What we can bring across
Switching to LoyaltyLion does not mean your customers start from zero. You can bring their points balances and their tier positions with them, so the program they see on launch day reflects what they had already earned with you.
What comes across, and what does not:
Points balances, which you import yourself.
Tier positions and tier progress, which we import for you.
Order history, which we cannot import. We start tracking your customers' orders from the day you launch.
Before you start
Two things are worth doing before you build your import file:
Export your data from your old loyalty platform. Every platform exports a different shape, so check what yours gives you.
Check it against what we need. You may have to reformat the export, or pull extra details out of your ecommerce platform, before the file is ready.
Your customers also need to exist in your ecommerce store before an import can find them. Rows we cannot match are skipped.
Importing your customers' points
You run this one yourself, from Analytics, and then Imports. Your file needs a column identifying each customer, either their email address or their customer ID from your store, and a points column holding the balance they should arrive with.
If you are carrying over a negative balance, put a negative number in the points column and turn on Allow negative points balance when you launch the importer. There is more detail on file formats and options in our guide to imports.
A points import can be reverted for 90 days after it starts, so a mistake in the file is recoverable. Check the values first anyway, because the import applies to every customer in the file at once.
Importing tier data
Tier imports are the one kind we run for you, because they cannot be undone. Send your file to your onboarding manager if you are on a Classic plan or above, or to our Support team at support@loyaltylion.com, and tell us whether you want customers placed directly into a tier or their progress towards one carried over.
Tier data goes in its own file, separate from your points file.
The rest of the migration
Moving the data is only part of it. To give your customers the program they recognize, you also need to rebuild it:
Set up your rules, rewards and tiers to match what you ran before, including any points multipliers and the redemption options your customers are used to.
Rebuild anything custom. If your old program had bespoke features, our SDK can recreate them, which needs a developer.
Point your existing loyalty page at LoyaltyLion, so your customers find the program where they always have rather than somewhere new.
If you are on a Classic plan or above, your onboarding manager will work through this with you.
FAQ
Can you import my customers' spend or past order history?
No. We can import points and tiers, but not historical orders. We start tracking your customers' order history from the day you launch your program.
What if I am moving my store to a new ecommerce platform?
That is a different job from switching loyalty provider, because your LoyaltyLion program moves with you rather than coming in from outside. Talk to our Support team at support@loyaltylion.com before you begin.
You set up a new program on your new platform and bring your customers across to it:
Add your new store as a new program, the same way as adding any site. Your old program keeps running until you are ready to switch.
Import your customers into your new store first. We match the LoyaltyLion import against the customer records in your new store, so they need to exist there.
Refund any unused rewards your customers have claimed, so the points go back into their balances before you export them. Here is how to refund unused rewards.
Rebuild your rules and rewards on the new program. Any custom code copied from your old store, such as an image URL for your logo, needs updating too.
Import your customers' points, and their birthdays if you collect them, from Analytics, then Imports, in your new program. Tier data goes to us, as above.
Claimed rewards, referral links, enrollment dates and order history stay with your old program. Once you have moved, you can archive the old program from the same page you added the new one.
When should the import run?
Close to launch. Points imported weeks early sit in customers' accounts while the program is still hidden, and anything they earn with your old provider in the meantime will not be in the file you already sent.