Complete guide to RewardsWP points

Want to reward your customers for their purchases and engagement in a way that feels natural and valuable? The RewardsWP Points Program allows you to reward customers with points for their activity, which they can later redeem for meaningful rewards.

This guide explains how the Points Program works, how customers earn and redeem points, and how you can configure and manage the system to fit your store’s loyalty strategy.

Understanding the RewardsWP Points Program

At its core, the RewardsWP Points Program is a lifecycle driven system. Customers earn points when they take specific actions on your site, such as making purchases, creating accounts, or writing reviews. These points accumulate into a balance that customers can view throughout their journey. Over time, customers can redeem their points for rewards like discounts or free shipping.

Once configured, the system runs automatically in the background. Points are awarded, deducted, expired, and adjusted without manual intervention, allowing you to focus on your business while customers stay engaged through rewards.

How points work

All points in RewardsWP use a fixed value that keeps the system simple and predictable. Rather than adjusting point value, you control how generous your program feels by adjusting how quickly customers earn points.

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 keeps the system simple and transparent. Instead of changing point value, you control how generous your program is by adjusting how quickly points are earned.

Example:

• If customers earn 5 points per $1 spent, they effectively receive 5% back in rewards.
• If they earn 10 points per $1 spent, they receive 10% back.

Enabling the Points Program

Before customers can earn or redeem points, the Points Program must be enabled. The Points Program includes a single toggle that activates the entire points system across your site. To enable the Points Program:

1. Navigate to RewardsWP » Settings.
2. Click the Points tab.
3. Locate the Program Status section.
4. Toggle the switch to Active.
5. Click Save Changes.

When the program is active, customers begin earning points, their balances appear in the Rewards Widget, and redemption options become available. When the program is inactive, all points-related features are hidden, and no new points are awarded, though existing balances remain intact.

Points Branding

Points are part of your brand experience. RewardsWP allows you to customize the names used for your points currency so it aligns with your store’s tone and voice.

Customizing Currency Names

Go to RewardsWP » Settings » Points, then find the Points Branding section.

Here you can modify:

• Plural name — used when referring to more than one unit.
• Singular name — used for a single unit.

Popular naming options include:

Singular	Plural	Best For
Point	Points	Universal, professional (recommended default)
Star	Stars	Achievement-focused brands
Coin	Coins	Gamified, playful brands
Credit	Credits	Financial services, professional tone
Gem	Gems	Jewelry, beauty, luxury brands

Points Expiry

Points expiration allows you to control how long earned points remain valid. This helps encourage timely engagement while giving you control over long term rewards liability. You can select an expiration period ranging from never expiring to two years. By default, points expire after one year.

Available expiration options:

Period	Description	Best For
Never expire	Points remain valid indefinitely	Premium brands, infrequent purchase cycles
30 days	Points expire 1 month after being earned	Fast-moving consumer goods, promotional campaigns
3 months	Points expire quarterly	Moderate purchase frequency
6 months	Points expire semi-annually	Seasonal businesses
1 year	Points expire annually (default)	Most businesses (industry standard)
2 years	Points expire every 2 years	High-ticket items, B2B

How Expiration Works

Points expire on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis, meaning the oldest points expire first.

Example Timeline:

• Points earned January 1, 2025 → Expire January 1, 2026
• Points earned March 1, 2025 → Expire March 1, 2026
• Points earned June 1, 2025 → Expire June 1, 2026

When points expire:

• They are removed from the customer’s balance.
• A points entry is created with “expired” status.
• Email notifications can alert members before expiration.

Expiration reminders are sent 30 days, 7 days, and 1 day before points expire.

Earning Points

The Points Program provides multiple earning actions that allow customers to accumulate points through purchases and engagement. Each earning action can be enabled or disabled individually from the Earning Points section.

Customers can earn points through the following actions:

• Make a purchase.
• Create an account.
• Write a product review.
• First order bonus.

Each action contributes to the customer’s growing points balance.

Make a Purchase

Purchases are the foundation of most loyalty programs. Customers earn points based on their order total once an order is completed or payment is confirmed.

When editing this action, you can set:

• Points per dollar earned
• Enable/disable status

Points are awarded when the order is set to Completed (WooCommerce) or payment is confirmed (EDD). Order totals include product prices, shipping, and taxes by default, but exclude gift card redemptions and discounts.

