WooCommerce loyalty programs used plugins like SUMO Reward Points, WooCommerce Points and Rewards, or MyCred. These plugins stored points balances in WordPress user meta. After migrating to Shopify, your existing loyalty program needs to be rebuilt on a Shopify-compatible platform — and critically, existing customer points balances need to be migrated so customers don't lose their earned rewards. This guide covers the main Shopify loyalty apps and how to handle the migration.

Why loyalty programs matter post-migration

Repeat purchase rate: loyalty members typically purchase 2–3× more frequently than non-members
Migration risk: customers who had accumulated points may churn if points are lost or devalued during migration
Opportunity: migration is a natural moment to communicate program improvements ("we've moved to Shopify and upgraded our rewards program")
Email list: loyalty program members are among your most engaged email subscribers — valuable for migration communications

Shopify loyalty app comparison

App	Best for	Points	VIP tiers	Referrals	Price
Smile.io	Most stores (best UX)	Yes	Yes (paid)	Yes	Free–$999+/mo
Loyalty Lion	Mid-market, data-rich	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free–$399+/mo
Yotpo Loyalty	Brands using Yotpo ecosystem	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free–$199+/mo
Rivo (formerly Booster Apps)	Growing DTC brands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free–$149+/mo
Growave	All-in-one (loyalty + reviews + wishlist)	Yes	Yes	Yes	$49–$299/mo
BON Loyalty	Budget option, simple setup	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free–$149/mo

Smile.io deep dive (most popular)

Points program structure

Points for purchases: typically 1 point per £1 spent (configurable)
Points for actions: account creation, product reviews, social shares, birthday, referrals
Redemption: points converted to discount codes (e.g., 100 points = £1 off)
Minimum redemption: configurable minimum (e.g., minimum 200 points = £2 off)
Points expiry: optional — with or without expiry (expiry drives redemption activity)

VIP tiers (Smile.io Growth plan)

Tier entry: based on total spend over rolling 12 months or lifetime points earned
Example: Bronze (default) → Silver (spend £200/year) → Gold (spend £500/year)
Tier benefits: multiplier on points earning (Gold: 2× points), exclusive discounts, free shipping, early access
Tier badges: customer account and checkout show tier status

Referral program

Customer shares unique referral link
Referred friend gets: discount on first order (e.g., £10 off)
Referring customer gets: points or discount after friend's first purchase
Fraud prevention: referral must be a new customer (new email + shipping address)

Migrating points balances from WooCommerce

Exporting points from WooCommerce

WooCommerce Points and Rewards: export via WooCommerce → Reports → Points → Export CSV. Columns: customer_email, points_balance.
SUMO Reward Points: Admin → SUMO Reward Points → Users → Export. Or direct DB query: SELECT u.user_email, um.meta_value as points FROM wp_users u JOIN wp_usermeta um ON u.ID = um.user_id WHERE um.meta_key = 'sumo_reward_points'
MyCred: Admin → myCRED → Balances → Export. Or query wp_usermeta for the mycred_default key.

Importing points into Smile.io

Smile.io supports bulk points import via CSV: Admin → Points → Import Points
Required CSV columns: customer_email, points_amount, note
Note field: "Loyalty points migrated from previous platform" — shown in customer's points history
Alternative: use Smile.io API to programmatically credit points per customer email

Points conversion

WooCommerce and Shopify loyalty apps may have different point values (e.g., 100 WC points = £1, but Smile.io uses 1 point = £0.01)
Calculate conversion ratio and adjust imported points accordingly
Communicate to customers: "Your existing points have been converted to our new rewards system. Your 500 points are now 500 stars, worth £5.00 off your next order."

Loyalty strategy by store type

Store type	Repurchase rate	Loyalty focus	Key mechanic
Supplements / health	High (monthly refill)	Subscription + points multiplier	Subscribe & Save with tier bonus
Fashion / apparel	Medium (seasonal)	VIP tiers + early access	VIP early access to new drops
Beauty / cosmetics	High (replenishment)	Birthday rewards + referral	Birthday points boost + friend referral
Pet products	High (food/treats)	Subscription bonus + points	Extra points on subscription orders
Electronics	Low (infrequent)	Referral (high AOV)	High-value referral reward (£20+)
Food and drink	High (weekly/monthly)	Simple points, fast redemption	Low redemption threshold (200 points = £2)

WooCommerce loyalty plugin mapping

WooCommerce plugin	Shopify equivalent	Migration path
WooCommerce Points and Rewards	Smile.io Free	Export points CSV → Smile.io import
SUMO Reward Points	Loyalty Lion or Smile.io	DB export of wp_usermeta → loyalty app import
MyCred	Smile.io or Rivo	myCRED export → CSV import to loyalty app
WPLoyalty	BON Loyalty or Growave	Export customer balances → import CSV
Gratisfaction	Smile.io	Export → Smile.io API import

Loyalty program launch communication

Email to all loyalty members 1 week before migration: "We're moving to Shopify and upgrading our rewards"
Announce points balance transfer: show their current points balance and new equivalent
Launch bonus: award extra points (e.g., 200 bonus points) to all migrating members as goodwill gesture
Post-migration: trigger welcome email via loyalty app when customer first logs in to Shopify account
SMS: if you have customer mobile numbers, SMS notification has high open rate for loyalty news

Loyalty migration checklist

Export customer points balances from WooCommerce loyalty plugin before migration
Map WooCommerce points values to Shopify loyalty app currency
Select Shopify loyalty app matching your program complexity (Smile.io for most stores)
Configure points earning rules: purchase, account creation, reviews, referral, birthday
Configure VIP tiers if applicable: thresholds, multipliers, exclusive benefits
Configure referral program: friend discount, referrer reward
Import migrated points balances via CSV or API
Send migration announcement email to all loyalty members with points balance confirmation
Award bonus points to all migrating members as goodwill gesture
Test: place test order, verify points are earned and redeemable
Verify loyalty widget appears correctly on Shopify store (product pages, cart, account page)

The single most important loyalty migration action is communicating points balance transfer proactively to customers before the cutover. Customers who discover their points are gone after the migration feel genuinely cheated — even if it was unintentional. Customers who receive an email one week before migration saying "your 847 reward points (worth £8.47) have been transferred to our new rewards system" feel the opposite: they feel valued and are more likely to place their next order on the new Shopify store specifically to redeem those points. The migration communication IS the loyalty activation — use it.

Shopify customer loyalty programs after WooCommerce (2026)