Shopify Loyalty Programs – A Complete Guide [2026]

Key Takeaways

• A Shopify loyalty program is an incentive system that rewards customers with points, tiers, discounts, or perks to drive repeat purchases and lifetime value.
• Shopify does not have a built-in loyalty program. Merchants add one through third-party apps like Smile.io, Rivo, BON Loyalty, Joy, Loloyal, Growave, and AiTrillion.
• Loyalty program members generate 12 to 18 percent more incremental revenue per year than non-members.
• 90 percent of companies running a loyalty program report positive ROI, averaging 4.8x return.
• Top-performing loyalty programs lift annual revenue from enrolled customers by 15 to 25 percent.
• Tiered loyalty programs deliver 1.8x higher ROI than flat point-based programs.
• B2B loyalty works differently. Net terms, priority fulfillment, and volume-tier pricing outperform simple points in wholesale.

In 2026, a loyalty program is no longer a growth lever that only large Shopify brands can afford. Most merchants now run one in some form, and the ROI numbers are hard to ignore. The real question has shifted from whether you should have a loyalty program to what kind actually moves the needle for your store.

This guide covers how Shopify loyalty programs work, the numbers behind their impact in 2026, how to set one up, and the apps worth installing.

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What does a Shopify loyalty program mean?

A Shopify loyalty program is an incentive-based system that rewards repeat customers with points, discounts, tiers, or exclusive perks. Customers earn value for specific actions like placing an order, signing up, writing a review, referring a friend, or reaching a spend threshold.

The goal is simple. Get more repeat purchases, raise average order value, and reduce how much you spend chasing new customers.

Most Shopify stores run loyalty through a third-party app. Shopify does not ship a native loyalty engine, which is why the Shopify App Store has hundreds of options in this category.

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Loyalty program stats worth knowing in 2026

These numbers matter more than general “loyalty is good” talk. They give you a baseline for what a working program should return.

• Loyal customers spend 67 percent more than first-time buyers.
• Members of loyalty programs generate 12 to 18 percent more incremental revenue per year than non-members.
• 90 percent of companies with a loyalty program report positive ROI, with an average return of 4.8x.
• Top-performing programs boost revenue from enrolled customers by 15 to 25 percent annually.
• A 5 percent increase in customer retention can increase profits by 25 to 95 percent.
• Tiered loyalty programs deliver 1.8x higher ROI than flat point-based programs.
• It costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.
• 81 percent of consumers say loyalty programs make them more likely to keep buying from a brand.
• The global loyalty management market is valued at roughly 17.4 billion USD in 2026 and projected to hit 32.5 billion by 2031.

The pattern is clear. Retention compounds. A small shift in your repeat purchase rate moves profit more than a big shift in new customer acquisition.

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A real example of a Shopify loyalty program

We looked at the reward program of one of our customers named Dip. The dip is a personal care company that offers a wide range of soap bars, dips, and other kinds of accessories. 

Dip runs a reward program called “dip dollars”, which is designed to reward customers for their loyalty and encourage them to return to the store. The program offers points for every action completed on their store, such as signing up, placing an order, following them on social, and more.

Now that we’ve learned why loyalty programs are important for Shopify stores, let’s go ahead and discuss how to set up a loyalty program on your Shopify store.

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How to create a loyalty program on Shopify? (4 simple steps)

Creating an effective Shopify loyalty program requires research and planning, but the reward is worth the effort. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Define objectives to run a Shopify reward program

Before doing anything, you need to identify what goals you want to achieve with the reward/loyalty program.

For example(s) –
(a) do you want to increase customer retention or boost sales?
(b) do you want your customers to share your products on their social media?
(c) do you want to attract new signups to your Shopify store?

Establishing key objectives upfront will help you create an appropriate reward system later on.

Step 2: Determine the level and type of rewards

After deciding on the objective of the Shopify loyalty program that you want to run on your Shopify store, it’s now time to select which type of rewards is best suited for your Shopify store (financial or non-financial rewards).