Points per Dollar Setting:

This setting determines how many points customers earn for every $1 they spend. The number you enter directly determines your program’s generosity:

Points per $1	Reward Rate	Program Type
3 points	3% back	Conservative
5 points	5% back	Standard (recommended)
10 points	10% back	Generous

Example calculation:

If you set 5 points per $1 and a customer places a $100 order:

• Points earned: 100 × 5 = 500 points
• Value: $5.00

When points are awarded:

Points are credited when the order status changes to Completed (WooCommerce) or after payment confirmation (Easy Digital Downloads). Points are NOT awarded for:

• Pending orders
• Cancelled orders
• Refunded orders (points are deducted)

Create an Account

You can reward customers with a one time signup bonus when they create an account. Points are awarded immediately when a user successfully registers through WordPress registration, WooCommerce checkout, the My Account page, or any standard registration form. To configure:

1. Click Edit on the “Create an account” action
2. Set the Points amount (default: 100 points)
3. Toggle to Enabled
4. Click Save changes

Recommended bonus amounts:

Program Type	Signup Bonus	% of First Reward
3 pts/$1	50–100 points	10–20% of $5 reward
5 pts/$1	100–200 points	20–40% of $5 reward
10 pts/$1	200–300 points	20–30% of $10 reward

Write a Product Review

This action rewards customers for submitting product reviews that you approve. To configure:

1. Click Edit on the “Write a product review” action
2. Set the Points amount (default: 100 points)
3. Configure Verified Buyers Only toggle
4. Toggle to Enabled
5. Click Save

Verified Buyers Only Setting:

Setting	Behavior
Enabled (recommended)	Only customers who purchased the product can earn points for reviewing it
Disabled	Any registered customer can earn points for any review

How the review process works:

1. Customer purchases and receives a product
2. Customer writes a review on the product page
3. Review enters your WordPress moderation queue
4. You approve the review in Comments or WooCommerce admin
5. Points are automatically credited to the customer
6. Notification email is sent (if configured)

First Order Bonus

The first order bonus rewards customers with additional points after their first completed purchase. The bonus is automatically credited when a customer’s first order status becomes Completed or Processing (for payment gateways that use Processing for successful orders).

To configure:

1. Click Edit on the “First order bonus” action
2. Set the Points amount (default: 200 points)
3. Toggle to Enabled
4. Click Save

The bonus is automatically credited when a customer’s first order status becomes Completed or Processing (for payment gateways that use Processing for successful orders).

How it stacks with purchase points:

The first order bonus is added on top of regular purchase points:

Source	Example ($100 order, 5 pts/$1)
Purchase points	500 points
First order bonus	+200 points
Total earned	700 points

This creates an enhanced first-time experience—customers earn more than expected!

Strategic value:

• Rewards new customers generously for choosing you
• Creates a “wow moment” at checkout
• Accelerates path to first reward
• Encourages immediate second purchase
• Shows program value upfront

Recommended bonus amounts:

Program Type	First Order Bonus	Effect
3 pts/$1	150–200 points	Helps offset slower earn rate
5 pts/$1	200–250 points	~40–50% of $5 reward
10 pts/$1	250–300 points	Potentially enables immediate redemption

Ways to Redeem Points

Once customers earn points, the next step is deciding how they can spend them. The Ways to Redeem section defines how customers can convert points into rewards. RewardsWP offers three redemption types:

1. Fixed Amount Discount — $X off coupon
2. Percentage Discount — X% off coupon
3. Free Shipping — Free shipping coupon (WooCommerce only)

Default redemption rewards:

When RewardsWP is installed, three default rewards are created. You can edit or replace them at any time.

• 500 points → $5 off coupon
• 1,000 points → $10 off coupon
• 2,000 points → $20 off coupon

Fixed Amount Discount

Fixed amount rewards generate coupons for a specific dollar value. You define the number of points required and the discount amount. Following the standard 100 to 1 ratio keeps rewards predictable and fair.

To configure:

1. Click “Add ways to redeem” and select Fixed Amount Discount
2. Configure the following fields:
3. Click Save

Configuration fields:

Field	Description
Points Required	Points needed to redeem
Discount value	Dollar value of discount
Reward expiry	How long coupon remains valid

Recommended point-to-value ratios:

Following the standard 100:1 ratio:

• $5 off = 500 points
• $10 off = 1,000 points
• $20 off = 2,000 points
• $50 off = 5,000 points

Percentage Discount

Percentage discounts offer flexible value depending on cart size. While appealing for high value carts, they can become very generous on large orders, so they should be used thoughtfully.

To configure:

1. Click “Add ways to redeem” and select Percentage Discount
2. Configure the settings similar to fixed discounts
3. Set the Coupon Percentage (e.g., 10 for 10% off)
4. Click Save

Important consideration:

Percentage discounts have variable value depending on order size:

Cart Total	10% Discount Value	Effective Point Value
$50	$5	100:1
$100	$10	100:1
$200	$20	50:1 (generous!)
$500	$50	20:1 (very generous!)

