Use this article to decide whether to offer Birthday Rewards, Anniversary Rewards, or both on your DoorDash loyalty program. It covers what each reward type does, what you need in place first, when each reward is issued, how customer birthdays are collected, the settings you control, where customers can redeem a reward, and how to request setup.
What Birthday and Anniversary Rewards Do
Birthday and Anniversary Rewards let you automatically send loyalty rewards to customers for two milestones: the customer's birthday, and the anniversary of the date the customer joined your loyalty program. You can offer Birthday Rewards only, Anniversary Rewards only, or both.
Both reward types run through your existing DoorDash loyalty program and customer relationship management (CRM) email workflows, so DoorDash handles reward issuance and the reward email series for you.
Requirements for Birthday and Anniversary Rewards
Before you can offer Birthday or Anniversary Rewards, the following must be in place:
An active DoorDash loyalty program: Birthday and Anniversary Rewards are a loyalty program feature. Anniversary Rewards are calculated from each customer's loyalty signup date, so customers must be enrolled in your loyalty program to receive either reward.
Date of birth collection enabled, for Birthday Rewards: if you offer Birthday Rewards, DoorDash updates your loyalty signup flow so new loyalty customers are prompted to add their birthday. This is not required for Anniversary Rewards.
Birthday and Anniversary Rewards can be added to an existing DoorDash loyalty program, or enabled as part of setup for a new loyalty program.
When Each Reward Is Issued
Birthday and Anniversary Rewards are issued automatically, on a schedule tied to each individual customer rather than to a campaign date you choose.
Birthday Rewards are issued at the start of the customer's birthday month.
Anniversary Rewards are issued once a year, on the anniversary of the customer's loyalty program signup date.
Two limits apply to Birthday Rewards:
30-day waiting period: a customer must be enrolled in your loyalty program for 30 days before receiving their first Birthday Reward. A customer who signs up during their birthday month will receive their first Birthday Reward the following year.
One per year: a customer can receive and redeem one Birthday Reward per year.
Note: Because each reward is tied to the customer's own birthday or loyalty signup date, Birthday and Anniversary Rewards go out throughout the year rather than all at once.
How Customer Birthdays Are Collected
Birthday Rewards require a date of birth for each customer. DoorDash collects customer birthdays for your loyalty program in two ways.
At loyalty signup: once Birthday Rewards are enabled, new customers joining your loyalty program are prompted to add their birthday during signup.
Imported from your customer list: if you already have birthdays for your customers, DoorDash can import them from a list you provide.
Important: DoorDash does not automatically collect birthdays from customers who joined your loyalty program before Birthday Rewards were enabled. Those customers will not receive a Birthday Reward unless you provide their birthdays for import. Anniversary Rewards are not affected, because they use the loyalty signup date DoorDash already has.
Note: A customer enters their birthday once and cannot change it themselves. If a customer needs their birthday corrected, they must contact support.
Reward Settings You Control
You can configure Birthday Rewards and Anniversary Rewards separately. Each reward type has its own settings, so your Birthday Reward does not have to match your Anniversary Reward.
For each reward type, you can set the following:
Reward amount: the dollar value of the reward the customer receives. A $5 reward is a common starting point.
Expiration window: how long the customer has to redeem the reward. The default is 14 days. Expiration windows above 30 days are not supported.
Minimum spend: the order subtotal a customer must reach to apply the reward. This can be set to $0 for no minimum.
Total budget: the overall spend cap for that reward type.
Important: Birthday and Anniversary Rewards are dollar-amount rewards. Item-based rewards, such as a free item, are not currently supported for either reward type.
Note: DoorDash configures these settings for you when your Birthday or Anniversary Rewards are set up. Have your preferred reward amount, expiration window, minimum spend, and total budget ready for each reward type you want to offer.
How Customers Receive and Redeem Rewards
Customers receive Birthday and Anniversary Rewards in two places, and can redeem them in more than one ordering channel.
Where Customers Receive the Reward
When a Birthday or Anniversary Reward is issued, the customer is notified through the following:
In-app: the reward is issued to the customer's loyalty account
Automated email series: DoorDash enrolls your loyalty customers in the Birthday or Anniversary email series, which then sends automatically each time a reward is issued
Where Customers Redeem the Reward
Customers can redeem Birthday and Anniversary Rewards in the following places:
Your Storefront web experience
Your Storefront app experience
In-store, where in-store redemption is supported
Important: In-store redemption of Birthday and Anniversary Rewards is only available where it is supported. Confirm with DoorDash Support whether in-store redemption is available for your stores before you promote in-store redemption to customers.
Why Merchants Use Birthday and Anniversary Rewards
Birthday and Anniversary Rewards help you keep customers engaged with your DoorDash loyalty program using timely, personalized offers.
A reason to order again: the reward gives customers a prompt to order around a meaningful moment, such as their birthday or their loyalty anniversary, and can re-engage customers who have not ordered recently
Higher engagement: Birthday Rewards see higher engagement and click-through rates
Less manual effort: DoorDash automates both the reward email series and reward issuance through your existing loyalty and CRM workflows, so you do not have to build or send each one
A more personal loyalty experience: the customer receives a reward tied to a personal milestone, and can redeem it online, in-app, or in-store where supported, giving them a reason to stay in your loyalty program year after year
How to Get Started
Birthday and Anniversary Rewards are set up for you. To turn on Birthday Rewards, Anniversary Rewards, or both for your DoorDash loyalty program, contact DoorDash Support.
When you reach out, specify the following so your rewards can be configured:
Which reward types you want: Birthday Rewards, Anniversary Rewards, or both.
The reward amount for each reward type you want.
The expiration window for each reward type you want. The default is 14 days.
The minimum spend for each reward type you want, or $0 for no minimum.
The total budget for each reward type you want.
If you already have birthdays on file for your existing loyalty customers and want them imported, mention that when you reach out.
Questions? If you need help with this process or have questions, reach out to DoorDash Support at oosupport@doordash.com.