Here are the different types of rewards you can offer in your loyalty program:

(a) Point-based rewards
Spend ‘X’ dollars to earn ‘Y’ points.

(b) Discount rewards
Spend ‘X’ dollars to get a ‘Z’ percent discount on your next purchase.

(c) Tier-based rewards
Spend ‘X’ dollars in ‘A’ number of months to move to ‘Q’ level, where you’ll receive ‘Y’ number of points after each purchase.

(d) Hybrid rewards
This type of rewards system is a mix of point-based & tier-based rewards.

Step 3: Set up the Shopify loyalty program on your store

After determining the rewards level and type of your loyalty program, it’s now time to implement a loyalty program in your store.

• To do this, go to the Shopify app store
• Type ‘rewards‘ in the search box
• Choose a third-party Shopify loyalty app (we recommend you to carefully go through the app’s description to look for your best-suited requirements)
• Click on the Add app button
• Set up the added app and follow the instructions given by the app’s documentation to create a loyalty program.

Don’t worry. If you’re unsure about which app to select, we’ve mentioned the best Shopify loyalty apps below in this article.

Step 4: Promote your loyalty program

Once you have activated your loyalty program and customers are enjoying its rewards, it is essential to promote the program further in order to achieve increased involvement from your existing and new customer base.

To do this, you can use different marketing channels like email, social media, paid ads, etc., to create awareness about your loyalty programs.

You can also share customer reviews or feedback on your Shopify store as well as social pages, which will help other shoppers know about the advantages of joining your reward program.

Also, don’t forget to include a link for signup on every page of your store – preferably at the top & bottom of all website pages. This will make it easier for visitors to find and join your loyalty program.

Follow the above-mentioned four easy steps and create and manage a successful loyalty program on your Shopify store.

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How much do loyalty programs increase sales of your Shopify store?

Stores with well-designed loyalty programs typically see a 15 to 25 percent lift in annual revenue from enrolled customers. Loyalty members generate 12 to 18 percent more incremental revenue than non-members, and members who actually redeem rewards spend roughly 3.1 times more per year than members who do not.

Your number depends on three variables: repeat purchase cycle, margin flexibility, and how well you promote the program. A jewelry store with 180-day repeat cycles will see different numbers than a coffee brand with 30-day cycles. A program you forget to promote will underperform regardless of app.

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7 Best Shopify Loyalty Apps In 2026 [Updated Reviews]

With these Shopify loyalty program apps, you’ll be able to reward customers with points or discounts when they purchase items in your store, offer membership tiers with exclusive benefits, and more – all while boosting customer engagement and increasing sales.

Here are seven of the best Shopify loyalty program apps for your e-commerce store (apps are mentioned rating-wise):

1. Smile: Loyalty & Rewards

(4.9 Rating from 4195+ Reviews)

Smile is a most-added Shopify loyalty app available in the Shopify app store that offers you to reward customers for engaging with your brand. It allows you to set up loyalty, referrals, and VIP reward programs with customization and easy integration with other third-party Shopify apps.

2. Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals

(4.8 Rating from 1360+ Reviews)

Rivo is a fully customizable Shopify reward program that provides customers with points for their purchases and rewards them with exclusive discounts. The app also offers a developer toolkit for store owners to create their own features and customizations on the Rivo platform.

3. Joy: Rewards, Loyalty Program

(4.9 Rating from 1648+ Reviews)

Joy is an advanced Shopify loyalty program app that allows you to set up automatic points earning and customize rewards, discount codes, and commission programs.

4. BON Loyalty Rewards Referrals

(5.0 Rating from 1758+ Reviews)

BON app is a complete Shopify loyalty program app that offers both reward points and referral programs. The app allows customers to earn, track, and redeem points while providing them with unique VIP perks for referrals in 18 ways.

