Tier Configuration

Overview

This page explains how to configure individual VIP tiers, including qualifications that customers must meet and benefits they receive when entering a tier.

Tier Settings

Tier Title

The name of your customer tier.

Guidelines:

• Clear hierarchy (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum)
• Reflects value level (Starter, Pro, Elite, VIP)
• Consistent naming theme across all tiers
• Customer-facing (if tier is visible)

Common Naming Schemes:

Theme	Example Tiers
Metals	Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum
Levels	Level 1 → Level 2 → Level 3 → Level 4
Status	Member → VIP → Elite → Icon
Journey	Explorer → Adventurer → Champion → Legend

Tier Icon

Visual representation of the tier.

Configuration:

• Upload custom icon or use default
• Displays in customer-facing interfaces (if visible)
• Helps customers quickly identify their tier
• Should visually communicate tier hierarchy

Best Practices:

• Use consistent icon style across all tiers
• Higher tiers use more premium/elaborate icons
• Keep icons simple and recognizable
• Consider mobile display size

Tier Visibility

Control whether customers can see this tier.

Visible (Default):

• Customers see tier name, icon, and benefits
• Tier appears in tier progression display
• Customers can track their status
• Transparent tier system

Hidden:

• Tier operates in the background
• Customers don't see tier name or icon
• Benefits still apply automatically
• Qualifications are still evaluated

Use Cases for Hidden Tiers:

• Internal testing before public launch
• Special VIP tiers for select customers
• Temporary promotional tiers
• Gradual tier rollout

Enable/Disable

Toggle individual tiers on or off without affecting others.

When Enabled:

• Tier participates in customer evaluation
• Benefits and qualifications are active
• Appears in analytics

When Disabled:

• Tier is skipped during evaluation
• Customers in this tier are reassigned
• Hidden from customer interfaces

Use Case: Temporarily disable a tier during restructuring without deleting it.

Qualifications

Define the criteria customers must meet to enter a tier. All enabled qualifications must be met for a customer to qualify.

Customer Tag or Segment

Require customers to have a specific Shopify tag or belong to a Shopify customer segment.

Configuration:

• Select "Tag" or "Segment"
• Choose specific tag or segment from Shopify
• Customer must have the tag or be in the segment to qualify

Use Cases:

• Require email subscription (tag: "email_subscriber")
• Target specific customer groups (segment: "High AOV customers")
• Require participation in programs (tag: "rewards_member")

Example:

Qualification: Customer Tag
Tag: "email_subscriber"

Customer must be tagged "email_subscriber" in Shopify to qualify.

Shopify Tags and Segments

Customer tags and segments are managed in Shopify admin > Customers. Learn more in Shopify's documentation.

Large Order

Require customers to complete at least one order above a specific amount.

Configuration:

• Set minimum order amount (e.g., $500)
• Customer must have completed at least one order at or above this amount
• Checks historical orders

Use Cases:

• Reward high-value single purchases
• Identify customers willing to make large investments
• Create exclusive tier for big spenders

Example:

Qualification: Large Order
Minimum Amount: $500

Customer must have completed at least one order of $500 or more
to qualify for this tier.

Order Volume

Require customers to spend a minimum total amount within a specific time period.

Configuration:

• Set minimum total amount (e.g., $1,000)
• Set time period in days (e.g., 90 days)
• System checks total spending in rolling time window

Use Cases:

• Reward consistent spending over time
• Identify active, engaged customers
• Encourage repeat purchases

Example:

Qualification: Order Volume
Minimum Amount: $1,000
Time Period: 90 days

Customer must have spent at least $1,000 in the last 90 days
to qualify. This is a rolling window that updates daily.

Rolling Window:

Today is Day 100
System checks orders from Day 10 to Day 100 (last 90 days)
Customer's total spending in that window must be ≥ $1,000

Recommended Time Periods by Business Type:

Business Type	Recommended Window	Example
High-Frequency (Coffee, Snacks)	30 days	Customers shop multiple times per month
Medium-Frequency (Clothing, Beauty)	90 days	Customers shop every few months
Low-Frequency (Furniture, Electronics)	180-365 days	Customers shop infrequently

Total Lifetime Points Earned

Require customers to have earned a minimum number of points in their lifetime.

Configuration:

• Set minimum lifetime points (e.g., 5,000 points)
• Tracks total points earned across all time
• Does not include bonus points from tiers

Use Cases:

• Reward long-term engagement
• Recognize loyal customers
• Create progression based on program participation

Example:

Qualification: Total Lifetime Points Earned
Minimum Points: 5,000

Customer must have earned at least 5,000 points total across their
entire history with your store to qualify.

