Points are the loyalty program shoppers know best: in Salesforce's 2025 Connected Shoppers Report, 57% of shoppers belonged to a points-based program, ahead of cash back (32%) and tiered programs (24%). On Shopify, the app behind a points program decides how members earn, where they spend, when points expire and what the reports show.
Vendor facts come from each app's Shopify App Store listing, pricing page and help center, read on November 2, 2026.
TL;DR: Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands running a points program, because one balance earns and redeems in the rewards panel, Loyalty Hub in customer accounts, Shopify Plus checkout and Shopify POS, with earn rates by VIP tier, points expiry and benchmarks against similar stores from Growth. LoyaltyLion is strong when you want a choice of four expiry methods, Yotpo Loyalty fits brands on Yotpo Reviews, and Rivo fits brands that want store credit and cashback beside points. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
What to Look for in a Points Program App
We build loyalty software, so we judged each app on what a retention team runs after launch:
- Earning rules. Orders plus sign-ups, birthdays, reviews and social actions, with tier earn rates and earning limits.
- Redemption options. Discounts, free products and store credit, spent at checkout (Shopify Plus), at Shopify POS and in the customer account.
- Points expiry. Whole balance after inactivity, or each batch on its own date, with warning emails before points go.
- Controls on cost. Points delays matched to your return window, product exclusions and earning limits.
- Analytics. The redemption rate, ideally next to similar stores, and the plan each feature sits on.
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Best for | Points expiry from | Checkout redemption from | Shopify POS from | Built for Shopify | Technology Partner | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Shopify Plus brands running points across every channel | Growth, $199/mo | Growth (Shopify Plus) | Every plan | 4.9 | ||
| LoyaltyLion | A choice of four expiry methods | Classic, $199/mo | Classic and up (Shopify Plus) | Classic, one location | 4.7 | ||
| Yotpo Loyalty | Brands on Yotpo Reviews | Pro, $199/mo plus per-order fees | Pro (Shopify Plus) | Every plan | 4.7 | ||
| Rivo | Store credit and cashback beside points | Scale, from $49/mo | Plus, $499/mo | Essential, $15/mo | 4.7 | ||
| Joy | Many earning rules on a mid-priced plan | Essential, $29/mo | Ultimate, $499/mo | Advanced, $129/mo | 4.9 | ||
| BON | Unlimited orders at a flat price | Starter, $15/mo | Every plan (Shopify Plus) | Basic, $29/mo | 5.0 |
From each app's Shopify App Store listing and pricing page, November 2, 2026. Built for Shopify: the badge on the listing. Technology Partner: listed in Shopify's technology partner directory.
Earning, Redemption and Expiry Compared
| App | Ways to earn | Where members redeem | How points expire | Points analytics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Orders (per $1 or fixed), sign-up, birthday, social, reviews, link clicks, Shopify Flow; custom activities on Smile Plus | Rewards panel, Loyalty Hub in customer accounts, Shopify Plus checkout, Shopify POS | Whole balance after 3 days to 2 years without activity; two emails first | Redemption rate, points earned and redeemed; benchmarks against similar stores |
| LoyaltyLion | Purchases, reviews, referrals, social actions | Storefront, checkout, customer accounts, Shopify POS | Last purchase, last balance change, date earned or calendar date | Predictive analytics |
| Yotpo Loyalty | Purchases, birthday, social, reviews, SMS sign-up, goal spend, punch card | Rewards page, customer account page, checkout, Shopify POS | Date earned or last activity; emails 30, 14 and 7 days before | ROI and reward dashboards |
| Rivo | Orders, sign-up, social, referrals, reviews, SMS sign-up, receipt uploads | Widget, customer account portal, checkout, Shopify POS | Per batch, first in first out, or whole balance after inactivity | 20+ reports |
| Joy | Orders, sign-up, reviews, surveys, social including Instagram comments | Widget, cart drawer, customer account, checkout, Shopify POS | Whole balance or a fixed date; by earning date on Ultimate | Analytics from Essential |
| BON | Orders, account, profile, social, reviews, birthday; streaks on Growth | Widget, customer account pages, Shopify Plus checkout, Shopify POS | Expiry with emails 7 days and 1 day before | Performance analytics from Basic |
From each vendor's help center and pricing page, November 2026. A rule missing from a vendor's docs is not proof the app lacks it: ask the vendor.
The Six Points Apps, Reviewed
1. Smile: Best for Shopify Plus Brands Running Points Across Every Channel
Rating: 4.9 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner · SOC 2 Type II
Smile is the loyalty platform for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands: points, VIP tiers and referrals. Smile points come with 10+ ways to earn, from orders (per $1 or a fixed amount) to reviews and social follows; Shopify Flow can award points on conditions such as a fifth order.
Members spend points on discounts, free shipping, free products and Shopify store credit. They redeem in the rewards panel, in Loyalty Hub inside Shopify customer accounts, at Shopify Plus checkout and at Shopify POS, on one balance with online.