5. TrustWILL Loyalty & Referrals

(4.9 Rating from 762+ Reviews)

TrustWILL Loyalty & Referrals is an easy-to-use loyalty and referral program app that offers a wide range of features to increase customer loyalty and repeat purchases. It also helps in community building and marketing by managing valued customers’ data with diverse VIP tiers.

6. Growave

(4.8 Rating from 1226+ Reviews)

Growave is an all-in-one Shopify marketing app that offers a loyalty program, rewards, reviews, gift cards and much more. This app has been specifically designed to incorporate the best features from other apps in order to provide an unparalleled user experience.

7. AiT Loyalty Review Email & SMS

(4.8 Rating from 253+ Reviews)

AiTrillion is a powerful all-in-one Shopify loyalty app that helps merchants boost customer retention by rewarding repeat purchases, referrals, reviews, birthdays, and more. It offers a fully customizable loyalty program built into a complete marketing ecosystem—no need for multiple apps.

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Why a Shopify loyalty program is important for your online stores? (with an example)

Running a customer loyalty program in your B2C or B2B Shopify store helps you in many ways, such as retaining customer relationships, increasing repeat sales, attracting new customers, and also helps you stay ahead of your competitors.

Here are a few more reasons:

#1. Helps you increase customer engagement

Shopify loyalty programs are an effective way to increase and retain customer interaction with your brand, which leads to more engagement. By providing rewards for customers’ purchases, you can create an emotional connection with your customers and encourage them to return to your Shopify store in the future for more purchases.

#2. Gives you the option to provide personalized shopping experiences

With Shopify loyalty programs, you can personalize your customers’ shopping experience by offering rewards that are tailored to their individual needs. You can also have a separate section on your store that lists products that can only be purchased with the earned reward points.

#3. Improves your customer retention rate

In addition to keeping customers engaged, Shopify loyalty programs also help you improve your customer retention rate. By providing rewards for regular purchases in your store, you can create an incentive for your customers to keep coming back.

#4. Helps you increase customer lifetime value (LTV)

Offering reward/loyalty programs also encourages your customers to spend more in your store, thus increasing their lifetime value (LTV) and boosting your sales.

#5. Provides you with insights into buying patterns

By tracking customers’ purchases and reward points, you can get valuable insights into their buying patterns. This helps you make informed decisions while creating Shopify marketing campaigns or launching or adding new products to your Shopify store.

#6. Helps you generate brand awareness without any effort

Running a Shopify reward program gives you an easy way to generate brand awareness. Every time a customer is satisfied with your service, they may share their experience and refer your store to others, like friends or family. This directly boosts your brand awareness without any extra effort from your side.

#7. Of course! Boost profits

Ultimately, Shopify loyalty programs help you boost your profits in every way. By providing rewards and incentives, you create a win-win situation for both you and the customer that results in happy customers and more sales.

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How do I choose the best Shopify loyalty app?

When evaluating different Shopify loyalty programs apps, there are several factors you should consider in order to make an educated decision about which app will be most suitable for your business needs:

Check for:

• Ease of Use – How simple is it for customers to sign up and redeem rewards on the platform?
• Integrations – Does the loyalty program integrate with other Shopify apps and systems?
• Features & Functionality – Does it offer features such as tiered rewards, referral programs, etc.?
• Price & Cost – How much does the app cost and what value does it return to your business?
• Customer Support – Is customer support offered by the app available with the shortest response time?
  

Ultimately, you should pick a Shopify loyalty app that meets all of your desired features and requirements while remaining cost-effective.

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Summing up

Offering Shopify loyalty programs in your store can provide many benefits for businesses and help them increase their sales. A loyalty program with reward points or discounts is a great way to encourage customers to come back for repeat orders and keep them loyal longer. Signing up for one of the Shopify loyalty apps can take away most of the effort from business owners, leaving them with more time to focus solely on their businesses. All in all, a loyalty program on your Shopify store is a wise investment that’s sure to pay off in the end.

Frequently Asked Questions