Introduction
This article will provide the steps on how to configure participation in your program - which will allow all customers (including customers who do not have accounts) to earn points on their orders, refer their friends to your store, and earn VIP perks.
✅ These features are only available for merchants on Shopify and Wix
📝 This feature does not apply to Shopify POS
Overview
How to turn on program participation for customers without accounts
Step 1: Log in to Smile Admin. Head over to Settings > Program Participants
Step 2: Select 'All customers'
How program participation works for customers without accounts
Allowing program participation without requiring a customer account can expand the reach of your program. Here is how this works for your Points, Rewards, Referral and VIP programs.
Points
All customers on your store will start earning points on orders, even those who do not create an account with an email and password. They will receive a points earned email. (The layout can be viewed here.)
Customers will need to create an account to be able to redeem their points and earn other points that are only available through the panel
Referrals
All customers on your store will have a unique referral link they can share with their friends.
If a customer does not have an account at your store, they will receive an on-site message on the order 'thank you' page with their referral link to share.
VIP
When you first turn program participation on to include all customers and your program has VIP enabled, a VIP recalculation will happen, and all of these customers without existing accounts will be placed into VIP tiers. They will not receive entry rewards or emails on this initial placement.
Guest customers will continue to earn any entry rewards and be sent any emails you have enabled as they move up tiers (after the initial placement).
✅ VIP is available on the Growth plan and up!
All third-party integrations with earning rules will also now work with guests.
For example:
If your store has an integration with a review platform like Judge.me, guests will now be able to earn points for leaving reviews even if they don't have an account
How to disable program participation for customers without accounts
Step 1: Log in to Smile admin. Head over to Settings > Program Participation
Step 2: Select 'Only customers who have a store account'
Step 3: Click 'Save'
⚠️ Warning: If you disable all customer participation, customers without accounts will no longer earn points on orders, their referral links will show as expired, and they will lose their VIP placement. Any previously earned rewards or points will remain in their account for the customer to use.