In this article:
Overview
A promotion is a temporary change to one of your rules or rewards, run to drive engagement for a limited period. You might run one over Black Friday weekend, to launch a new collection, or to re-engage customers at risk of lapsing.
You cannot schedule a promotion. Make the change yourself when the promotion starts, and remember to change it back when it ends. You can schedule our Campaigns, if available on your plan.
This article covers the four promotions merchants run most often. All of them use rules and rewards you already have.
Double points
Double points lets your customers earn twice the usual points per $1 spent for a limited period. If you normally award 5 points per $1, they earn 10 during the promotion, so they reach a reward sooner and see the value of your program more quickly.
It is useful when you want to:
drive existing members back to your store
draw in guest customers, who also earn double on their previous purchases if you use Reward historic purchases
reward one tier with a 2x or 3x promotion as a tier benefit
keep customers earning during a site-wide sale, when they cannot use their reward vouchers
help customers reach the next points-based tier, or their next reward, faster
Without tiers
Go to Admin, then Manage, then View rules
Click Make a purchase
Set the points. For example, change 5 points per $1 to 10 points per $1
Save your changes
If your Make a purchase rule uses Reward historic purchases, any guest who joins your program during the promotion also earns double points on their earlier purchases.
With tiers
Go to Admin, then Manage, then Manage tiers, then Activities
Go to Make a purchase
Set the points you want for each tier. You can vary the multiplier by tier
Save your changes
On a specific product or collection
To double points on one product or collection rather than everything, use Points Modifiers.
Go to Admin, then Manage, then View rules, then Make a purchase, then Edit
Click Add modifier, select the product or collection, then select 2x points
If you use tiers, the modifier applies at every tier automatically.
If available on your plan, you can also use our AI Campaign feature, specifically the Points Multiplier Event Campaign, to achieve the same result. You can schedule this campaign, and get dedicated campaign performance analytics.
Related: Points Modifier [Shopify]
Bonus points on a product or collection
This promotion awards extra points on top of Make a purchase when a customer buys a product you choose, or anything from a collection you choose. Running it for a limited time creates urgency, and it works well for promoting new stock or shifting a collection that is not selling.
Create a Purchase a product or Purchase from a specific collection rule
Export your customers from the Customers tab, filtering the enrolled_at field to remove blanks so you target only enrolled customers
Email that list through your email or SMS platform, telling them about the promotion and when it ends
Bonus referral weeks
This promotion temporarily increases what a customer earns for referring a friend, so they refer while the better offer lasts. It suits programs focused on acquiring new customers.
Go to Manage, then Activity rules, then View rules
Find Refer a friend and click Edit
Raise the points or reward for the referrer, the referred customer, or both
If you use tiers, change the value under Tiers, then Activities, instead
Change the settings back when the promotion ends
Related: Activity: Refer-a-friend
Seasonal free product
Offering a free product reward for a limited time gives your enrolled customers a reason to spend points they have been sitting on, and helps you move overstock. It is aimed at non-redeeming members, who tend to spend less than customers who actively claim rewards.
Decide which products to offer, and create them as free product rewards
Export your customers from the Customers tab
Filter to enrolled customers with a high approved points balance, using the enrolled_at and points_approved fields, so you target the customers who are not redeeming
Email them through your email or SMS platform. Include an end date or a limited quantity to create urgency
Related: Voucher rewards · Exporting Your Data
Promoting your promotion
We do not notify your customers about a promotion, so tell them yourself. Merchants usually use some combination of:
a banner at the top of your store
an email or SMS through your marketing platform
a post on your social channels
Measuring results
Compare the promotion period against the period before it:
Dashboard: the change in points spent
Insights: the change in redeeming members, and the drop in non-redeeming members
Analytics, then Referrals: for a referral promotion, the number of new referrals
Your customer dashboard's Points earned tab: for a bonus points promotion, the points earned over the period
FAQ
Can I schedule a promotion?
No. You make the change in your settings when the promotion starts, and change it back when it ends.
Does it have to be double points?
No. You can make it 3x points, or 5x points if you are feeling generous.
Do customers get notified when a promotion starts?
Not automatically. Promote it yourself through banners, email, SMS and your social channels.
Why are the extra points not showing in points for product or points for cart?
If you use simple components, Points Modifiers are not currently reflected in points for product or points for cart. Your customers still earn the extra points, as long as they are logged in or use the same email address at checkout.
Related: Simple components