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Earning rules: Ways customers can earn points

Learn about the different earning rules you can add to your points program.

Updated today

Smile’s earning rules let you decide how customers can earn points in your loyalty program. These rules help you reward the behaviors that matter most to your brand — from making purchases to engaging on social media. By setting up a mix of earning rules, you can encourage repeat purchases, boost engagement, and keep customers excited to interact with your store.

Feature availability:

✅ The specific earning rules available to you may vary depending on your plan and integrations. You can view the full list of available options directly in your Smile Admin.

Common types of earning rules


Below are the main categories and examples of earning rules you can configure in Smile.

Purchase actions


Encourage repeat spending by rewarding customers for placing orders.

  • Place an order — earn points per dollar spent.

Engagement actions


Reward customers for connecting with your brand and celebrating milestones.

  • Create an account (sign up)

    • On Shopify, sign-up points are only available if you’re using legacy customer accounts. If you’re using new customer accounts, you can’t currently add sign-up points to your loyalty program.

  • Celebrate a birthday

Social actions


Grow your audience by rewarding customers for interacting on social media.

  • Facebook Like

  • Facebook Share

  • Instagram Follow

  • X (Twitter) Follow

  • X (Twitter) Share

  • TikTok Follow

Feedback and advocacy


Motivate customers to share their experiences and promote your brand.

  • Product review — reward customers for leaving a review.

✅ Awarding points for a review is available on Starter, Growth, Plus, and Enterprise plans and requires a review integration.

Shopify Flow actions


Automate bonus point rewards based on custom triggers in your Shopify store.

With Smile, you can use Shopify Flow to trigger the awarding of points within Smile. This lets you reward customers for specific behaviors or milestones beyond your standard earning rules.

Examples include awarding bonus points for:

  • Orders over a certain amount

  • Specific high-value products

  • Repeat purchases

✅ Rewarding with Shopify Flow is available on Starter, Growth, Plus, and Enterprise plans and requires the Shopify Flow integration.

Custom activities


If you’re on the Plus or Enterprise plan, your developer can create custom earning rules for almost any activity you can track — such as:

  • Signing up for a newsletter

  • Viewing a specific page

  • Watching a video

Custom activities are available on Plus and Enterprise plans only.

ℹ️ Note: Creating custom actions requires access to your store’s code and development knowledge. For setup details, see our article on custom activity types.

Why earning rules matter


Earning rules form the foundation of your loyalty program. They help you:

  • Reward behaviors that drive growth

  • Build engagement beyond purchases

  • Encourage advocacy and sharing

  • Personalize the customer experience

By aligning your earning rules with your business goals, you can create a loyalty program that feels both rewarding and authentic to your brand.

Summary


Smile’s earning rules are designed to be flexible, customizable, and easy to manage.

Your Smile Admin is always the most accurate source for the current list of earning options.

These rules help you reward customers in ways that fit your brand — and keep them coming back to shop, engage, and share.

Tip: For more information on setting up your earning rules, check out our guide on configuring ways to earn points.

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