Overview
RFM analysis automatically groups your customers into 9 segments based on two factors: how recently they visited (recency) and how often they visit (frequency). This helps you identify your most loyal customers, spot those at risk of leaving, and tailor your push notifications, mailings, and automations to each group.
RFM is available on all plans.
Note: Traditional RFM includes a third factor — Monetary (how much they spend). In Perkstar, segmentation is driven by recency and frequency only, not spend amounts.
How RFM works
RFM creates a 3×3 grid of 9 segments by combining:
Recency — How many days since the customer's last visit or purchase, split into 3 ranges
Frequency — How many visits or purchases the customer has made, split into 3 ranges
Every customer falls into one of the 9 segments based on where their recency and frequency values land in the grid.
The 9 segments
Champions
Your most active, loyal customers. They visit frequently and have been in recently. Thank them, encourage referrals, and keep them engaged.
Loyal — Regular
Strong customers who visit often but not as recently as Champions. Remind them you're still here and reward their consistency.
Growths
Promising customers building a habit. They're visiting more often. Acknowledge their loyalty and keep the momentum going.
Beginners
New customers who just started visiting. Welcome them and encourage a second visit to build the habit.
Medium (borderline)
Moderate customers showing early signs of disengagement. Offer an incentive to keep them coming back.
Needs attention
High-value customers who haven't visited in a while. Reach out personally with a special offer before they drift further.
Doubtful
New customers who haven't returned recently. Send a gentle nudge to bring them back.
At risk
Previously engaged customers drifting away. Act quickly with a compelling reason to return.
Sleeping
Customers who have gone quiet. Send a re-engagement offer before you lose them entirely.
Default configuration
Perkstar comes with a pre-filled RFM configuration so you don't have to start from scratch. The defaults are:
Recency ranges: 0–30 days, 31–60 days, 61–90 days
Frequency ranges: 0–3 visits, 4–7 visits, 8–12 visits
These defaults work well for many businesses. You can customise them at any time to match your business's specific visit patterns.
How to customise your RFM settings
Navigate to Settings in the left-hand menu.
Click the RFM tab.
Edit the recency thresholds — Set the day ranges that define how recently a customer has visited (e.g., 0–14 days, 15–30 days, 31–60 days for a high-frequency business).
Edit the frequency thresholds — Set the visit count ranges that define how often a customer visits (e.g., 0–2 visits, 3–5 visits, 6+ visits).
Save your changes.
The 9 segments update automatically based on your new thresholds.
Tip: Adjust the recency ranges to match how often your customers typically visit. A coffee shop where customers visit weekly might use 0–7, 8–21, and 22–60 days. A salon where customers visit monthly might use 0–30, 31–60, and 61–120 days.
Using RFM segments
Push automations
You can set up automated push notifications that send when a customer moves into a specific RFM segment. For example, send a re-engagement offer when a customer enters the "Sleeping" segment, or a thank-you message when someone becomes a "Champion."
Set these up under Mailings → Push Automation tab. Each of the 9 segments has its own automation tile. See How to set up push automations for details.
Customer filters
Use RFM segments to filter your customer list. Navigate to Customers and filter by segment to see exactly which customers fall into each group.
Dashboard
The new dashboard includes an RFM section showing customer distribution by segment, revenue distribution by segment, average revenue per customer by segment, and payment count distribution by segment.
Automation flow builder
Use the automation flow builder to create more complex workflows based on customer behaviour. For example, if a customer enters "At risk," send a push notification → wait 3 days → check if they've visited → if not, send an email with a special offer.
FAQs
Is RFM available on all plans?
Yes. RFM analysis is available on Starter, Growth, and Scale.
Do I need to set it up, or does it work automatically?
RFM works automatically with default settings from the moment you start collecting customer data. You can customise the thresholds in Settings → RFM to match your business, but it's not required.
How often are segments updated?
Segments update continuously as customer activity changes. When a customer makes a visit, their recency resets and their frequency increases, which may move them to a different segment.
Can I send automated messages based on RFM segments?
Yes. Set up push automations for any of the 9 segments under Mailings → Push Automation. Each segment has its own tile where you configure the message, timing, and which cards it applies to.
What's the difference between RFM segments and customer filters?
RFM segments are automatic groupings based on recency and frequency thresholds. Customer filters let you manually search and filter your customer list by various criteria including RFM segment, card status, stamps, points, and more. You can use both together.
Should I change the default settings?
The defaults work well for most businesses. However, if your customers visit very frequently (e.g., daily at a coffee shop) or infrequently (e.g., quarterly at a dentist), adjusting the recency and frequency ranges will make the segments more meaningful for your business.
Does Perkstar use monetary value in RFM?
No. Perkstar's RFM is based on recency (days since last visit) and frequency (number of visits) only. Spend amounts are not factored into segment assignment.