From Growth, Smile adds cost controls: earn rates by VIP tier, earning limits, a points delay of 1 to 90 days to match your return window, and expiry after 3 days to 2 years without activity, with two warning emails. Loyalty benchmarks compare your redemption and membership rates with similar stores.
At Burbank Sportscards, a Shopify Plus collectibles retailer, members redeem points at checkout and at the till, and the program runs a 70% redemption rate.
Best for: Shopify Plus brands that want one points balance online, at checkout and in stores.
Plans: points on every plan. Growth is $199 a month with 2,500 monthly orders and adds VIP tiers, Loyalty Hub, checkout redemption, points expiry and benchmarks; Smile Plus is $999 a month, billed annually, with 7,500; Smile Enterprise is custom, for retailers over $40M in annual revenue.
2. LoyaltyLion: Best for a Choice of Expiry Methods
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Points expiry starts on Classic with four methods: two expire the whole balance after inactivity, two run by date earned or on calendar dates you set (help center, November 2026). Checkout redemption for Shopify Plus stores is on Classic, Advanced and Plus; bonus points campaigns start on Advanced.
Where LoyaltyLion is strong: expiry on a fixed timeline as well as by inactivity, and predictive analytics on every plan.
Best for: brands that want points to lapse on a set date.
Plans: Classic runs from $199 a month for 500 orders to $549 for 4,000 on its pricing page (its listing quotes above 500) and covers one POS location; Advanced and Plus are by quote. See Smile vs LoyaltyLion.
3. Yotpo Loyalty: Best for Brands on Yotpo Reviews
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Yotpo's Pro plan adds birthday, social, review and SMS rules, points expiration and checkout redemption; Premium adds VIP tiers, product and collection rules, and free product rewards (pricing page, November 2026).
Where Yotpo is strong: goal spend and punch card rules, and reviews and loyalty from one vendor.
Best for: brands committed to Yotpo Reviews.
Plans: Pro is $199 a month for 500 orders, then $0.20 per order up to 1,000, falling to $0.10 and $0.05 at higher volume; Premium and Enterprise are by quote. See Smile vs Yotpo.
4. Rivo: Best for Store Credit and Cashback Beside Points
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Expiry, on Scale and Plus, defaults to 12 months (help center, September 2026); checkout extensions are on Plus.
Where Rivo is strong: store credit, cashback and paid membership beside points, and receipt uploads as a way to earn.
Best for: brands that want points, store credit and cashback from one vendor.
Plans: Essential is $15 a month for 500 orders, with Shopify POS; Scale starts at $49 for 400 orders, then $20 per 100, capped at $499, and adds expiry and VIP tiers; Plus is $499 for up to 2,500 orders. See Smile vs Rivo.
5. Joy: Best for Many Earning Rules on a Mid-Priced Plan
Rating: 4.9 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Joy rewards Instagram comments, story mentions and DMs, and its rule engine on Advanced sets bonuses for weekends, holidays or a minimum order value. Advanced also adds cart drawer redemption, a loyalty page in Shopify customer accounts and Shopify POS; checkout extensions come with Ultimate.
Where Joy is strong: social earning rules and a rule engine below its top plan.
Best for: brands that want many earning rules on a mid-priced plan.
Plans: Essential is $29 a month for 500 orders, then $15 per 100; Advanced is $129 for 2,000; its top plan, Ultimate, is $499 for 7,000. See Smile vs Joy.
6. BON: Best for Unlimited Orders at a Flat Price
Rating: 5.0 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
BON lists redemption at Shopify Plus checkout and points on customer account pages on every plan. Points expiry starts on Starter, Shopify POS on Basic, and points for purchase streaks and daily check-ins on Growth.
Where BON is strong: a 5.0 rating, checkout redemption on every plan, and unlimited monthly orders on its $129 Growth plan.
Best for: high-volume Shopify brands that want a flat monthly price.
Plans: Starter is $15 a month for 300 orders; Basic is $29 for 500; Growth is $129 with unlimited orders; Plus is by quote. See Smile vs BON.
How to Structure a Points Program
Two numbers set a points program's economics: the earn rate and what a point buys. Two large retail programs publish both:
| Program | Earn rate | Redemption value | Value back per $1 spent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty Rewards | 1 point per $1; 1.25 at Platinum, 1.5 at Diamond | 100 points = $3; 500 = $17.50; 1,000 = $50; 2,000 = $125 | 3% at 100 points, rising to 6.25% at 2,000 |
| Nordstrom, The Nordy Club | 1 point per $1; up to 3 with a Nordstrom card | 1,000 points = a $10 Note | 1%, up to 3% for cardholders |
From each program's page (Ulta Beauty Rewards FAQ, The Nordy Club), November 2, 2026; value back is our arithmetic.
