03 — BRING CUSTOMERS BACK

Shopify loyalty and referral programs built to earn more than they cost.

We set up and run loyalty and referral programs for Shopify brands: the right app, rewards that cost less than the orders they bring in, VIP tiers for your best customers and referral rewards worth sharing. Points show up in your emails and on your site, and we check whether members really buy more.

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Rewards · member view Gold tier
★ YOUR POINTSReady to spend at checkout
  • ✓Points on every order
  • ✓VIP tiers
  • ✓Refer a friend
  • ✓Points in emails
100+ BRANDS WE'VE WORKED WITH
Tuff Crowd
Rüfüs Du Sol
Haven Sleep Co
Amourprints
Soul Comfort
Boss Dog & Boss Cat
Second Slumber
Dloria
Kydeco
Model Home Accents
Scorched Laser
Luxe Furniture For Less
Urban Home
Astra Furniture
Nancy Homestore
Industrial Home
Tomasso Tables
IN SHORT

A loyalty and referral program rewards customers for coming back and for bringing friends, with points, VIP perks and a reward for each referral that buys. We set one up on Smile.io, Yotpo, LoyaltyLion or Rivo, with rewards set from your margin, each member's points shown in your emails and on your site, and members compared with similar customers who didn't join.

WORKS ON Smile.ioYotpoLoyaltyLionRivo
BEST FOR
Brands whose customers buy more than once, launching a loyalty or referral program or fixing one that only hands out discounts.
HOW FAST
Your margins and repeat buying reviewed in the first two days, points, tiers and referral rewards set by the end of the first week, the program launched in week two, and every reward checked every month.
WHAT YOU GET
A loyalty app with points, VIP tiers and referral rewards set from your margin, points balances in your emails and on your site, and a monthly comparison of members with similar customers who didn't join.
SOUND FAMILIAR?

Is your loyalty program just a discount code?

Pick the one that sounds like you. Each comes with the fix we make.

Not sure which one it is? Ask Dair →

Points that only cost money

Customers earn points on orders they'd have placed anyway, then spend them as a discount. If the program doesn't change what people do, every point redeemed is margin lost.

HOW WE FIX IT Rewards for actions worth paying for

A program nobody remembers

Members join, earn a few points and forget about them. Nothing in your emails or on your site reminds them the points are there.

HOW WE FIX IT Points shown in emails and on the site

A referral link nobody shares

The referral program sits on a page few customers ever visit, and the reward isn't worth the effort of telling a friend.

HOW WE FIX IT A reward worth sharing, asked for at the right time
INSIDE THE WORK

How a loyalty program earns its keep.

A program pays for itself when three things are right: what earns points, when you ask for referrals, and whether members remember their points at all.

POINTS AND TIERS

Points go to the actions worth paying for.

Each point is a discount you'll pay later, so every reward has a price. Take the example store our calculators use: a $100 order keeps $41.80 after product, shipping, payment fees and returns. If members earn 5% back on every order, each $100 order gives away $5 once the points are spent. That's about 12% of what the order keeps, which pays off on a second order you'd otherwise miss and is pure cost on one they'd have placed anyway.

So everyday points stay modest, and the bigger rewards go to actions that change what people do: a second order, a photo review, a friend who buys. Reward codes are also set to combine with your sale discounts only when you choose. Shopify lets one order carry up to five discount codes when each one allows it, so without that setting a Black Friday order can take the sale price and a points reward on top. VIP tiers are set where your real repeat customers can reach them, and they offer perks such as early sales or free shipping rather than deeper discounts. Actions that don't lead to a sale, like following you on social media, earn nothing.

  • Points per dollar set from your margin
  • The biggest rewards for second orders, photo reviews and referrals
  • VIP tiers your repeat customers can actually reach
Example program rules: modest points on every dollar, bigger rewards for second orders and photo reviews, a VIP tier repeat buyers can reach, and nothing for actions that don't lead to a sale.
REFERRALS

Ask for referrals right after a good delivery.

