What is a loyalty point bucket?

A loyalty point bucket is a distinct point pool within a single loyalty program. Each bucket operates independently: it has its own name, its own earning rules, and its own redemption logic. A customer can hold balances in multiple buckets simultaneously, and those balances don't bleed into each other unless you explicitly allow it.

The simplest way to think about it: if a traditional loyalty program is a bank account, buckets turn it into a wallet with multiple pockets. Dollars in one pocket don't automatically become euros in another.

Why would you need more than one point type?

A single point balance works fine when every transaction earns and burns the same currency. It stops working the moment you want to:

• ‍Separate earning sources by value: points from a $500 purchase and points from filling out a survey aren't worth the same to your business. Buckets let you track and value them differently.
• ‍Run multiple reward mechanics in parallel: a program might offer cashback points and status miles and bonus credits from a partner promotion. Without buckets, these all collapse into one big number.
• ‍Create partner or co-branded currencies: if your loyalty program spans multiple brands or partners, each can have its own bucket. Customers see a unified program, but the economics stay separated behind the scenes.‍
• Control what can be spent where: promotional bonus points might only be redeemable on specific categories. Points from returns might have restrictions. Buckets give you per-currency spending rules.

How loyalty point buckets work in Voucherify?

In Voucherify, buckets are a native part of the loyalty engine. You don't need to create multiple loyalty programs and stitch them together. Instead, you define multiple loyalty point types within a single program, and each one behaves like its own currency.

When configuring a loyalty program, you define one or more point buckets. Each bucket gets its own name, its own earning rules, and its own expiration settings. You don't have to worry about visibility as the API returns per-bucket balances, so your frontend can display exactly what each customer holds in each currency.

Popualr use cases for loyalty point buckets

• ‍Retail with promo bonus events: run a "double points weekend" where the bonus points go into a separate bucket with a 30-day expiry. Core points remain untouched and don't inherit the short expiration window.‍
• Multi-brand programs: a parent company with multiple retail brands can issue brand-specific points into separate buckets. Customers see one program, but each brand tracks its own liability.‍
• Gamification layers: separate "spendable points" from "status points." Customers earn both from the same transaction, but status points drive tier progression while spendable points drive redemptions.

Best practices for building point buckets

• ‍Name buckets for the customer, not for your database: "Bonus Credits" is clear. "bucket_promo_q4_2026" is not. Bucket names often surface in the wallet UI, so make them human.‍
• Don't create a bucket for every campaign: buckets are structural, they represent fundamentally different point types. If you need campaign-level tracking within a single currency, use metadata, not a new bucket.‍
• Set clear conversion rules if buckets can interact: if customers can combine "Referral Credits" and "Purchase Points" for a single redemption, define the ratio and priority upfront. Ambiguity here creates support tickets.‍
• Plan for financial reporting from day one: each bucket carries its own liability. Finance will want to see per-bucket accrual, activation, redemption, and breakage. Make sure your reporting pipeline can handle the granularity.‍
• Communicate the wallet clearly: multiple balances can confuse customers if the UI doesn't explain them well. Show each bucket with its name, balance, and any expiration dates.