How to Set Up Different Ways to Earn Points on Shopify

Quick Answer

Shopify loyalty program can reward customers for more than just purchases. Keystone lets merchants set up earning rules for purchases, account signups, referrals, and other custom actions. The setup involves deciding which actions matter most to your business and assigning a point value to each one. Offering several ways to earn points keeps the program engaging for customers who are not ready to buy again yet.

Introduction

This guide is for merchants who want a loyalty program that rewards more than the checkout moment. A program built only around purchases misses chances to reward signups, referrals, and other valuable actions.

You will learn how to identify the actions worth rewarding, assign point values to each one, and set up earning rules inside your Shopify loyalty program. The goal is a points system that reflects the full customer relationship, not just orders. This matters most for stores where customers browse, follow, and engage well before they place their first order.

What Is a Multi-Action Earning Structure?

A multi-action earning structure lets customers earn loyalty points for several types of behavior, not only purchases. Common actions include creating an account, referring a friend, following on social media, and leaving a product review. Each action is assigned its own point value based on how much it matters to the business.

Who Needs Multiple Earning Methods?

Offering several ways to earn points is useful for stores that want to build engagement before, during, and between purchases.

• DTC brands building an early relationship with new visitors
• Subscription businesses with longer gaps between purchases
• Beauty and cosmetics brands relying on reviews and referrals
• Fashion and apparel stores with active social media audiences
• Stores looking to grow their customer account signups

Why Multiple Earning Methods Matters for Your Business

Rewarding more than purchases gives customers additional reasons to engage with your store between orders and while they are still deciding whether to buy.

• Gives new visitors a reason to create an account before their first purchase
• Rewards referrals, which brings in new customers at a lower cost
• Keeps customers engaged with your brand between purchase cycles
• Builds a larger base of loyalty program members over time
• Recognizes actions like reviews that support future sales

How to Set Up Different Ways to Earn Points on Shopify

Step 1: Define Your Loyalty Goal

Decide which customer actions matter most to your business right now. Signups may matter more for a new store, while referrals may matter more for an established one. Pick two or three actions to start with rather than rewarding everything at once. Write down the value each action brings before assigning any points, so the structure reflects real business priorities.

Step 2: Install and Configure Keystone Loyalty Rewards

Install Keystone Loyalty Rewards app from the Shopify App Store and open the earning rules section. Keystone supports earning rules for purchases, signups, and referrals, so you can enable the actions relevant to your store.

Step 3: Create Earning Rules and Rewards

Assign a point value to each action. Purchase points are often tied to order value, while signup and referral points are usually a fixed amount. Keep the values proportional so no single action feels disconnected from the effort it takes. A referral that brings in a new customer should typically earn more points than a simple account signup.

Step 4: Add the Loyalty Experience to Your Store

Show customers the ways they can earn points on product pages, in customer accounts, and at checkout. A clear list of earning actions helps customers understand there is more than one way to build their point balance. Consider highlighting the easiest earning action first to get new customers started right away.

Step 5: Test the Program

Test each earning rule separately. Create a test account, place a test order, and simulate a referral to confirm points are awarded correctly for each action before the program goes live to customers. Checking each rule on its own makes it easier to spot a misconfigured point value before customers notice.

Step 6: Go Live

Before launch, review the point values across all earning actions to make sure they feel balanced. Confirm customer messaging explains each way to earn points clearly, and check that referral links work as expected. Test the mobile experience too, since many customers will check their earning options from a phone.

Multiple Earning Methods Examples

Industry: Beauty brand
Problem: Customers only earned points on purchases, so first-time visitors had no reason to create an account.
Setup: The brand added signup points and referral points alongside purchase points.
Result: More visitors created accounts before their first order, giving the brand a way to reach them again.

Industry: Subscription business
Problem: Customers between subscription renewals had no reason to interact with the loyalty program.
Setup: The business added points for referrals and social follows to keep customers engaged between renewal dates.
Result: Customers stayed connected to the brand and referred friends even when not actively purchasing.

Read more case studies for our apps to see how other merchants structure their earning rules.

Best Practices

A few practices help a multi-action earning structure stay simple, effective, and easy for customers to follow.

• Start with two or three earning actions rather than rewarding everything at once
• Keep point values proportional to the effort each action takes
• Make referral rewards easy to share and track
• Display all the ways to earn points in one visible location
• Review which earning actions customers actually use and adjust over time
• Avoid adding new earning rules faster than customers can keep track of them

Summary

Rewarding more than purchases gives customers several ways to build their point balance and stay engaged with your store. The setup involves choosing relevant actions, assigning point values, and testing each earning rule before launch. Starting small and expanding the earning actions over time keeps the program manageable for both you and your customers.

If you want a loyalty program that rewards the full customer relationship, the app supports earning rules for purchases, signups, and referrals in one place.