Important Notes:

• Counts all points earned from earning rules
• Includes points from orders, signups, social media, etc.
• Does not include tier bonus points
• Never decreases (even if points are spent)

Multiple Qualifications

You can enable multiple qualifications per tier. All enabled qualifications must be met.

Example:

Gold Tier Qualifications (ALL must be met):
✓ Customer Tag: "email_subscriber"
✓ Order Volume: $500 in last 90 days
✓ Total Lifetime Points: 5,000 points

Customer must meet ALL THREE to qualify for Gold tier.

If they meet 2 out of 3 → Does NOT qualify
If they meet 3 out of 3 → Qualifies ✓

Strategic Use:

• Combine short-term activity (order volume) with long-term loyalty (lifetime points)
• Require marketing opt-in (tag/segment) plus spending
• Ensure customers are both historically loyal AND currently active

Benefits

Define what customers receive when they enter and maintain a tier.

Customer Tag

Automatically apply a Shopify customer tag.

Configuration:

• Specify tag name (e.g., "gold_tier", "vip_customer")
• Tag is applied when customer enters tier
• Tag is removed when customer loses tier

Use Cases:

• Trigger Shopify Flow automations
• Target with email campaigns
• Create segment-specific discounts
• Integration with other apps

Example:

Benefit: Customer Tag
Tag: "gold_tier"

When customer enters Gold tier → Tag "gold_tier" is added
When customer leaves Gold tier → Tag "gold_tier" is removed

Point Multiplier

Multiply all point earnings by a specified factor.

Configuration:

• Set multiplier value (e.g., 1.5× or 2×)
• Applies to all point-earning activities
• Active while customer maintains tier
• Removed when customer loses tier

How It Works:

Standard Earning: 10 points per $1 spent
Gold Tier Multiplier: 1.5×

Order Value: $100
Base Points: 1,000 points (10 × 100)
Multiplier Applied: 1,500 points (1,000 × 1.5)

Customer earns 1,500 points instead of 1,000 points

Use Cases:

• Reward high-tier customers with faster earning
• Incentivize tier progression
• Increase engagement at higher tiers
• Differentiate tier value

Important Notes:

• Applies to ALL earning rules (orders, signups, social media, etc.)
• Reflected in transaction history
• Removed immediately upon tier loss
• Does not apply retroactively to already-earned points

Economic Considerations:

Gold Tier: 1.5× multiplier
Average Gold customer spending: $200/month
Base earning: 2,000 points/month
With multiplier: 3,000 points/month
Extra cost to you: 1,000 points/month per Gold customer

Monitor average earnings per tier and adjust if needed.

Bonus Points

Award a one-time point bonus when customer enters tier.

Configuration:

• Set bonus point amount (e.g., 500 points)
• Awarded immediately when tier is reached
• Only awarded once per customer per tier
• Not removed if customer loses tier

One-Time Award:

Customer enters Gold tier for first time → 500 bonus points awarded
Customer drops to Silver tier → Bonus points remain
Customer re-enters Gold tier → No bonus points (already awarded once)

Use Cases:

• Welcome reward for reaching new tier
• Immediate value recognition
• Encourage tier achievement
• Celebrate milestones

Multiple Benefits

You can enable multiple benefits per tier. All enabled benefits are applied.

Example:

Gold Tier Benefits:
✓ Customer Tag: "gold_tier"
✓ Point Multiplier: 1.5×
✓ Bonus Points: 500 points (once)

When customer enters Gold tier:
- Tag "gold_tier" is applied
- All point earnings multiplied by 1.5×
- 500 bonus points added to balance (first time only)

Setup Process

Step 1: Navigate to VIP Tiers

1. Open Keystone Loyalty Rewards app
2. Navigate to Loyalty Program > VIP Tiers
3. Ensure Enable VIP Tiers Program is ON
4. Click Create Tier

Step 2: Configure Basic Details

Field	Description
Title	Tier name (e.g., "Bronze", "Silver", "Gold")
Icon	Upload custom icon or use default
Visible to Customers	Toggle ON (recommended)

Step 3: Set Qualifications

Choose qualification types and set thresholds:

Option 1: Entry Tier (No Qualifications)

• Don't enable any qualifications
• All customers automatically qualify
• Use as default/starting tier

Option 2: Qualified Tier

• Enable one or more qualifications:
  • Customer Tag/Segment
  • Large Order (set minimum amount)
  • Order Volume (set amount and days)
  • Total Lifetime Points (set minimum)

Remember: All enabled qualifications must be met.

