A loyalty program rewards your existing customers for coming back, spending more, and referring friends. If you are running a Shopify store, adding a loyalty program is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase repeat purchases and lifetime customer value — without spending more on ads. This guide covers how to add a loyalty program to Shopify, the best apps to use, and how to set one up step by step.
What Is a Shopify Loyalty Program?
A Shopify loyalty program is a rewards system built into your store that gives customers points, discounts, or perks for actions like making purchases, writing reviews, following you on social media, or referring new buyers. Instead of customers buying once and leaving, a loyalty program gives them a reason to return.
Shopify does not have a built-in loyalty program feature, but the Shopify App Store has dozens of dedicated apps that connect directly to your store’s orders, customers, and checkout flow.
Why Add a Loyalty Program to Your Shopify Store?
Acquiring a new customer costs five to seven times more than retaining an existing one. A loyalty program shifts your focus toward the customers you already have. Here is what a well-designed loyalty program can do for your store:
- Increase average order value — customers spend more to reach the next reward tier
- Improve repeat purchase rate — points give customers a reason to come back
- Generate referrals — built-in referral rewards turn buyers into advocates
- Reduce churn — customers with points in their account are less likely to switch to a competitor
- Collect zero-party data — loyalty sign-ups give you email addresses and purchase preferences
7 Best Shopify Loyalty Program Apps
1. Smile: Loyalty and Rewards
Smile is the most widely used loyalty app on Shopify with over 100,000 merchants. It lets you create a points program, a referral program, and a VIP tier system from one dashboard. Customers earn points for purchases, account sign-ups, social shares, and birthdays. The free plan covers up to 200 monthly orders, which is enough for stores just starting out.
Setup is straightforward — install from the Shopify App Store, configure your point values, name your currency (coins, stars, flowers — anything that fits your brand), and the loyalty widget appears automatically on your store. Smile works with Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Shopify Email for sending reward reminders.
2. LoyaltyLion
LoyaltyLion is built for stores with higher order volumes and more complex reward needs. It supports points for purchases, referrals, reviews, social follows, and custom events like attending a pop-up event or completing a quiz. The analytics dashboard shows which rewards are driving the most repeat purchases so you can optimize over time.
LoyaltyLion integrates with Klaviyo, Recharge (for subscriptions), Gorgias (for support), and Yotpo (for reviews). If your store is above $1M in annual revenue, LoyaltyLion’s enterprise plan gives you a dedicated account manager and custom point rules.
3. Yotpo Loyalty and Referrals
Yotpo combines loyalty, reviews, and SMS marketing in a single platform. If you are already using Yotpo for product reviews, adding their loyalty module keeps everything in one place and lets you reward customers for writing reviews. Points can be redeemed as fixed discounts, percentage discounts, or free shipping — all applied automatically at checkout.
The free tier supports basic points programs. Paid plans unlock VIP tiers, referral campaigns, and integration with Yotpo SMS so you can send reward balance reminders by text message.
4. Rivo Loyalty and Referrals
Rivo is a strong choice for stores focused on building a community around their brand. It supports points, referrals, and VIP tiers, with a clean customer-facing panel where shoppers can see their balance, history, and available rewards. Rivo integrates with Klaviyo, Postscript, and Gorgias.
What makes Rivo different is its emphasis on branded experience — you can fully customize the loyalty widget to match your store’s colors and fonts, which helps it feel like a native part of your site rather than a third-party add-on.
5. Growave
Growave is an all-in-one marketing app that combines loyalty, reviews, wishlists, and social login. For stores that want to reduce the number of apps they run, Growave covers a lot of ground. The loyalty module supports points for purchases, referrals, sign-ups, and social actions.
Growave’s pricing is based on the number of monthly orders, making it scalable for growing stores. It is particularly popular among fashion and beauty brands because of how well the wishlist and loyalty features work together.
6. BON Loyalty Rewards and Referrals
BON is one of the most affordable loyalty apps on Shopify with a generous free plan that does not limit monthly orders. It supports points, referrals, and VIP tiers with a customizable widget. BON works with Shopify POS so your online and in-person reward balances stay in sync, which is useful for merchants who sell both online and at markets or retail locations.
7. Loox + Loyalty Combination
Loox is primarily a photo review app, but it includes a referral program that functions like a lightweight loyalty tool. Customers get a discount code they can share with friends; when a friend purchases using the code, both the referrer and the new buyer get rewarded. If reviews and referrals are your main goals and you do not need a full points system, Loox handles both in one app.
How to Set Up a Loyalty Program on Shopify: Step by Step
Step 1: Choose Your App
If you are just starting, install Smile or BON — both have solid free plans. If you need advanced analytics and integrations, go with LoyaltyLion or Yotpo. Visit the Shopify App Store, search for your chosen app, and click Install.
