Subscription Rewards

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Overview

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Reward Types

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Percentage Off

• Example: 15% off from order 3 onwards
• Use case: Gradual discount tiers to reward loyal customers

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Amount Off

• Example: $5 off after 5 orders
• Use case: Simple dollar-value rewards

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Fixed Price

• Example: Order bills at $20 after 10 cycles
• Use case: VIP pricing tiers for long-term subscribers

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Free Gift

• Example: Free sample product after 3 orders
• Use case: Product upsells and customer appreciation gifts
• Note: Requires the Shopify product variant ID

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Free Shipping

• Example: Free shipping after 5 orders
• Use case: Reduce friction for loyal customers

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Configuring Rewards

1. Navigate to Subscription Plans in your Shopify admin
2. Create a new plan or edit an existing one
3. Scroll to the Reward section
4. Toggle Enable Reward on
5. Select your Reward Type
6. Enter After Cycle(s) - the number of billing cycles before the reward applies
7. For percentage, amount, or fixed price rewards, enter the value
8. For free gift rewards, enter the Product Variant ID
9. Save your plan

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How Rewards Work

• Rewards apply based on successful billing cycles
• The reward becomes active starting from the specified cycle number
• For example, if set to “After 3 cycles”, the reward applies on the 4th, 5th, 6th orders, etc.
• Customers see their reward status in the customer portal
• Failed billing attempts don’t count toward the cycle total

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Customer Portal Display

• Current billing cycle number
• Rewards available on their plan
• Number of orders remaining until reward eligibility
• Reward message when eligible

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Email Template Placeholders

• {{reward_message}} - Human-readable message about the reward status
• {{reward_eligible}} - “yes” or “no” indicating if next order qualifies
• {{reward_cycles_remaining}} - Number of orders until reward eligibility
• {{current_cycle}} - Customer’s current billing cycle number

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Example Email Template

<p>Hi {{customer_first_name}},</p>

<p>Your next order is scheduled for {{next_billing_date}}.</p>

<p>You're on cycle {{current_cycle}} of your subscription!</p>

{{#if reward_eligible}}
  <p><strong>Great news!</strong> {{reward_message}}</p>
{{else}}
  {{#if reward_cycles_remaining}}
    <p>Just {{reward_cycles_remaining}} more order(s) until you unlock: {{reward_message}}</p>
  {{/if}}
{{/if}}

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Best Practices

1. Set Realistic Thresholds: Don’t make customers wait too long for rewards
2. Communicate Clearly: Make sure customers know about rewards when they sign up
3. Track Performance: Monitor which rewards drive the most retention
4. Test Different Rewards: Try various reward types to see what resonates
5. Consider Your Margins: Ensure rewards are sustainable for your business

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API Integration

{
  "rewards": {
    "gid://shopify/SubscriptionContract/123": {
      "currentCycle": 3,
      "hasReward": true,
      "rewardType": "percentage_off",
      "rewardAfterCycle": 3,
      "cyclesUntilReward": 0,
      "isEligible": true,
      "rewardMessage": "15% discount applied (cycle 4 reward)"
    }
  }
}

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Troubleshooting

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Reward Not Applying

• Check cycle count: Verify the customer has reached the required number of cycles
• Review billing history: Ensure all billing attempts were successful
• Confirm plan configuration: Double-check the reward is enabled and configured correctly

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Customer Can’t See Reward Status

• Portal access: Ensure customer has access to the subscription portal
• Plan configuration: Verify the reward is enabled on their specific plan
• Cache: Try refreshing the portal page

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Technical Notes

• Rewards are tracked automatically based on successful billing attempts
• Cycle counting starts from the first successful billing
• The reward system logs all eligibility checks for audit purposes
• Reward data is cached for performance and updated on each billing cycle