Step 4: Set Benefits

Enable and configure benefits:

• Customer Tag: Specify tag name
• Point Multiplier: Set multiplier (e.g., 1.5)
• Bonus Points: Set one-time point award

Step 5: Save and Enable

1. Review all settings
2. Toggle Enable Tier to ON
3. Click Save Tier
4. Tier is now active

Step 6: Set Tier Order

After creating all tiers:

1. Navigate to VIP Tiers main page
2. Drag and drop tiers to order from lowest to highest
3. Click Save Order
4. System automatically syncs customers after 5 minutes

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Entry Tier

Bronze Tier:

• Title: "Bronze"
• Icon: Bronze badge
• Visible: Yes
• Qualifications: None (everyone qualifies)
• Benefits: None or minimal (1.1× multiplier)

Purpose: Default tier for all customers

Example 2: Engagement Tier

Silver Tier:

• Title: "Silver"
• Icon: Silver badge
• Visible: Yes
• Qualifications:
  • Total Lifetime Points: 3,000 points
• Benefits:
  • Point Multiplier: 1.25×
  • Bonus Points: 300 points

Purpose: Reward program engagement

Example 3: Spending Tier

Gold Tier:

• Title: "Gold"
• Icon: Gold badge
• Visible: Yes
• Qualifications:
  • Order Volume: $1,000 in 90 days
  • Total Lifetime Points: 7,500 points
• Benefits:
  • Customer Tag: "gold_tier"
  • Point Multiplier: 1.5×
  • Bonus Points: 750 points

Purpose: Reward active, high-value customers

Example 4: Exclusive VIP Tier

Platinum Tier:

• Title: "Platinum"
• Icon: Platinum badge
• Visible: Yes
• Qualifications:
  • Large Order: $2,000
  • Order Volume: $3,000 in 90 days
  • Total Lifetime Points: 20,000 points
  • Customer Tag: "email_subscriber"
• Benefits:
  • Customer Tag: "platinum_vip"
  • Point Multiplier: 2×
  • Bonus Points: 2,000 points

Purpose: Recognize top customers with comprehensive requirements

Best Practices

1. Design Clear Progression

Create obvious steps between tiers:

Good Progression:

Bronze: Entry tier (no requirements)
Silver: 2,000 lifetime points
Gold: 5,000 lifetime points + $500 in 90 days
Platinum: 10,000 lifetime points + $1,500 in 90 days

Too Similar:

Bronze: 2,000 lifetime points
Silver: 2,100 lifetime points ← Only 100 point difference

Guidelines:

• 2-3× difference between tier requirements
• Clear, memorable thresholds
• Progressive difficulty

2. Balance Benefits with Costs

Higher tiers should provide meaningful value without excessive cost:

Monitor:

• Point multipliers impact your economics
• Higher tiers earn points faster (compounding effect)
• Bonus points are one-time cost

3. Use Entry Tier for All Customers

Create a no-requirement entry tier:

Benefits:

• Every customer belongs to a tier
• Clear starting point
• Foundation for progression
• No customers feel excluded

4. Combine Lifetime and Recent Activity

Use both long-term and short-term qualifications:

Example:

Platinum Tier:
- Lifetime points: 15,000 (long-term loyalty)
- Order volume: $1,000 in 90 days (recent activity)

Ensures customers are both historically loyal AND currently active.

5. Make Top Tier Achievable

Don't make highest tier impossible:

Too Difficult:

Platinum: 1,000,000 lifetime points, $50,000 in 30 days
(Almost no customers will reach this)

Achievable:

Platinum: 20,000 lifetime points, $2,500 in 90 days
(Top 5% of customers can reach this)

6. Test Before Launch

Test tier configuration before enabling:

1. Set up tiers with qualifications
2. Keep tiers disabled or hidden
3. Check analytics after auto-sync
4. Review tier distribution
5. Adjust qualifications if needed
6. Enable and make visible when ready

Related Pages

• VIP Tiers Overview - Introduction and concepts
• Tier Management - Managing and syncing tiers
• Analytics - Tier performance and statistics

Summary

Tier configuration is where you define the structure of your tier program. By carefully setting qualifications that customers must meet and benefits they receive, you create a progression system that motivates engagement and rewards loyalty. Use multiple qualifications to ensure tier members are truly engaged, and balance benefits to provide value while maintaining program economics.