Introduction
A free product is one of the most compelling rewards you can offer. It gives customers a concrete reason to keep earning points and a memorable moment when they redeem. This article shows you how to set up a Free Product reward and where you can use it across your loyalty program.
Creating a Free Product reward
Start in the program where you want to offer the reward. This example uses the Points program.
From the Dashboard, go to Loyalty > Points.
Under Redeeming Points, click "Add Another Reward," then select Free Product.
Enter a Reward Title. This is the name customers will see.
Under Product, click "Click to Select Product" and choose the product and the variants customers can pick from.
Under Reward, set the Points amount customers will spend to redeem it.
Adjust the optional settings to fit your program:
Minimum Cart Requirement – Choose None, a Minimum cart value, or a Minimum order quantity.
Discount Eligibility (if available) – Enable Apply this reward to full-price items only to exclude products that are on sale.
Checkout Visibility – Enable Hide this reward at checkout to keep it out of the Redeem Points checkout extension.
Site Visibility – Enable Hide this reward on site to hide it from the Landing Page, Account Widget, and the rest of your storefront.
Purchase Type – If you use a subscription app, choose whether the reward applies to One-time Purchase, Subscription, or Both.
VIP Tier Eligibility (if available) – Choose a Minimum VIP tier so that only customers in that tier or higher can redeem the reward.
Reward Expiration – Set issued rewards to expire after a certain amount of time. You can also choose to refund customers' points automatically if they don't use the reward before it expires.
Discount Code Prefix – Add a custom prefix for the discount codes this reward creates. Leave it blank to use the prefix from your Orders settings.
Translations (if available) – Click "Add Translation" to set the reward's name and description for other languages.
Switch Status on when you're ready for customers to see the reward.
Click "Save."
📝 Note: This discount only applies to one unit of the selected product or variants. When a customer redeems a Free Product reward online, they can choose to add the item to their cart with the discount applied. If they remove the product from the cart, they need to add it back before checking out for the discount to apply.
Best practices
Feature the reward prominently. Add a deep link to your loyalty program on the product page of the item you're offering as a free reward. This can drive interest in your loyalty program.
Start with small items. Begin with lower-cost items as free rewards to assess customer interest before offering higher-value products.
Create exclusivity. Consider offering exclusive products that can only be acquired through your loyalty program to increase perceived value.
Communicate clearly. Explain to your customers how they're supposed to access their free products on their next purchase.
Creating free product rewards across Rivo programs
You can use Free Product rewards across programs to fit your brand's strategy:
Points – Members spend their points on a free product.
Referrals – Give referred friends a free product with their first purchase, and reward advocates with a free product when their referral converts.
VIP Tiers – Offer an exclusive free product discount as a perk when members reach a higher tier.
Memberships – Give paid members free products in four ways:
Gift with Purchase – A free product when a customer buys a membership for the first time.
Rebill Gift – A free product added to renewal orders.
Member Gifts – A free product on specific orders, such as a member's 2nd through 4th order.
Free Product Discount – A one-time free product from a gift collection when a member spends a set amount on qualifying products.
💡 Find out more: Setting Up a Multi-Variant Membership Gift With Purchase.
Showing Free Product rewards at checkout
By default, the checkout reward picker only lists discount rewards. To let customers redeem a Free Product reward right in checkout, please turn on the expanded Redeem Points checkout extension:
Go to Settings > Checkout Extensions.
Go to the Redeem Points Extension card.
Check Enable Expanded Version.
Optional: Review the other settings available for the extension.
Click "Save."
Troubleshooting
The customer didn't get the free product reward applied to their order when they unlocked a VIP tier → Free Product rewards aren't applied automatically. When a member unlocks a tier, they need to add the product to their cart and apply the reward. To apply a gift automatically, create an automatic product discount in Shopify and set Customer eligibility to a segment tagged with that VIP tier.
You don't see the "Enable Expanded Version" setting → Free Product rewards on your store aren't on Shopify Functions yet. Please contact your CSM to have it switched on (see Switching Free Product rewards between Discount Codes and Shopify Functions).
Common questions
Can I set the advanced reward to be combined with other discounts?
Yes, you can follow our step-by-step guide on Rivo discount combinations and stacking.
Can I set both a minimum order quantity and a minimum order value for Free Product rewards?
No, these settings are mutually exclusive. You can set either a minimum order quantity or a minimum order value, but not both for the same reward.
Can Free Product rewards be used with subscription purchases?
Yes. When creating the reward, you can specify if it can be used for one-time purchases only, subscriptions only, or both types of purchases.
Can customers pay partly with points and partly with cash/card for a Free Product reward?
No. Our Free Product rewards create a discount for the selected product or variants; they do not split the price of one product between points and another payment method. If you want VIP members to receive a partial discount on a gift product, use a fixed amount or percentage reward, or create a Shopify discount targeted to your VIP tier customer segment.
Can I upload a custom image for a Free Product reward?
Yes, you can upload a custom reward icon in the reward settings. If you do not upload one and the selected Shopify product has a featured image, Rivo uses that product image as the default reward image when the reward is created.
Why can't I see the Free Product Discount option for my membership tier?
If you can't see the Free Product Discount under Member Savings, please reach out to your CSM.