Step 2: Set Your Point Values
Decide how many points a customer earns per dollar spent and what those points are worth when redeemed. A common structure is 1 point per $1 spent, where 100 points = $1 off. This gives roughly 1% back on purchases, which is competitive without being too costly to your margins.
Higher-margin stores (beauty, digital products) can afford 5% or more. Lower-margin stores (electronics, dropshipping) should stay below 2%.
Step 3: Define Earning Actions
Beyond purchases, set up extra ways to earn points. Common earning actions that work well include:
- Creating an account (one-time bonus, encourages sign-ups)
- Writing a product review (drives social proof)
- Following on Instagram or TikTok (grows your audience)
- Referring a friend (your cheapest customer acquisition channel)
- Birthday bonus (increases emotional connection with your brand)
Step 4: Create VIP Tiers
VIP tiers reward your best customers with bigger benefits. A simple three-tier structure works well for most stores:
- Silver — 0–499 points: standard rewards
- Gold — 500–1,499 points: extra points per purchase + early access to sales
- Platinum — 1,500+ points: free shipping on every order + priority support
Keep the top tier achievable within 6 to 12 months of regular shopping so it feels motivating rather than impossible.
Step 5: Customize the Widget
Most loyalty apps place a floating button or panel on your storefront where customers can check their balance and available rewards. Customize the colors, language, and position to match your store design. A loyalty widget that looks native to your site gets more engagement than one that looks like a bolt-on tool.
Step 6: Promote Your Program
A loyalty program only works if customers know it exists. Announce it via email to your existing list, add a banner to your homepage, mention it in your post-purchase confirmation email, and create a dedicated landing page explaining how the program works. Stores that actively promote their loyalty program see 3x more sign-ups than those that rely on the widget alone.
How Much Does a Shopify Loyalty Program Cost?
Most loyalty apps charge based on monthly orders or active loyalty members. Here is a rough comparison:
- Smile — Free up to 200 orders/month; Starter plan $49/month
- BON — Free plan available; paid plans from $25/month
- Rivo — Free plan available; paid from $49/month
- LoyaltyLion — Free up to 400 monthly orders; paid from $159/month
- Yotpo Loyalty — Free basic plan; paid from $199/month
For most stores generating under $20,000 per month in revenue, the free plan of Smile or BON is enough to get started. Upgrade to a paid plan only when you are seeing clear ROI from repeat purchases.
Loyalty Program Best Practices for Shopify Stores
- Keep redemption simple — If customers cannot figure out how to use their points at checkout, they will not bother
- Send reminder emails — Trigger an email when a customer is close to a reward threshold (“You are 50 points away from a free gift”)
- Expire points slowly — 12 to 18 months is a fair expiry window; shorter feels punitive
- Track referral sources — Know which rewards are driving the most new customers so you can invest in them
- Test reward values — Start conservative, measure repeat purchase rate after 60 days, then adjust point values up or down
Internal Links: Related Guides
If you are working on keeping more customers, you may also find these guides useful: How to Reduce Cart Abandonment on Shopify covers recovering customers who leave before buying, and How to Offer Try Before You Buy on Shopify explains how sample-first selling builds purchase confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify have a built-in loyalty program?
No, Shopify does not have a native loyalty program feature. You need to install a third-party app from the Shopify App Store. Smile, BON, and LoyaltyLion are the most popular options and all offer free plans to get started.
What is the best free loyalty app for Shopify?
Smile and BON both offer strong free plans. Smile’s free tier is limited to 200 monthly orders. BON’s free plan has no order limit, making it a better choice for stores with higher order volumes that are not yet ready to pay for a loyalty tool.
How do Shopify loyalty points work at checkout?
When a customer is ready to redeem their points, the loyalty app generates a discount code that the customer applies at checkout. Some apps support automatic redemption where the discount is applied in one click from the cart page without needing to copy a code.
Can a loyalty program work for a Shopify dropshipping store?
Yes, but keep your reward rates low (1% to 2%) since dropshipping margins are thin. Focus on referral rewards rather than points, since referral programs bring in new customers at a low cost and do not depend on repeat purchases from the same buyer.
How long does it take to see results from a Shopify loyalty program?
Most stores see measurable improvement in repeat purchase rate within 60 to 90 days of launching a loyalty program, provided they actively promote it. Stores that email their existing customer base when the program launches see the fastest results.
Final Thoughts
Adding a loyalty program to your Shopify store does not need to be complicated or expensive. Start with a free plan from Smile or BON, set up simple point earning for purchases and reviews, and promote the program to your existing customers. Once you see repeat purchase rates improving, invest in VIP tiers and deeper integrations. A well-run loyalty program is one of the highest-ROI tools available to any Shopify merchant — and your competitors are likely already using one.
