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Managing customer accounts for your Loyalty program

A guide to walk you through the legacy accounts and customer accounts from Shopify

Ana Rincon avatar
Written by Ana Rincon
Updated over a week ago

Introduction

Customer accounts are the foundation of your loyalty program, enabling customers to earn points, redeem rewards, and engage with your brand. This comprehensive guide will help you understand how to effectively manage customer accounts and maximize participation in your loyalty program.

Shopify offers two types of customer account systems that work seamlessly with your Rivo loyalty program:

  • Customer accounts - The newer system that streamlines login with secure one-time verification codes instead of passwords, offering a faster and more user-friendly experience.

  • Legacy accounts - The traditional password-based system where customers register and log in with usernames and passwords.

✨ Rivo is fully compatible with both Shopify's legacy accounts and customer accounts


Understanding Customer Loyalty Status

Every customer in your loyalty program has one of three loyalty statuses that determine their program participation level:

Loyalty Status Types

  • Guest: Customers who can participate in your loyalty program without creating a full account. They can earn and redeem points through email verification or one-time codes.

  • Member: Customers who have activated their loyalty membership and have full access to all program features, including account dashboards and advanced features.

  • Excluded: Customers who have been excluded from the loyalty program (typically through the "Rivo Excluded" tag or manual exclusion).

How Customers Transition Between Status Types

Customer loyalty status changes automatically based on their account activity and your program settings:

  • Guest to Member: When customers create an account or when you enable "All Program Participants" in your settings, guests automatically become members.

  • Member to Guest: If a customer's account becomes disabled or if program participation settings change.

  • Any Status to Excluded: When customers are manually excluded or tagged with exclusion tags.


Points and Credits Management

Your loyalty program offers flexible balance management with both points and credits systems to meet different business needs.

Understanding Points vs Credits

  • Points: Whole number rewards (e.g., 100 points) typically used for traditional loyalty programs.

  • Credits: Decimal-based rewards (e.g., $5.50 in store credit) that can represent monetary value.

How Customers Earn Points and Credits

Customers can earn rewards through various activities you configure:

  • Purchase-based earning: Points or credits for placing orders, with customizable multipliers

  • Social actions: Following on Instagram, liking Facebook pages, sharing on Twitter, TikTok follows

  • Account activities: Signing up for the loyalty program, birthday rewards, account anniversaries

  • Custom actions: Visiting specific URLs, uploading receipts, completing surveys

  • Referral rewards: Earning when friends make purchases through referral links

  • Review rewards: Points for leaving product reviews (integrates with review platforms)

  • Email and SMS subscriptions: Rewards for joining marketing lists

Balance Tracking and Management

Customer balances are automatically tracked and updated in real-time:

  • Current balance: Shows available points or credits for redemption

  • Earning history: Complete log of all points earned and spent

  • Expiration tracking: Automatic management of point expiration based on your settings

  • Balance synchronization: Ensures accuracy across all customer touchpoints

Points Expiration Management

Configure point expiration to encourage regular engagement:

  • Expiration timeframe: Set how long points remain valid (default 12 months)

  • Excluded sources: Certain earning types (like birthday points) can be exempt from expiration

  • Warning notifications: Automatic emails to customers before points expire

  • Balance vs expiration window: Choose between different expiration calculation methods


VIP Tier System

The VIP tier system creates progressive rewards that encourage increased customer engagement and spending.

