Shopify dashboard. You must open a new window where you manage it instead.
The price of Yotpo falls on a high range, with additional cost per extra orders which can make the pricing less predictable on busy season.
4.4 Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals
Rating : 4.8 🌟(1,395 reviews)
Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is a highly customizable Shopify loyalty app that focuses on performance, flexibility, and clean design. Its key features include:
Robust customization: The app gives you full API and SDK access. It also supports webhooks and native Liquid metafields. These tools give developers more control when building custom features. If you have limited technical resources, Rivo also offers a simple page builder with custom CSS.
Advanced analytics dashboards: Rivo helps you track reward points and customer redemptions. You can see how customers earn and use rewards over time.
You can create several touchpoints for your rewards program. For example, you can build a dedicated landing page or show rewards inside customer account pages. This helps customers see and use their rewards more often.
Rivo offers four pricing options:
Free: Up to 200 monthly orders plus basic rewards, referrals, and automated email campaigns.
Scale $49 / month: Up to 400 monthly orders, plus advanced branding tools, VIP tiers, points expiration, and analytics.
Plus $499 / month: Up to 2,500 monthly orders, including custom integrations, advanced analytics, and access to the Rivo developer toolkit.
This app is a strong choice for merchants who want full control over branding and design. It works best if you have an in-house technical team that can manage your website backend.
One drawback you need to consider is that Rivo will go fullscreen in your dashboard by default. Moreover, many features require custom setup. So, it is best to have developers who make sure everything runs smoothly and works as planned.
4.5 TrustWILL Loyalty & Referrals
Rating : 4.9 🌟(1.163 reviews)
TrustWILL, formerly known as Trustoo and Loloyal, combine the best of two apps into one with features like:
Customer management: Manage your customer points with a separate customer database.
Flexible customization: Customize your reward programs to match your branding. From widget, loyalty page, to customer account. You can also change the langague to match with your region.
Powerful analytic dashboards: The app offers detailed analytics of different aspects of the reward prorgam. From members, referrals, to email and popup.
TrustWILL offer 4 pricing plans:
Free: Up to 50 orders a month
Starter $19/month: Includes 200 monthly orders, then $20 per additional 100 orders
Growth $69/month: Includes 500 monthly orders, then $15 per additional 100 orders
Plus $499/month: Includes 5,000 monthly orders, then $10 per additional 100 orders
TrustWILL is an ideal option for mid-sized Shopify stores. With Free plan only, you have all the basic features, plus the ability to customize CSS. Although there is an order cap, this plan is still reasonable for those who want to test out the app first.
If you are more confident in managing your Shopify rewards programs, the Starter and Growth plans provide great value with the money you have to spend. With $19 and $69 per month respectively, you unlock powerful features, such as loyalty page, review rewards, and many more. Not to mention Judge.me and Klaviyo integration and Shopify POS support.
You should consider the drawbacks before deciding. TrustWILL dashboard does not feel clean and intuitive. Furthermore, the extra costs per additional orders will slowly damage your revenue in the long run.
5. Step-by-step guide to implementing Shopify rewards program
Launching a Shopify rewards program can feel overwhelming at first. By following a structured setup, you can build a Shopify rewards program that matches your business goals, engages customers, and supports long-term growth.
Here's a step-by-step approach that makes the process easier and helps you avoid common mistakes:
Step 1: Planning phase - Researching customer preferences
Start by identifying 1-2 clear objectives for your rewards program:
Increase repeat purchases
Boost customer lifetime value
Encourage specific customer actions (reviews, referrals)
Clear goals help merchants choose the right direction when building a rewards program. They also give you clear benchmarks to measure how effective the program is over time.
After that, conduct your research and rely on existing customer data to find out what actually motivates them. From these insights, you can choose the right rewards structure and actions.
Step 2: Selection and installation - Choosing the right app and initial configuration
When choosing a Shopify rewards program app, focus on these key considerations:
Budget compatibility: Match your investment to expected returns.
Essential features: Identify must-haves (points system, store credit options, automation).
Ease of use: Choose an intuitive interface for both you and customers.
Integration capabilities: Check whether the app is compatible with your existing theme and apps.
Support quality: Confirm the availability of setup assistance and ongoing help.
Step 3: Setting up your program
Complete these 4 following tasks to set up your Shopify rewards program, including:
Defining point values: Determine how your customers can earn and redeem points towards rewards. Then, define point values (e.g., dollars spent = points earned).
Creating reward tiers: Design program’s tiers and VIP levels that unlock better rewards over time.
Setting up earning actions: Arrange and configure all eligible point-earning activities for customers. Some examples are purchase behaviors, social media engagement, product reviews, and birthdays events.
Configuring redemption options: Set up the rules for redeeming points, including offering percentage-based discounts, cash, free products or exclusive experiences.
Step 4: Promoting your program
Even the best Shopify rewards program will not succeed if customers do not know it exists. Promotion helps you attract members, increase engagement, and show customers the value of joining your program.
You can try suggested these step below:
Choose a catchy name for your Shopify rewards program and point currency.
Use familiar colors that match your branding
Add aesthetic visuals that implies your brand value
Once your program is ready, the next step is to promote your Shopify rewards program across different channels. You can share it on social media, send email campaigns, and use banner popups on your website. You can also place banners or widgets on product pages and cart pages.
These simple steps help more customers notice your program and encourage them to join.
Step 5: Testing and launching
Finally, it is a good way for you to test all your settings in a staging environment to ensure accuracy, clarity and a smooth user experience before going live:
Track enrollment and redemption rates
Gather customer feedback
Make small adjustments as needed
6. Conclusion
In summary, a Shopify rewards program is a smart way to keep customers coming back, increase order value, and build long-term loyalty. Shopify does not include a built-in rewards system, but many third-party apps make it easy to create and manage one in your store.
In this guide, we explained the main benefits of a Shopify rewards program. We also shared key elements that make a program successful and provided simple steps to help you set it up.
Now it is time to take action. Start by setting clear goals, learning what motivates your customers, and choosing the right app for your store. A well-built rewards program does more than offer perks. It helps create better shopping experiences and turns first-time buyers into loyal customers.
7. FAQ
Emma C.
Get value insights to grow your stores!
-About Author
Emma C.
As the Chief Marketing Officer at KOIN app, I’m here to build a robust ecosystem by collaping with Shopify apps. Together, we can create seamless integrations that add more value to our shared customers.
KOIN helps merchants retain customers, increase repeat purchases, and drive loyalty by offering cashback and store credit rewards.
📩 Let’s connect! emma@getkoin.io