A referral link on a page nobody visits gets shared by nobody. So we ask when a customer is most pleased: soon after their order arrives, or right after they leave a good review. The email keeps the offer simple: a reward for the friend on their first order, and one for the customer who shared once that order is placed.

The app tracks every link and code, and we turn on its checks against people referring themselves. When the friend's first order goes through, the customer who shared gets an email saying their reward is ready, along with their points balance, which is a good moment to ask again. We watch how many invitations turn into first orders, and change the reward if few friends ever buy.

  • A reward for the friend and for the customer who shared
  • Asked for after a delivery or a good review
  • Self-referral checks switched on
A refer-a-friend loop: the ask goes out soon after a delivery or a good review, and both customers are rewarded once the friend's first order passes the self-referral checks.
REMINDERS

Members see their points in each email.

Members forget points they can't see. So we connect your loyalty app to your email platform, and each member's balance and next reward appear in the emails they already get: the welcome, the post-purchase series, the campaigns. Someone reading about a new product sees they already have $6.40 toward it, a reason to buy that needs no new discount.

The same balance shows on the account page, product pages and cart, so members see what they've earned while they shop. Points earned months ago are a reason to write, too: an email when a member is close to the next tier, or a note that points are waiting, can bring someone back without a new offer. We add both to your email flows, so they run on their own.

  • Points balance and next reward in every email
  • The same balance on the account page, product pages and cart
  • Reminders that bring members back without a new discount
A loyalty member's campaign email on a phone: their points balance, how close they are to the next tier, a button to spend the points and their referral link.
WHAT'S INCLUDED

Rewards that bring customers back, at a cost your margin can carry.

Every engagement also includes the growth strategy: profit targets, a channel plan and a 90-day roadmap you approve first.

  • The right app

    Smile.io, Yotpo, LoyaltyLion or Rivo, chosen for how points need to show on your site, how the app connects to your email platform and what it costs at your order volume.

  • Rewards from your margin

    Points per dollar and the value of each reward, set from your margin, with reward codes that only stack on your sale discounts when you choose. The most points go to actions worth paying for, like a second order or a photo review.

  • VIP tiers

    Tiers your repeat customers can actually reach, with perks such as early access, free shipping or a gift instead of ever-bigger discounts.

  • Referral rewards

    A reward for the friend and one for the customer who shared, given on the friend's first order. We ask for referrals right after a delivery or a good review.

  • Points where members look

    Each member's points balance and next reward in your emails, and on the account page, product pages and cart.

  • Member reporting

    Members compared with similar customers who didn't join, so you see the extra orders the program brings in and what its rewards cost.

HOW IT WORKS

How we launch your loyalty program.

  1. DAYS 1–2

    The numbers

    Your margins and how often customers buy again reviewed, to set what rewards can cost.

  2. DAYS 3–5

    Rules and rewards

    Points, tiers and referral rewards set up in your loyalty app.

  3. WEEK 2

    Launch

    The program announced by email, with members' points shown in every email after.

  4. EVERY MONTH

    Measure and adjust

    Every reward checked against what it brings in, and adjusted.

TO GET STARTED

What we need from you on day one

  • A staff account on your Shopify store
  • Your margins and repeat-purchase data
  • Your loyalty app, if you have one
  • Access to your email platform
HOW WE MEASURE IT

How to tell if the program is working.

Your best customers join first, so members flatter any report. These are the numbers we use to see what the program adds on its own.

Member lift
The real test of a program. Comparing members with similar customers who didn't join shows the extra orders it brings in.
Repeat purchase rate
Whether customers come back at all. When it's low, the second order needs work before rewards can help.
Time between orders
Average days from one order to the next A working program brings members back sooner than similar customers who didn't join.
Reward cost
What the program gives back, as a share of member sales. For the example store, 5% back costs about 12% of each order's $41.80.
Redemption rate
Points nobody spends bring nobody back. A low rate can mean members have forgotten their balance.
Referral conversion rate
Whether your referral reward is worth sharing. If friends rarely buy, the reward or the timing of the ask needs to change.
CLIENT RESULTS

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OUR APPROACH

Rewards that cost less than they earn

Points are a discount you promise in advance. When members spend them on orders they'd have placed anyway, the program only costs you margin. So we start from what an order keeps after product, shipping and fees, and set what points are worth from there. The most points go to the actions worth paying for: a second order, a referral that brings in a new customer, a review with a photo. To see what a repeat customer is worth to your store, try our free customer lifetime value calculator.

