Reward Pools
Overview
The Loyalty rewards (besides points) are managed by pools in your Loyalty account. You can create as many pools as you like and connect them to your actions and benefits. The reward pools are divided into three types of rewards:
- Cash & Discounts (e.g. $5 off / 5% off), provided as vouchers.
- Service & Gifts (e.g. Free shipping / Branded items), provided as vouchers.
- Exclusive access (e.g. Early access for sale), provided as page URLs.
Please note that you cannot use any existing Emarsys voucher pools for your Loyalty plan. Loyalty reward pools are managed separately and unrelated to Emarsys voucher management.
How can customers see their available rewards?
The rewards earned by the loyalty members are displayed in their Wallet on the Redeem screen. In addition to the already earned rewards, members can also see rewards that are offered for points.
How are the rewards presented to the customer in the Wallet?
Any customer-earned reward is presented in a block with the relevant reward details. The reward block has two possible states:
Reward block before redemption - from the moment the customer earns the reward to the moment they first click the Redeem CTA Button.
The block contains the following:
- Title - the reward name you defined in the reward pool setting - it can be voucher name or exclusive access name or redemption offer title
- Subtitle - here you can see how the reward was earned - it can be the benefit name, the action name, the event action message or the redemption offer text
- CTA button - the CTA text is fixed - appears as "Redeem"
- Icon - the icon you defined for this reward in the reward pool setting (For more information icons, see Loyalty actions.)
- Reward expiry date - the date defined in the reward pool settings (optional)
Event reward block:
Reward block after redemption - from the moment the customer first clicks the Redeem Button to the moment they manually delete the voucher from the Wallet.
The block contains the following:
- Title - the reward or access name you defined in the reward pool settings
- Expiry date - the expiration date you defined for this voucher in the reward pool settings
- CTA button - the CTA text is fixed - "Use" for redeemed vouchers / "Access" for exclusive access rewards
- Icon - the icon you defined for this reward in the reward pool setting
- Delete icon - at the top right corner, the customer can manually remove the reward
Event reward block:
Voucher removal:
How do customers redeem their rewards?
Clicking the Redeem or Access button (after the first click, also the Use button) will expose the voucher code or lead to the exclusive or landing page.
The customer can copy and use the code or access immediately, or at any other time as long as the voucher or access is still valid.
In case there is no voucher expiry date configured, the voucher will stay in the Wallet as long as the customer does not delete it.
If you do not want to expose the code in the Wallet, but only during your checkout, you can use the Loyalty API to get a list of the available vouchers and accesses for a customer. You can implement this GET API call to display the available rewards at the checkout so the customer can choose the most suitable one (low value discount for low value purchases, high value discount for expensive purchases). This way, manual copying of voucher codes can be avoided.
Contact our support team to hide the codes in the Loyalty Wallet, however, applying the API call is your responsibility in your checkout page.
This is how the customers would see the voucher in this case:
This is an example of a checkout implementation with vouchers shown:
How are the rewards removed from the Wallet?
Rewards before redemption will be automatically removed from the wallet in the following cases: |
Rewards after redemption (voucher or exclusive access activated) will be removed from the wallet in the following cases: |
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Rewards for points
Voucher value in points
Points earned from purchases and actions can be redeemed for vouchers and exclusive access. In the second step of setting up a reward pool (Pool values), you are asked to set up the voucher or exclusive access value in points. Additionally, you can set up the redemption offer for the Loyalty members.
If you choose to offer a voucher or access for points, you have to define the number of points required in each tier to earn it. Uniform value settings for all tiers will override individual tier values.
Setting a value in points is not a mandatory requirement. If you decide not to define pool values, you may skip this step and proceed to the next one. You can always define pool value settings later.
You can also set pool values to zero by not activating any of the toggles. The rewards can be redeemed for free in this case.
Different vouchers for different markets
In case you manage multiple markets (multiple countries or websites) you can define the market for a specific voucher. The voucher will only show up in the relevant Wallet as a redemption offer for points. For this to work, you need to add the market parameter to your Wallet implementation.
If you do not manage multiple markets, this field will not be visible for you.
Redemption offer
You also have to define the redemption offer that customers will see in their Wallets. This also controls how the customer is notified about the reward.