Four rules follow from published research:
- Make the first reward reachable. 49.1% of consumers disappointed with a loyalty program said it takes too long to earn rewards, the top complaint (Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report, 2026). Ulta members can redeem from 100 points, one $100 spend.
- Make saving worth it. Ulta's points are worth more in bigger blocks, and its top tiers earn faster. See our guide to tiered loyalty programs.
- Expire points with care. 41.1% of disappointed consumers said rewards expire before they can use them; in programs that expire points, 12% of points earned expire (Antavo, 2026). Ulta's points expire at the end of the quarter a year after they are earned, except for Platinum and Diamond members.
- Know your breakage. In EY's 2025 Loyalty Market Study, the point breakage rate brands most often reported was 31% to 40%, and 38% of brands knew theirs. Our guide to loyalty program cost covers budgeting for redeemed rewards.
In Smile, each is a setting: earn rate, reward costs, tier earn rates and expiry.
How to Choose a Points Program App
| If you need | Look at |
|---|---|
| One points balance across the rewards panel, customer accounts, Shopify Plus checkout and Shopify POS | Smile |
| Tier earn rates, points delays, expiry and benchmarks against similar stores | Smile (Growth) |
| Custom earning activities and a migration run by the vendor's team | Smile (Smile Plus) |
| A choice of four expiry methods, including set calendar dates | LoyaltyLion |
| Reviews and loyalty from one vendor | Yotpo Loyalty |
| Store credit and cashback beside points | Rivo |
| Social earning rules and a rule engine on a mid-priced plan | Joy |
| Unlimited monthly orders at a flat price | BON |
Before you sign, run one test order: earn, redeem at checkout and in store, and check the balance. See launching a Shopify Plus loyalty program and the best loyalty apps for Shopify POS.
Where Smile Stands Out for Shopify Plus Brands
All six apps offer checkout redemption and Shopify POS on some plan (November 2026). Where Smile stands out:
- One balance wherever members shop. The rewards panel, Loyalty Hub in Shopify customer accounts (20+ languages), Shopify Plus checkout and Shopify POS, which is on every plan.
- Controls and reports. Tier earn rates, points delays, product exclusions and expiry from Growth, with benchmarks; 30+ reports and financial reports on Smile Plus. Bonus campaigns multiply order points for up to 31 days.
- Checked by Shopify, with a team for the switch. Built for Shopify, a Certified Technology Partner and SOC 2 Type II audited (May 2026). Smile Plus adds a migration and launch plan run by Smile's team (switch to Smile). See Smile for enterprise.
Customer proof: CARZILLA, a Shopify Plus retailer of detailing supplies on Smile Plus, uses points instead of permanent price cuts, plus bonus points on selected brands; redemption runs at 46%, and redeemers spend 169% more a year than non-redeemers. Fiesta Tableware emailed an offer to its top point earners that sold out surplus stock in 10 minutes; its loyalty members show a 457% increase in lifetime value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best points-based loyalty program app for Shopify? For Shopify Plus brands, Smile is our pick as of November 2026: points earn and redeem in the rewards panel, Loyalty Hub in customer accounts, Shopify Plus checkout and Shopify POS, with tier earn rates and expiry from Growth, and Smile is Built for Shopify and a Shopify Technology Partner. LoyaltyLion suits brands that want a choice of four expiry methods, and Yotpo Loyalty suits brands on Yotpo Reviews.
How do customers earn points on Shopify? Customers earn on orders, usually per dollar spent, and on actions such as creating an account, a birthday, a review or a social follow. On Smile, orders earn per $1 or a fixed amount, and Shopify Flow can award points for conditions such as a fifth order or a high-value product.
How many points per dollar should a points program give? Ulta Beauty Rewards and Nordstrom's Nordy Club both earn 1 point per $1 and set the value in redemption: Ulta turns 100 points into $3 and 2,000 into $125, and Nordstrom turns 1,000 points into a $10 Note (each program's page, November 2026). Pick a value back your margins carry, and keep the first reward close.
Should loyalty points expire? Expiry brings lapsing members back, but 41.1% of consumers disappointed with a program say rewards expire before they can use them (Antavo, 2026). Use a long window and warn members first. On Smile, points expire after 3 days to 2 years without activity, with two warning emails.
Can customers redeem loyalty points at Shopify checkout? On Shopify Plus, yes, through a checkout extension. As of November 2026, it comes with Smile Growth, LoyaltyLion Classic, Yotpo Pro, Rivo Plus and Joy Ultimate, and BON lists it on every plan. On Smile, logged-in members pick a reward or a number of points to spend.
How much does a points loyalty program app cost? As of November 2026, Smile Growth is $199 a month for 2,500 orders and Smile Plus is $999 a month, billed annually, for 7,500; LoyaltyLion Classic is $199 to $549; Yotpo Pro is $199 plus per-order fees; Joy is $29 to $499; Rivo is $15 to $499; BON is $15 to $129. Model Smile at your volume with the pricing calculator.