When to use percentage vs. fixed:

Use Percentage For	Use Fixed For
Wide price range stores	Consistent pricing
Higher AOV ($100+)	Lower price points
Premium positioning	Predictable impact
VIP/high-tier rewards	Entry-level rewards

Free Shipping

Free shipping rewards eliminate shipping costs and are available for WooCommerce only. Free shipping is one of the most effective incentives in eCommerce and is often perceived as high value by customers, even when the actual cost is modest.

Free Shipping rewards are only available for WooCommerce integration. They do not appear for Easy Digital Downloads.

To configure:

1. Click “Add ways to redeem” and select Free Shipping
2. Set the Points Required
3. Configure Minimum Spent (optional but recommended)
4. Set Coupon Duration
5. Click Save

Why free shipping matters:

• Most shoppers say free shipping influences purchase decisions
• Shipping cost is the #1 reason for cart abandonment (48%)
• Orders with free shipping average 30% higher cart value
• Customers perceive high value in free shipping

Typical Shipping Cost	Suggested Points
$5–7	500–700 points
$8–12	800–1,000 points
$15+	1,200–1,500 points

Managing Redemption Rewards

You can add, edit, disable, or delete redemption rewards at any time. Disabling a reward hides it without removing it, while deleting permanently removes it from the system. This allows you to adjust your rewards strategy over time without disrupting customer balances.

• Adding: Click “Add ways to redeem,” choose a reward type, and configure.
• Editing: Click “Edit” on any reward.
• Disabling: Use the toggle switch to hide a reward without deleting it.
• Deleting: Click the delete icon to remove the reward permanently.
  

Member Points Balance

Each customer has a points balance calculated as:

Current Balance = Earned – Spent – Expired

Points appear in:

• The Rewards Widget
• Order confirmation pages
• Email notifications
• Product page earning notices

Points entry types:

Type	Effect on Balance	Source
earned	Increases	Purchases, signups, reviews, bonuses
spent	Decreases	Redemptions
expired	Decreases	Automatic expiration
revoked	Decreases	Manual admin action, refunds

Admin Points Management

RewardsWP provides comprehensive tools for administrators to view and manage member points. Administrators can view detailed points history, manually adjust balances, and add internal notes for record keeping.

Viewing Points History

To view a member’s points history:

1. Go to RewardsWP » Members
2. Click on a member to open their detail view
3. View the Points section showing:
   • Current balance
   • Total earned
   • Total spent
   • Recent points activity

Manually Adjusting Points

Administrators can manually add or remove points from member accounts.

To adjust a member’s points:

1. Go to RewardsWP » Members
2. Click on the member you want to adjust
3. Click Adjust button
4. In the modal:
   • Select Add points or Deduct points
   • Enter the Points Amount
   • Add an Internal Note (admin only)
5. Click Save

Points on Product Pages

RewardsWP displays a points earning notice on WooCommerce product pages, showing customers how many points they’ll earn for purchasing that product.

Order Confirmation Points Display

After a purchase is completed, RewardsWP displays a compact rewards banner on the WooCommerce order confirmation page. This reinforces value at a key moment and encourages repeat purchases.

Points and Refunds

Refunds are handled automatically to ensure point balances remain accurate. When an order is fully refunded, all points earned from that order are revoked. For partial refunds, points are deducted proportionally while preserving first order bonuses. This ensures fairness while preventing duplicate deductions.

Full Refunds

When an order is fully refunded (status changes to “Refunded”):

1. Points are deducted — All points earned from the purchase are revoked
2. Points entry is created — A “revoked” entry appears in points history

Example:

• Customer earned 500 points from $100 order
• Order is fully refunded
• 500 points are deducted from balance

Partial Refunds

When an order is partially refunded:

1. Points are deducted proportionally
2. First order bonus is NOT deducted (purchase was still made)

Example calculation:

• Original order: $100
• Points earned: 500 (5 pts/$1)
• Refund amount: $25 (25%)
• Points deducted: 500 × 25% = 125 points

The system prevents duplicate deductions, even if refunds are processed in multiple steps.

Email Notifications

RewardsWP includes built in email notifications that can be managed from RewardsWP » Emails. Email notifications keep customers informed about points activity, redemptions, and upcoming expirations.

Points-related emails:

Email	Trigger	Key Content
Points Earned	Points credited to account	Points amount, source, new balance
Reward Redemption	Points redeemed for coupon	Coupon code, reward details, remaining balance
Points Expiring	Points approaching expiration	Days until expiry, points at risk, CTA to redeem

Email merge tags available:

• {points_earned} — Amount of points just earned
• {points_earned_formatted} — “50 Points”
• {current_balance} — Total points balance
• {current_balance_formatted} — “550 Points”
• {currency_singular} — “Point”
• {currency_plural} — “Points”
• {member_name} — Customer’s name
• {coupon_code} — Generated coupon code
• {reward_title} — E.g., “$5 off coupon”

Frequently Asked Questions