At Smile, we want every merchant to experience the value of building customer loyalty. That’s why we offer a Free plan designed to help you get started quickly with key loyalty features, so you can grow at your own pace.
What’s included in the Free plan?
The Free plan gives you access to the core features you need to launch a successful loyalty program:
✅ Points program setup — reward customers for actions like purchases or social sharing.
✅ Referral program — let your customers share your store with friends and earn rewards.
✅ Full branding control — customize your program’s appearance to match your brand.
✅ Dedicated loyalty page — showcase your program in one easy-to-find location for customers.
✅ Available in 20 languages — reach your customers in the language they prefer.
Is the Free plan a trial?
No — the Free plan is not a trial. It doesn’t expire after a set period of time, and you can stay on it as long as your store has 200 orders or fewer per month.
When you first install Smile, you’ll have your first month to explore the Free plan without being asked to upgrade — even if you go over 200 orders in that time. This lets you try Smile risk-free and see how it fits your business. However, this isn’t a time-limited trial — it’s the same Free plan you can continue using if you stay under the order limit.
Order limits on the Free plan
The Free plan is designed for stores with up to 200 orders per month.
If your store has 200 orders or fewer, you can stay on the Free plan indefinitely.
If your store has more than 200 orders, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to continue managing your loyalty program after your first month or if your store reaches this threshold later on.
For more details on how order limits work and what happens if you exceed them, see: Understand order limits.
When does the monthly order count start?
Your monthly order count begins tracking when you install Smile. This count is calculated independently of whether your loyalty program has launched.
Learn more about how orders are counted in this article.
When should I upgrade to a paid plan?
You will need to upgrade after your first month on Free if you pass the 200 orders/month threshold during that time. But you may also choose to upgrade sooner if you want features like:
Advanced rewards (VIP tiers, custom actions, and points expiry).
Integrations including email marketing and review rewards.
Embedded content (such as Loyalty Hub or redeeming points at checkout).
Bonus events (e.g. 2x points weekend).
For a full breakdown of everything included in Smile’s paid plans, see: Smile paid plan advantages.
Switching plans
At any time, from your Smile Admin billing page, you can select a paid plan that fits your needs. Billing begins once you upgrade. To learn more about switching plans or managing your billing, see: Managing your plan.
✅ Tip: The Free plan is ideal for testing, learning, and growing. Use it to find what works best for your customers. Once you’re consistently near or exceeding 200 orders per month — or need more advanced features — upgrading makes sense.