What is a loyalty earning rule?

A loyalty earning rule, sometimes called a loyalty rule, reward action, point accrual rule, or earning mechanic, defines how members earn loyalty points based on specific customer actions or events. In modern loyalty platforms, earning rules serve as the logic layer that translates real-world behavior into points, progression, and status.

In Voucherify, earning rules are fully event-driven. You can reward members for:

• Entering a specific customer segment or membership tier (e.g., New Customer → 50 welcome points).
• Making an order (fixed points per order or proportional points based on spend).
• Performing custom events (e.g., app install, profile completion, booking a visit, writing a review).

Each earning rule can be supplemented with validation rules that apply eligibility logic, for example, only awarding points for full-price items, excluding certain categories, or limiting earn frequency.

How loyalty earning rules work?

Earning rules act as real-time triggers within the loyalty engine. When a customer event arrives (via API, SDK, webhooks, or integrations), Voucherify checks:

• Does this event match the earning rule definition?
• Is the customer eligible? (segment, metadata, tier, channel)
• Are all validation rules satisfied? (cart, value, limits, geography)
• How many points should be awarded? (fixed, proportional, or tier-modified)
• Should the event be recorded for progression or tiering?

Points are then issued instantly and added to the centralized loyalty wallet or kept in pending state.

How to build effective loyalty rules?

While Voucherify imposes no limit on how many earning rules you can create, the best loyalty programs follow clear principles:

• ‍Keep earning rules simple and understandable:  If members need a spreadsheet to understand how points work, the program will fail. Clarity always beats complexity.‍
• Make loyalty rules feel rewarding, not arbitrary: Reward behaviors that help both the customer and the business (e.g., repeat orders, app adoption, subscription renewal).‍
• Use segments and tiers to add smart gamification: Advanced loyalty programs use tier-based multipliers. This subtle mechanic dramatically boosts engagement without making rewards too confusing.‍
• Use validation rules to prevent abuse: points should only be awarded when the order meets minimum value, items are eligible, refund patterns don’t indicate fraud, and frequency limits are respected. This protects margins and ensures fairness.‍
• Iterate over time: Earning rules should evolve with your program. As member behavior changes, rule design must adapt.