Introduction
In this article, we'll take a look at your VIP Program settings. These settings provide you with the tools to tailor your VIP Program according to your brand's vision and customer relationship strategies. This article will focus on the three key components: the Program Start Date, the Entry Method, and Tier Expiration.
💡 Find out more: check out our guide on Setting up your VIP Tiers.
Program Start Date
The Program Start Date is a crucial factor, deciding the starting point from which your VIP tiers begin to count points or purchases. For example, if a customer has accumulated 500 points in total but your Program Start Date is set to November, only points earned from November onwards will count towards tier progression.
To update your VIP Program Start Date:
Navigate to Rewards from your Loyoly dashboard.
In the VIP Tiers section, click on edit next to VIP Tiers Settings.
Select a date and click Update..
Your customer's tiers will be recalculated based on the new start date.
📝 Note: we can only account for customer activity from the point when the app was installed.
VIP Tiers Access Method
The Entry Method is the mechanism through which your customers ascend through the VIP tiers. You have two options to consider:
1. Points Earned: Opt for this method if you wish for customers to advance based on the number of points they have accumulated through orders, missions and referral.
2. Amount Spent: This choice enables customers to progress based on their total spending in your store.
Select the Entry Method that best aligns with your business model and customer base to create an effective VIP program.
To update your VIP Program Entry Method:
Navigate to Rewards from your Loyoly dashboard.
In the VIP Tiers section, click on edit next to VIP Tiers Settings.
Select a method and click Update..
Your customer's tiers will be recalculated based on the new entry method.
Reward Management
You can define whether rewards will be retained when moving to a new tier :
Keep rewards: users will keep their previous rewards when changing tiers.
Delete rewards from previous tiers: users will lose rewards acquired in previous tiers.
Shopify product or collection deleted: impact on VIP tier rewards
⚠️ Available for Shopify merchants only.
If you have set up a product reward or a reward linked to a Shopify collection as a VIP tier reward, and that product or collection is removed from your Shopify store, Loyoly automatically detects the issue.
In the Loyoly BO, in the VIP tier configuration:
A clear warning is displayed on the affected tier reward, indicating which product or collection no longer exists in Shopify,
You are prompted to update the reward (link a new product / collection) or to deactivate it.
On the VIP customer side, the behavior depends on how many products or collections are linked to the reward:
If all the referenced products / collections have been removed from Shopify → the tier reward is automatically deactivated and is no longer granted to customers reaching the tier. If a VIP customer had already obtained this reward, a notification informs them that the linked reward is no longer available.
If at least one product / collection is still valid → the reward remains active and continues to be granted to customers reaching the tier, on the product that is still available. The BO warning stays visible so you can clean up the broken reference at your own pace.
💡 Best practice: your VIP tiers are a strong promise to your best customers. Reconnect the reward to an equivalent Shopify product quickly to avoid degrading the perceived experience, even if it's still active thanks to another valid product.
Expiration
Expiration determines the duration customers have to reach a VIP Tier.
1. Valid for 1 year, reset upon reaching a higher tier
Customers have one year to move up the VIP tiers.
After spending a year in the tiers, their activity over the past 12 months is assessed to determine whether they stay in the same tier, are downgraded, or move up.
Simple example:
You enter the Bronze tier on June 1, 2025 → it remains valid until June 1, 2026.
You move up to the Silver tier on August 1, 2025 → this new tier is then valid until August 1, 2026.
If you don’t change tiers before then, we’ll look at what you’ve spent between August 1, 2025 and August 1, 2026 to determine whether you stay in the Silver tier or move down.
2. Valid for 1 year, reset after 12 months
Customers have one year to reach VIP tiers. Each year, starting from the customer's initial entry date into the VIP program, their progress is reset to zero.
For example:
You enter the Bronze tier on June 1st, 2025 → it lasts until June 1st, 2026.
You move up to the Silver tier on August 1st, 2025 → it still lasts until June 1st, 2026.
This is because this setting only takes into account the customer's global entry date into the VIP program, rather than the date they reached a specific tier.
3. Valid for life
With this option, customers keep their points or progress indefinitely, with no time limit. This is suited for more flexible or long-term-oriented programs.
⚠️ If you change the expiration settings, your customers’ tiers will automatically be recalculated based on the new expiration rule.
Order validation delay
This feature reduces the risk of fraud and ensures that orders are only counted in VIP tiers if they have not been returned within the allotted time.
Available options :
Validate as soon as order is placed: This default option counts the order immediately towards VIP tiers.
Default: The order is booked automatically after 7 / 14 / 30 / 45 days, except in the case of a reported return.
Custom delay: Allows you to define a specific delay according to your needs or applicable return policy.