How VIP Tiers Work

VIP tiers are progressive levels that customers achieve based on their activity:

  • Threshold-based progression: Customers advance based on total spending or points earned

  • Tier benefits: Each tier offers exclusive perks, multipliers, and rewards

  • Automatic advancement: Customers are automatically moved to higher tiers when they meet requirements

  • Tier maintenance: Configure whether tiers are lifetime achievements or require ongoing activity

VIP Tier Benefits

Each tier can offer unique advantages:

  • Points multipliers: Higher earning rates for tier members

  • Exclusive rewards: Special redemption options only available to tier members

  • Early access: Priority access to sales, products, or events

  • Custom perks: Flexible benefits tailored to your brand

Tier Progression Tracking

Customers can easily track their tier progress:

  • Current tier status: Display of current tier and benefits

  • Next tier requirements: Clear indication of what's needed to advance

  • Progress visualization: Visual progress bars and achievement tracking

  • Tier history: Record of all tier changes and achievements


Account Activation and Engagement

Account activation is a crucial step that unlocks full loyalty program participation for your customers.

Account Activation Process

Customers can activate their accounts through several methods:

  • Email verification: One-click activation through email links

  • Account creation: Setting up a customer account during checkout or registration

  • First purchase: Automatic activation when customers make their first order

  • Social login: Activation through Google or Apple sign-in options

Activation Rewards

Encourage activation with immediate rewards:

  • Welcome bonuses: Points or credits awarded upon account activation

  • First purchase bonuses: Additional rewards for the first order after activation

  • Progressive rewards: Increasing benefits for continued engagement


Account Dashboard and Customer Experience

The customer account dashboard is the central hub where customers manage their loyalty program participation.

Dashboard Features

Customers can access comprehensive account management tools:

  • Balance overview: Current points, credits, and tier status

  • Earning opportunities: Available ways to earn more rewards

  • Redemption options: Browse and redeem available rewards

  • Activity history: Complete transaction and earning history

  • Referral management: Share referral links and track referral rewards

  • Profile settings: Update personal information and preferences

Widget Integration Options

Flexible integration options for different customer touchpoints:

  • Floating widget: Persistent loyalty access on all pages

  • Account page integration: Embedded loyalty section in customer accounts

  • Checkout integration: Loyalty options during the purchase process

  • Custom placement: Flexible widget positioning throughout your store

Mobile Wallet Integration

Seamless mobile experience with digital wallet passes:

  • Apple Wallet passes: iOS loyalty cards with real-time balance updates

  • Google Wallet passes: Android loyalty cards with push notifications

  • Automatic updates: Balance and tier changes reflected instantly


Switching to customer accounts

The customer accounts offer several advantages over legacy accounts:

  • Faster checkout with secure magic links instead of passwords

  • Higher conversion rates with simplified login process

  • Enhanced security with one-time verification codes

  • Improved customer experience with seamless account access

To manage a Loyalty program compatible with customer accounts, it's essential to understand how Rivo integrates within Shopify’s current structure.

📝 Note: If you switch from legacy accounts to customer accounts, all your customers will be guests unless they had previously enabled a legacy account. In that case, the customers will remain as members.

  • A new customer profile created from the new login page (email + one-time verification code) will have the loyalty status Guest

  • A customer who never enabled a legacy account and logs in through the new login page will keep the Loyalty status Guest

  • A customer who enabled a legacy customer account will now use the new login page to access their account but will keep their loyalty status Member.

Changing your loyalty program participants for customer accounts

By default, Rivo sets program participants to members only, applicable solely to stores using the legacy accounts. To enable customer accounts to join the loyalty program, please follow the steps below.

  1. Go to Settings > General

  2. Under Program Participants, switch from Members to All customers

  3. Check the option Customers are eligible for all loyalty programs (VIP Tiers and Emails)

    Program Participants settings
  4. Click Save.