The redemption offer is divided into the following parts:
- Redemption message - here you define the title and text for the offer that your customers will see in their Wallet. The text field includes the "value in points" token previously defined for each tier. The redemption message cannot be used as a token in the campaign editors yet.
- Redemption restrictions - here you can select if the redemption offer is automatically displayed to members in their Loyalty Wallet continuously, or if the number of displays and redemption offers should be limited per member. If you select the second option, you have to define how many times each member can redeem a voucher from this pool. After passing this threshold, members will no longer see offers from this pool.
Once the pool is defined and activated, the offer will be available in the member Loyalty Wallets.
You can change the values and message for the offer in real time, even when the pool is connected. You can turn on and off the display of the offer for each tier individually or all together, by switching the toggle button from green to gray.
If the customer does not have enough points to spend, the number of missing points will be displayed in the reward block to incentivize redemption.
Redemption of points is very important to the success of your program as it incentivizes additional purchases and engagement. Make sure to drive your customers for redemption on a regular basis. Use the different channels offered by Emarsys to market your loyalty plan to your contacts. (Email channel, Web channel, SMS channel, Push Messages and CRM Ads)
Voucher pools
Overview
Our system helps you to manage vouchers with pools. When creating voucher pools, you have to upload CSV files containing the codes to fill the pool with vouchers. It is your responsibility to produce, upload and resupply codes, as well as, support the code redemption. You can upload one-time or multi-use codes and set the validity of the vouchers as presented to your customers. When the pool is about to be empty of codes, or codes are about to expire, you will be notified via the notification center in the bottom left of the screen.
Pool settings
The settings of all four types of voucher pools are similar and separated for ease of management.
| Pool values | |
|---|---|
Voucher value in points |
For more information, see the Rewards for points section. |
|
Redemption title and message |
For more information, see the Rewards for points section. |
| Redemption restriction | Control the number of available redemption offers. Vouchers can be single or multi-use. |
|
Redemption targeting |
For more information, see Different vouchers for different markets. |
Upload code list - only CSV files can be uploaded, maximum size per upload is 1 MB. Make sure to upload codes that support the voucher type you set (one-time use / multiple use, total number or redemptions). The codes' expiration date should be in sync with the pool validity you set later.
A sample CSV template:
Upload validation - here you can preview and check the uploaded codes before adding them to the pool.
Since all codes are managed in one bucket, once you add new codes, these will mix with the existing ones and cannot be separated. In the event of a mistake, you will need to deactivate the pool, delete all existing codes and upload new ones.
Codes status - a pool information table with which you can track your uploads and delete existing codes.
It is not possible for customers to earn vouchers (with points or as a fixed benefit) when their validity would be longer than the remaining days from the pool validity. In such a case (towards the end of the pool validity period), the relevant vouchers do not appear as available.
- Voucher is valid for a predetermined date for all customers. For this option, you have to select an expiry date.
Since the Loyalty Wallet is not connected to your checkout, the Wallet does not know if and when the voucher is actually redeemed after the voucher code is exposed. Therefore, the Loyalty add-on cannot automatically delete it after use. Customers can manually delete a voucher after they redeem it in the Wallet.
Alternatively, you can use the API to delete a voucher. For more information, see How do customers redeem their rewards?.
Voucher pool statuses
The following voucher pool statuses are used:
Inactive - the pool settings have not been completed
Ready to connect - the pool is ready to connect to actions and benefits
Connected - the pool is connected to Wallet (redemption offer is active), action or benefit.
Empty - the pool is empty of codes. New codes must be uploaded to reactivate.
Voucher use case
The goal of this use case is to test the effectiveness of your rewards, such as vouchers to win back defecting customers. Your general goal with Loyalty is to decrease the costs of your plan but increase customer interaction and the number of purchases.
Vouchers can be used to motivate members to make purchases and non-members to join the Loyalty plan. One of the goals of the loyalty program is to reduce the amount of vouchers offered to customers and replace it with points or experience (e.g. Exclusive access).
It is worth testing what is the most effective value for vouchers to drive your contacts as vouchers often represent a form of financial obligation (discount, free shipping).
Note that vouchers do not necessarily drive repeated purchases. Points, however, can be redeemed for vouchers. For example, customers could earn points for a purchase, which in turn could be converted to vouchers slightly below the Average Order Value. This way, the customers are motivated to make a second purchase for a greater value than the received voucher.