Points people remember

A program only changes what people do if they remember it. So we show each member's points balance and next reward in your emails and on your site. VIP tiers do the same job for your best customers, with perks like early access to sales, free shipping or a gift. We set each tier where your real repeat customers can reach it. Your email and SMS flows carry the reminders, so points earned months ago can still bring someone back.

Check that members really buy more

Your best customers are the first to join, so members look like better customers from day one. That alone says nothing about the program. We compare members with similar customers who didn't join, and weigh the extra orders against the cost of the rewards they redeem. If a reward costs more than it brings in, we change it. Selling subscriptions too? Perks for staying subscribed give people one more reason not to cancel.

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

Will a loyalty program pay for itself?

A good fit if

  • Your customers already buy from you more than once.
  • You give away points or discounts now and can't tell if anyone buys more.
  • You'd rather reward second orders, reviews and referrals than every order.
  • You send email regularly, or want us to, so members hear about their points.

Not the right fit if

  • Most customers buy only once. Fix the second order first with post-purchase emails from email and SMS marketing, then add rewards.
  • Your customers reorder one product on a schedule. Subscriptions may suit them better, with perks on top.
  • You want a program you can launch and forget. Rewards nobody checks end up paying for orders you'd have had anyway.
KEEP EXPLORING

Plan your rewards program.

FREE TOOLS
FROM THE BLOG
INDUSTRIES WE DO THIS FOR
WORKS BEST WITH

Often paired with loyalty & referrals.

All services →

Automated emails and texts that bring past customers back to buy again, without paying for more ads.

  • Welcome, abandoned-cart and win-back emails
  • Weekly email campaigns
  • List growth and segmentation
EmailSMSKlaviyoOmnisend

Subscriptions set up on the right app, with an offer that fits your margin and fewer subscribers lost to cancellations and failed cards.

  • The right subscription app
  • Skip, swap and pause before cancel
  • Failed payments recovered
RechargeSkioLoopShopify Subscriptions

Your Klaviyo flows, segments, campaigns and texts rebuilt and run, with the revenue it reports checked against Shopify.

  • A full Klaviyo account audit
  • Core flows and segments rebuilt
  • Revenue checked against Shopify
KlaviyoEmailSMS
FAQ

Loyalty & referrals: common questions.

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Dair Rose
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None is best for every store. We compare Smile.io, Yotpo, LoyaltyLion and Rivo on how points show on your site, how each connects to your email platform, how it handles VIP tiers and referrals, and what it costs at your order volume. Then we recommend the one that fits.

When customers already buy more than once. A program gives them a reason to come back sooner and to choose you over a competitor. If most customers buy only once, fix the second order first with post-purchase emails, then add rewards.

Start from your margin after product, shipping and fees, and decide how much of it you'll return on repeat orders. Keep everyday points modest. Save the bigger rewards for VIP perks and referrals, which ask customers to do something extra.

Each customer gets a personal link or code to share. When a friend uses it on a first order, the friend gets a discount and the customer who shared it gets a reward. The app tracks it all, and we turn on its checks against people referring themselves.

Compare members with similar customers who didn't join. Your best customers join first, so members look better than average from day one. Then track their repeat orders, time between orders and spending against what their rewards cost you.

There are two costs: the app and the rewards. Most loyalty apps charge by how many orders you get each month, so the app's bill grows with your store. Rewards are a cost too: in the example store from our calculators, 5% back takes about 12% of what each order keeps. Our fee depends on how many rewards, tiers and emails we set up, and you'll get a clear price on the call.

Talk to Dair about loyalty & referrals.

Book a free 30-minute call. Bring your numbers, and leave knowing what we'd fix first.