Feature comparison: Loyalty program capabilities by account type

Feature

Legacy accounts

Customer accounts

Loyalty status

A customer who signs up from the /account/register page is a Member. A customer who hasn't enabled an account yet is a Guest

All new customers are flagged as Guest

Earn points through:

  • Sign up

Only members

No

Earn points through:

  • Share and like on social media

  • Celebrate a birthday

  • Complete a referral

  • Visit a URL

Only members

Yes

Earn points through:

  • Place an order

  • Post a product review

  • Custom Actions

  • Rivo Actions set up in Shopify Flow

Only members unless you change the program participants to 'All customers'

Yes

Redeem points

Only members

Yes

Refer friends

(Legacy version)

Only members

Yes

Refer friends

(Referral campaigns)

Both members and guests regardless of your program participants

Yes

Join the VIP program

Only members unless you change the program participants to 'All customers'

Yes

Receive Rivo email notifications

Only members unless you change the program participants to 'All customers'

Yes

Access Loyalty data through the Dedicated Page and Floating Widget

Only members

Yes

Access Loyalty data through the /account page

Only members

Yes

📝 Important Note: Make sure to enable the settings for supporting new customer accounts in your Loyalty program.


Program Participation Settings

Configure who can participate in your loyalty program to maximize engagement while maintaining program integrity.

Participation Options

  • Members Only: Traditional approach where only activated members can participate

  • All Program Participants: Modern approach allowing all customers to participate regardless of account status

  • Custom Exclusions: Exclude specific customers or groups using tags or manual selection

Managing Customer Exclusions

Control program access when needed:

  • Tag-based exclusion: Use the "Rivo Excluded" tag to remove customers from the program

  • Manual exclusion: Individual customer exclusion through the admin interface

  • Bulk management: Exclude multiple customers simultaneously

  • Re-inclusion process: Easy restoration of excluded customers when appropriate


Integration and Marketing Features

Enhance your loyalty program with powerful integrations and marketing automation.

Email Marketing Integration

Seamlessly connect with popular email platforms:

  • Klaviyo integration: Sync customer data and trigger automated campaigns

  • Mailchimp integration: Segment customers based on loyalty status and activity

  • Postscript SMS: Send loyalty updates and promotions via text

  • Custom integrations: API access for other marketing platforms

Referral Program Management

Leverage customer networks for organic growth:

  • Referral link generation: Unique links for each customer

  • Reward structure: Configure rewards for both referrer and referee

  • Tracking and attribution: Monitor referral performance and success rates

  • Social sharing: Easy sharing across social media platforms

Analytics and Reporting

Gain insights into program performance:

  • Customer segmentation: Analyze behavior by loyalty status and tier

  • Engagement metrics: Track earning, redemption, and activation rates

  • Revenue attribution: Measure loyalty program impact on sales

  • Trend analysis: Identify patterns and optimization opportunities


Best practices for managing customer accounts in your loyalty program

Optimize Customer Onboarding

  • Enable "All Program Participants" to reduce friction and increase participation

  • Offer immediate welcome rewards to encourage account activation

  • Use clear, compelling messaging about program benefits

  • Implement progressive disclosure to avoid overwhelming new customers

Maximize Engagement

  • Regularly review and update earning opportunities to maintain interest

  • Use tier systems to create aspirational goals for customers

  • Implement point expiration strategically to encourage regular activity

  • Personalize communications based on customer behavior and preferences

Maintain Program Health

  • Monitor redemption rates to ensure rewards remain attractive

  • Regularly audit customer exclusions and re-evaluate as needed

  • Track key metrics like activation rates and customer lifetime value

  • Gather customer feedback to continuously improve the program experience

Configure your loyalty widgets for optimal engagement

The on-site loyalty experience is crucial for customer engagement. Rivo offers multiple widget options to help your customers interact with the loyalty program:

  • Floating Widget: A widget that appears in the corner of your store, giving customers quick access to their loyalty program information

  • Account Embed Widget: Integrates loyalty program information directly into customer account pages

  • Account Widget: Provides a comprehensive customer account experience with loyalty features

Pro tip: When using customer accounts, enable the Account Embed Widget to seamlessly integrate loyalty information into Shopify's account pages.