Prerequisites
Prepare the following elements in advance, so you can quickly select these in your Automation Center program, which is the backbone of your campaign.
Create a Smart Insight segment to search for your Defecting customers. Use the Customer lifecycle stage filter. Use it in the Target segment start node of the Automation Center program.
Split your contacts according to their Loyalty membership. Use the Filter switch action node. If not already prepared for you during the Loyalty onboarding, create a relational segment for this with the template Loyalty members - all.
Follow the steps in Creating Loyalty segments to create your segment.
Create a voucher pool as one of the rewards to be tested. For more information, see Voucher Pools.
If you want to offer a greater reward for non-members to motivate them to join, create another pool with a more valuable reward.
Create your Purchase actions. Through these actions, your customers will only receive their rewards if they make a purchase.
You will need a purchase action for each type of reward offered (bonus points vs vouchers in this case). However, one purchase action can offer different rewards for each tier and non-members.
Create your campaign emails with the Visual Content Editor and add your Loyalty tokens. For more information on using the Loyalty Tokens, see Using emails with Loyalty tokens.
Automation center program
The following Automation Center program example shows a scenario to win back defecting customers. Additionally, you can use it as a test to see if your contacts prefer to earn Loyalty points or vouchers as rewards. This can serve as a basis for further tests to finetune your rewards for the maximum effectiveness.
1. Using your Target segment entry node with a Smart Insight segment , filter for your defecting customers.
2. After grouping your contacts according their Loyalty membership status (relational segment), divide them further by using A/B Splitter action nodes. Set a ratio of 33%/33%/34% (or equal proportions depending on the number of reward types). One third of each group will receive vouchers, one third will receive point multipliers, and the last third will receive bonus points.
By previously dividing them into non-member and member groups, you will also see which reward types motivate more contacts to join your Loyalty program.
3. Add send email nodes to each of your test groups. Select the relevant campaigns for your target groups, which should contain the token for the purchase actions with discount voucher and bonus point rewards.
4. Add a wait period of a couple of days after sending each email. Use the Wait action node.
5. Further split your contacts by using again the Filter switch action node with the previously created Defecting Customer Smart Insight segment filter. This way, you will see who made a purchase due to the received message and rewards.
6. Do not forget to finish each of your branches in your program with a finish node.
After launching the program, you can check the number of contacts passing through in each node by checking the Automation Center Program Summary and Program Reporting.
Based on this information, you can check which reward was the most cost-effective to motivate your contacts to purchase.
This pattern of Automation Center program (comparing rewards with increasing value) can be used for different scenarios to optimize your costs.
Voucher FAQ
When should I use multiple use codes?
You can use multiple use codes for fixed benefits (e.g. free shipping on every purchase). You can also offer multiple use rewards for points for a limited period of time (e.g. get free shipping for 3 months for 1000 points)
What happens if a redeemable voucher is displayed in the customer's Wallet but the pool is empty of codes?
If the code is not yet exposed to the customer, and the customer tries to redeem it, an error message is shown indeed instead of the code, saying that the voucher is not available. Once you upload new codes to the pool, the code in the Wallet will be available again.
I created a voucher pool for points which is shown in the Wallet. I want to stop showing it anymore in the Wallet. How can I do that?
- Go to the voucher pool you want to disable.
- Go to Pool Values of the voucher pool. The green toggle switch shows the tiers for which the voucher pool is active.
- Toggle the switch for each tier, where you want to disable distribution in the Wallet.
- Click save.
- Check the Wallet. The voucher will not be shown anymore.
I set my Voucher expiration as date X (for example: 2020-07-10). However, the contacts who should have gotten the vouchers on this day did not get them. The voucher pool shows that the pool is inactive for that day. What is the explanation for this?
The expiration date you enter in the pool setting always refers to the time 00:00:00. If you set it to 2020-07-10, the voucher gets invalid right at the change of date from 2020-07-09 to 2020-07-10.
If you want the voucher to be valid for the whole day on the 10th, set the voucher expiration to 2020-07-11.
I cannot modify an action, as every field is greyed out in Pool Settings. How can I edit the action again?
In Plan Settings, your plan is in Edit next version mode. Set your plan to Live version to enable further editing of rewards.
We strongly recommend that you do not use any vouchers outside of your Loyalty plan, to focus the strategic investment of your discounts.
