WooCommerce loyalty programmes are typically powered by plugins like WooCommerce Points and Rewards, YITH WooCommerce Points and Rewards, or WPLoyalty. These plugins store customer points in WordPress database tables that are entirely separate from Shopify's data model — migrating points balances requires a dedicated export/import process. The Shopify loyalty app ecosystem (Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, Yotpo Loyalty, Rivo) is mature and feature-rich, but there is no automatic migration path. This guide covers the migration strategy and loyalty programme setup in Shopify.

Loyalty programme apps comparison

App	Pricing	Strengths	Best for
Smile.io	Free tier; from $49/mo (Starter)	Easiest setup, best brand customisation, excellent UI, widely used	Most stores — the most popular Shopify loyalty app
LoyaltyLion	Free tier; from $159/mo (Small)	Deep Klaviyo integration, advanced analytics, strong loyalty page customisation	Email-marketing-heavy brands, large stores
Yotpo Loyalty	Free tier; from $199/mo	Integrated with Yotpo Reviews — combined reviews + loyalty platform	Stores already using Yotpo Reviews
Rivo	Free tier; from $49/mo	Clean UI, good value, Klaviyo integration	Smaller stores, budget-conscious
Stamped Loyalty	From $23/mo	Integrated with Stamped Reviews	Stores already using Stamped Reviews

Migrating existing customer points

If your WooCommerce store had an active points programme with customer balances, these must be migrated to preserve customer goodwill:

Export from WooCommerce: Most WooCommerce loyalty plugins have a CSV export feature. Export all customer email addresses and their point balances. For WooCommerce Points and Rewards: use the built-in export or a database query against the wc_points_rewards_user_points table.
Map to Shopify customers: Match by email address. Customers who registered with the same email in Shopify (via account migration) will have matching records.
Import into loyalty app: Most loyalty apps (Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, Rivo) allow CSV import of customer points balances. Upload the matched file.
Communicate to customers: Send an email announcing the migration: "We've moved to Shopify — your [X] points have been transferred. Log in to see your balance."
Points conversion: If the point value or redemption rules change in the new system, communicate the conversion clearly. Example: "Your 500 WooCommerce points have been converted to 500 Smile points — worth £5 off your next order."

Points earning rules

Standard points earning events in Shopify loyalty apps:

Purchase: Points per pound/euro spent. Example: 5 points per £1. This is the core earning mechanic.
Account creation: Bonus points for creating an account. Example: 100 points for signing up. Drives account registration rates.
Birthday bonus: Points awarded on the customer's birthday. Drives return visits in birthday month.
Product review: Points for leaving a verified review. Integrates with review apps (Okendo, Yotpo, Stamped). Example: 50 points per review.
Social follow: Points for following on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. Drives social growth.
Referral: See referral programme section below.
Newsletter subscribe: Points for subscribing to email marketing. Integrates with Klaviyo subscription forms.
Social share: Points for sharing a product on social media. Harder to verify — use apps that integrate with social APIs.

Points redemption

Discount codes: Points redeemed for a discount code (most common). Example: 500 points = £5 off.
Free shipping: Points redeemed for a free shipping voucher. Effective for stores where shipping cost is a purchase barrier.
Free product: Points redeemed for a specific free product (useful for introducing new products). Smile.io and LoyaltyLion support this.
Checkout discount: Points applied directly at checkout without generating a code (Shopify Plus checkout extension). More seamless UX.
Minimum point threshold: set a minimum redemption threshold to prevent micro-redemptions. Example: minimum 100 points before redemption is available.
Maximum redemption per order: some stores cap points redemption at 20–30% of order value to maintain margin.

VIP tiers

VIP tiers reward the highest-spending customers with better earning rates and exclusive perks.
Typical tier structure:
- Bronze: All customers. 5 points per £1. Access to standard rewards.
- Silver: £200+ annual spend. 6 points per £1. Early access to sales.
- Gold: £500+ annual spend. 8 points per £1. Free shipping on all orders.
- Platinum: £1,000+ annual spend. 10 points per £1. Exclusive products, priority support.
Tier entry thresholds: can be based on total spend, number of orders, or points earned. Spend-based is simplest and most intuitive.
Tier expiry: consider whether tiers expire annually (customer must re-qualify each year) or are lifetime. Annual expiry maintains engagement; lifetime rewards long-term customers.
VIP tier badge: display tier badge in customer account and optionally on storefront when logged in.

Referral programme

Referral mechanics: customer shares a unique link. When the referred friend makes their first purchase, both the referrer and the new customer receive a reward.
Rewards: referrer gets points or a discount code; new customer gets a welcome discount on first order (e.g., 15% off).
Referral fraud prevention: most loyalty apps include duplicate detection (same IP, same device, same email domain).
Referral performance: track referral conversion rate (shared links to actual purchases) and cost per acquisition from referral. Most stores find referral is their cheapest acquisition channel once the programme is established.
Referral sharing: allow sharing via link, email, and social media copy buttons. Each channel should have pre-written copy ("I've been shopping at [Store] and thought you'd love it — use my referral link for 15% off your first order").

Loyalty and email marketing integration

Klaviyo integration: both Smile.io and LoyaltyLion have deep Klaviyo integrations. Loyalty events (points earned, tier upgrade, reward redeemed) can trigger Klaviyo flows.
Key flows to set up:
- "You just earned points" — triggered immediately after purchase. Shows new points balance and progress toward next reward.
- "Your points are expiring" — 30 days before points expire. Drives return visits.
- "You've reached [Tier] status" — tier upgrade notification. Celebrate the achievement.
- "You have enough points to redeem" — when balance crosses redemption threshold. Pulls the customer back to the store.
Points balance in emails: use Smile.io or LoyaltyLion personalisation tokens to insert current points balance into email subject lines and bodies. "You have 450 points — only 50 away from a £5 reward."

Loyalty migration checklist

Choose loyalty app: Smile.io (recommended for most), LoyaltyLion (email-heavy), Rivo (budget)
Export customer points balances from WooCommerce loyalty plugin
Match WooCommerce customers to Shopify customers by email
Import matched points balances into new loyalty app
Send customer communication about points migration
Configure points earning rules: purchases, account creation, reviews, referrals, newsletter
Configure points redemption: discount codes and/or free shipping
Set up VIP tiers if applicable
Configure referral programme
Connect loyalty app to Klaviyo
Build Klaviyo flows: points earned, points expiring, tier upgrade, redeemable balance notification
Add loyalty widget to storefront (account page, product pages, cart)
Test: purchase → points earned → balance updates in account → Klaviyo flow triggers
Test: referral link → new customer purchases → both receive reward

The points migration communication is the most underestimated step in a WooCommerce-to-Shopify loyalty transition. Customers who had accumulated significant point balances — your best customers, by definition — will notice if those balances disappear without explanation. A proactive email campaign ("Your loyalty points have moved with you") turns a potential negative (the disruption of a migration) into a positive brand touchpoint that reinforces that you value long-term customers. The stores that handle this well see higher re-engagement rates in the months after migration than the months before, because the migration communication is the most targeted outreach they have made to their best customers in years.

Shopify loyalty programme setup after WooCommerce (2026)