Technical Considerations

  • Ensure loyalty widgets are properly integrated across all customer touchpoints

  • Test account creation and activation flows regularly

  • Monitor integration health with email marketing and other platforms

  • Keep customer data synchronized across all systems

Communicate account changes to your customers

If you're switching from legacy accounts to customer accounts, it's important to communicate this change to your customers:

  • Send an email explaining the benefits of the new account system and how it affects their loyalty program participation

  • Add a banner to your store announcing the change

  • Update your FAQ page with information about the new login process

  • Consider offering bonus points for customers who log in using the new system


Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell which customers are using legacy accounts versus customer accounts?

In your Shopify admin, customer accounts don't explicitly show which system they're using. However, within Rivo, customers who were created or have only logged in using the new system will have the "Guest" loyalty status, while those who activated through the legacy system will show as "Member" status.

What happens when I switch from "Members Only" to "All Program Participants"?

When you enable "All Program Participants," existing guest customers automatically become eligible for all loyalty program features. They can earn and redeem points without needing to complete a separate activation process. This typically increases program participation significantly.

How do customers access their loyalty account without a password?

Customers can access their loyalty information through email verification links, one-time codes sent to their email, or through Shopify's customer account system if they have one. The loyalty widget also provides access to account information when customers are logged into their Shopify account.

Can customers lose their VIP tier status?

This depends on your VIP tier configuration. You can set tiers to be lifetime achievements or require ongoing activity to maintain status. Rolling year and calendar year options allow tiers to reset based on recent activity, while lifetime tiers are permanent once achieved.

What happens to points when a customer is excluded from the program?

When customers are excluded, they retain their existing point balance but cannot earn new points or redeem rewards. If they are re-included in the program later, their previous balance and history are restored.

How can customers track their referral rewards?

Customers can view their referral activity, including successful referrals and earned rewards, through their loyalty account dashboard. They can also generate and share new referral links directly from their account.

I use the customer accounts (new account experience), can my customers become members?

No. Internally, Shopify does not differentiate a customer account that logged in with a one-time verification code from an account that has never logged in. For now, all customers will remain as guests, unless they had previously enabled a legacy account.

Is there a workaround to have guests activate as members?

If a customer logs in / activates their account using a feature such as Rivo Accounts, it would convert them to a member. This is possible due to the use of Shopify Multipass.

My store is on the legacy account but I want guests to earn points, what can I do?

Please update your program participants to 'All customers' to make your guests earn points. If you want them to also be eligible for joining a VIP tier and receiving emails, please check the additional option.

I'm using the customer accounts, how can I add Loyalty data to the new /account page?

Go to your checkout editor, click on the 'Apps' section, and add the 'Loyalty Status' extension to your profile and/or orders page. You will be able to display your the customer's points balance and VIP tier.

I switched to the customer accounts, what will happen with the 'Sign Up' and 'Sign In' buttons on my onsite displays?

If you change to the customer accounts, both links will redirect customers to the new login page (email + one-time verification code).

How do I encourage customers to engage with the loyalty program when using customer accounts?

Since all customers using the new system start as guests, consider highlighting the loyalty program in your store with prominent widgets, email campaigns about available points, and special promotions. Making the program visible encourages participation even without the traditional account activation.

Will my existing loyalty program automations and flows still work with customer accounts?

Yes, all your loyalty program automations, including point accrual for purchases, birthday bonuses, and referral rewards, will continue to function with customer accounts. Just make sure you've enabled the "All customers" setting for program participants.

How often do customer balances update?

Customer point and credit balances update in real-time when customers earn or spend rewards. The system automatically synchronizes balances across all touchpoints to ensure accuracy.

What earning opportunities work best for customer engagement?

The most effective earning opportunities typically include purchase-based rewards, social media actions, referral programs, and birthday bonuses. Custom actions like visiting specific URLs or uploading receipts can also drive targeted engagement based on your business goals.

How can I tell which customers are using legacy accounts versus customer accounts?

In your Shopify admin, customer accounts don't explicitly show which system they're using. However, within Rivo, customers who were created or have only logged in using the new system will have the "Guest" loyalty status, while those who activated through the legacy system will show as "Member" status.

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