Setting up loyalty points

In points mode you set how many points a customer earns per pound spent, then build a menu of rewards each with a points cost. Open Loyalty in the sidebar.

Setting the earn rate

One point per pound is the usual starting place because the maths is obvious to everyone. Points are earned on whole pounds spent, so a £40 visit at one point per pound earns 40 points.

Working out what a point is worth

Decide the giveaway first, then set the price. If you want roughly a fiver back on every hundred pounds spent, and a pound earns a point, then a reward worth £5 should cost about 100 points. Set the rate and the reward prices together or the scheme drifts.

Turning it on

A programme has to be active before anything is earned. Points are not awarded retrospectively, so switch it on before you start telling customers about it.

Keeping it worth having

A scheme nobody can reach is worse than no scheme at all. Make the first reward achievable within three or four normal visits or people stop looking.

Common questions

Are points earned on the full amount including VAT?

Points are calculated from the spend recorded against the visit. Set your earn rate with that in mind.

Do points apply to gift card purchases?

Rewarding someone for buying a gift card and again for spending it means paying twice for the same money. Decide which you want and keep it consistent.

Can I give a customer points by hand?

Yes. Adjusting a balance is useful for putting right a bad visit or crediting a long-standing regular when you first launch.