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There may be times when you need to add points or reset points balances for many customers at once. For example, you might be launching your loyalty program, moving from another loyalty provider to Smile, or awarding points for historical orders before you started using Smile. Importing a comma-separated values (CSV) file is the most efficient way to update customers’ points balances in bulk. You can import points for all customers at your store, including guest customers. However, this method requires an email address to identify each customer, so it cannot be used for customers without an email on their profile.
Note: If you only need to update a small number of customers, you can adjust points manually by following the instructions to Manually adjust a customer’s points balance.
Important: CSV imports are not reversible. Once you have imported your data, the changes made will be permanent.

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Creating a Smile CSV template

To create a CSV file to adjust points balances, you can:
  • Download Smile’s CSV template:
    • You can download the template directly here.
    • In Smile Admin in the Customers page by clicking Adjust customers > Adjust points totals. From here you can download the sample CSV template.
  • Create your own file using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
  • Export your existing customer list and modify it for import.
    • If you want to export your existing customers in Smile you can follow the instructions here.
Note: Mac Numbers does not export the CSV files correctly. CSV imports will not work using this spreadsheet platform.

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Populating data in the CSV file

To import points balances into Smile, your CSV file must be formatted correctly. Your file must include only the following two column headers:
  • email
  • points
After preparing your template:
  1. Enter each customer’s email address in the email column.
  2. Enter the points balance in the points column. Enter points values without commas (for example, enter 52620 instead of 52,620). Commas can cause the import to fail or the wrong number of points to be imported.
  3. Save the file as a CSV.
Note: CSV imports use email addresses to identify existing customers. Customers without an email can’t be updated via CSV, and rows with an email that doesn’t match an existing customer are skipped. To adjust points for a customer without an email, update their balance manually in Smile Admin or using the Smile loyalty block in Shopify.

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Using the CSV file to adjust customers’ points balance

You can update points balances in two ways:
  • Add points to existing points balances. This allows you to add additional points to customers.
  • Reset points balances to a new value. The replaces the customer points balances to what you have set in the CSV file.
Once your CSV file is ready:
  1. From Smile Admin, go to Customers.
  2. Click Adjust points totals.
  3. Select either Add points to existing customer balances or Reset existing customer balances.
  4. Upload your CSV file.
  5. Enter a Reason for adjustment. This is an internal note that helps you track the import.
  6. Enter a customer facing note, or use our default. Customers will see this note in their points history.
  7. Click Import points.
You can track the import’s progress using the progress bar at the top of the page. When the import is complete, you’ll see a confirmation in the progress bar and receive an email notification.
Note: Adjusting a customer’s points balance can also affect their VIP tier if you have a VIP program that uses points earned as the milestone type. If an adjustment increases their total points earned enough for them to enter a new VIP tier, they will receive that tier’s entry reward. Negative adjustments lower a customer’s points balance, but they don’t reduce their total points earned, so they won’t move a customer to a lower VIP tier.
Important: Customers don’t receive email notifications for CSV imports. The only exception is when:
  • VIP tiers are enabled,
  • VIP emails are turned on, and
  • A customer moves to a higher tier as a result of the import.
In this case, the customer will receive any enabled VIP tier change emails.

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Why did my import fail?

If your import fails, you’ll see an error message in the progress bar at the top of the Customers page. You’ll also receive an email with the same message. Here are the most common errors and how to fix them:
  • Expected the CSV file to contain a column named…: Your file is missing the email or points column header. Make sure both headers are included and spelled correctly.
  • Expected the CSV file to not contain duplicate column names: Your file contains duplicate column headers. Remove any duplicates and try again.
  • CSV file is incorrectly formatted: Some rows can’t be read. Make sure each row contains only an email address and a points value. Points values can’t contain commas.
  • The uploaded file is not a valid CSV: Your file isn’t in CSV format. Save it as a CSV file and upload it again.
  • CSV contains characters with invalid encoding: Your file contains characters that Smile can’t read. Save it in CSV UTF-8 format and upload it again.
Email addresses that don’t match an existing customer won’t cause the import to fail. Those rows are skipped, and the remaining rows are imported.