Looking for a simple way to turn first time buyers into loyal, repeat customers? The RewardsWP Points Program helps you do exactly that by rewarding customers for engaging with your store.
With points earned for purchases, account creation, reviews, and more, customers are encouraged to return, interact, and redeem rewards they genuinely care about. Everything runs automatically in the background, so once your program is set up, RewardsWP takes care of the rest.
This guide gives you a high level understanding of how the Points Program works and what you can achieve with it.
What is the Points Program?
The RewardsWP Points Program is a built in loyalty system that rewards customers with points for actions they take on your website. As customers shop, sign up, and engage with your store, they earn points that accumulate in their account and can later be redeemed for rewards such as discounts or free shipping.
Unlike complex loyalty systems that require ongoing manual work, RewardsWP handles everything automatically. Points are awarded, tracked, redeemed, and expired behind the scenes. Once the program is enabled, it runs continuously without additional effort, allowing you to focus on running your business while your loyalty program works in the background.
At its core, the Points Program is designed to make customers feel valued and give them a reason to return.
How points work
All points in RewardsWP use a fixed value. This keeps the loyalty system simple, predictable, and transparent for both you and your customers. Rather than adjusting the value of a point, you control how generous your program feels by adjusting how quickly customers earn points through purchases and other actions.
| Points | Dollar Value |
| 1 point | $0.01 |
| 100 points | $1.00 |
| 500 points | $5.00 |
| 1,000 points | $10.00 |
This consistent 100 points per $1 ratio ensures customers always understand what their points are worth. There are no fluctuating values or hidden conversions.
Example
If customers earn 5 points per $1 spent, they’re effectively earning 5% back in rewards.
If they earn 10 points per $1 spent, they’re earning 10% back.
By keeping point value fixed and adjusting earning rates instead, you can fine-tune your loyalty program without confusing customers or creating unpredictable reward economics.
Why use a points based loyalty program?
A well designed points program creates a positive feedback loop between your store and your customers. Each interaction feels rewarding, and each reward encourages the next purchase.
With the RewardsWP Points Program, you can:
- Encourage repeat purchases by giving customers something to work toward
- Increase customer lifetime value through ongoing engagement
- Reduce cart abandonment by offering redeemable incentives
- Build stronger brand loyalty by rewarding meaningful actions
- Differentiate your store from competitors with a built in rewards experience
Customers clearly see their points balance and available rewards, which keeps your brand top of mind long after checkout.
How the points lifecycle works
Every point earned in RewardsWP follows a simple and predictable lifecycle, from the moment it is awarded to the moment it is redeemed or expires.
Earning points
Customers earn points by completing actions that you choose to reward. Common earning actions include:
- Making purchases, with points awarded based on order value
- Creating an account, often paired with a one time signup bonus
- Writing product reviews to encourage engagement and social proof
- Completing a first order bonus for new customers
Each action contributes points to the customer’s balance automatically.
Accumulating a points balance
As customers interact with your store, earned points are added to their balance. This balance is visible to customers through the Rewards Widget on your storefront, allowing them to track their progress and see how close they are to their next reward.
This visibility plays a key role in motivation. When customers can see their points grow, they are more likely to return and complete another purchase.
Redeeming rewards
Once customers have accumulated enough points, they can exchange them for rewards you’ve configured. These rewards may include:
- Fixed discounts such as $5 or $10 off
- Percentage discounts like 10 percent or 15 percent off
- Free shipping rewards for eligible orders (WooCommerce only)
Redemption is simple and immediate. Customers choose a reward, apply it, and continue shopping with a sense of accomplishment.
Point expiration
To encourage timely engagement, you can choose to have points expire after a defined period. When expiration is enabled, customers receive notification emails before their points expire, reminding them to return and redeem their rewards.
Expiration adds urgency while helping you control long term reward liability. Expired points are handled automatically, with no manual intervention required.
Key components of the Points Program
The Points Program is made up of several interconnected parts that work together to create a seamless loyalty experience.
Earning rules
Earning rules define how customers receive points. You control which actions award points, how many points each action provides, and whether an action is enabled or disabled.
These rules allow you to shape customer behavior by rewarding the actions that matter most to your business.
Redemption rewards
Redemption rewards define how customers can spend their points. You decide which reward types are available, how many points each reward costs, and any conditions such as expiration or minimum order requirements.
This flexibility allows you to design rewards that align with your margins and marketing goals.
Member balance
Each customer has an individual points balance that updates automatically. The balance is calculated as:
Current Balance = Total Earned − Total Spent − Total Expired
The balance updates automatically whenever points are earned, spent, or expired.
Points history
Every points related action is recorded in a detailed history log. This includes:
- Points earned from purchases or engagement
- Points spent during reward redemption
- Points expired due to time based rules
- Points revoked from refunds or adjustments
This transparency benefits both customers and store owners by clearly explaining every balance change.
Who can use points?
The Points Program is designed for registered users on your WordPress site. Customers with an account can earn and redeem points, view their balance, and track rewards. Guest checkouts do not earn points, which encourages account creation and repeat engagement.
Existing customers begin earning points immediately once the program is activated. New customers can be welcomed with a signup bonus, giving them an immediate incentive to create an account and start participating.
Getting started with the Points Program
Launching your Points Program follows a simple flow.
First, you decide how customers will earn points by enabling earning actions and assigning point values. Next, you define how points can be redeemed by creating rewards and setting point costs. You can then customize the branding of your points currency to match your store’s tone and style.
Once everything looks right, activating the program makes it immediately available to customers. From that moment on, points are earned, tracked, and redeemed automatically.
For full step-by-step setup instructions, see the official Enabling the Points Program guide.
That’s it! The RewardsWP Points Program is built to reward customer engagement while staying simple and predictable. Points are earned, tracked, and redeemed automatically, giving customers a clear reason to return and shop again.
With flexible earning rules and redemption options, you can shape a loyalty experience that fits your store and grows over time. Once enabled, the program runs quietly in the background, strengthening customer relationships with minimal ongoing effort.