Loyalty Points Plugin - Usage Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to use the Loyalty Points plugin for your e-commerce store.

Table of Contents

1. Admin Dashboard Overview
2. Managing Customer Points
3. Managing Member Levels
4. Viewing Transactions
5. Reports and Analytics
6. Customer Experience
7. Checkout Integration

Admin Dashboard Overview

Accessing Loyalty Points

1. Log in to your admin dashboard
2. Click on Loyalty Points in the main navigation
3. You'll see an overview of your loyalty program

Dashboard Widgets

The main dashboard displays:

• Total Customers: Number of customers with points
• Total Points Earned: Lifetime points issued
• Total Points Redeemed: Points used for discounts
• Points in Circulation: Current unredeemed points

Managing Customer Points

Viewing Customer Points

1. Navigate to Loyalty Points > Customer Points
2. View all customers with their:
   • Current balance
   • Lifetime points earned
   • Current member level
   • Last activity date

Searching and Filtering

• Use the search box to find specific customers by name or email
• Filter by member level
• Sort by balance, lifetime points, or activity date

Viewing Customer Details

1. Click on a customer's name to view details
2. See complete information:
   • Current points balance
   • Lifetime points earned
   • Total points redeemed
   • Current member level
   • Transaction history

Adjusting Customer Points

To manually add or deduct points:

1. Navigate to Loyalty Points > Customer Points
2. Find the customer you want to adjust
3. Click Adjust Points button
4. Fill in the adjustment form:
   • Adjustment Type: Add Points or Deduct Points
   • Points Amount: Number of points to add/deduct
   • Note: Reason for adjustment (optional but recommended)
5. Click Save to apply the adjustment

When to Adjust Points

Common reasons for manual adjustments:

• Customer service goodwill gestures
• Correcting errors
• Promotional bonuses
• Resolving disputes

Managing Member Levels

Viewing Member Levels

1. Navigate to Loyalty Points > Member Levels
2. View all configured tiers with their settings

Creating a New Level

1. Click Create button

2. Fill in the level details:

   • Name: Display name (e.g., "Gold Member")
   • Minimum Points: Lifetime points to reach this tier
   • Maximum Points: Upper limit (empty for top tier)
   • Earning Rate: Points multiplier (e.g., 1.5 = 50% bonus)
   • Benefits: List benefits, one per line
   • Status: Enable or disable

3. Click Save to create the level

Editing Member Levels

1. Click on the level name or Edit button
2. Modify the settings as needed
3. Click Save to update

Deleting Member Levels

1. Click the Delete button on the level
2. Confirm the deletion

WARNING

Deleting a level will not affect customers' points, but they may be reassigned to a different tier based on remaining levels.

Best Practices for Member Levels

1. Clear Progression: Make tier thresholds achievable but rewarding
2. Meaningful Benefits: Offer real value at each tier
3. No Gaps: Ensure point ranges don't overlap or have gaps
4. Communication: Clearly display tier benefits to customers

Viewing Transactions

Transaction List

1. Navigate to Loyalty Points > Transactions
2. View all point transactions with:
   • Customer name
   • Transaction type
   • Points amount
   • Description
   • Date/time

Transaction Types

Type	Description
Earned	Points earned from purchases
Redeemed	Points used for discounts
Adjusted	Manual admin adjustments
Reversed	Points taken back from cancelled orders
Expired	Points removed due to expiration
Bonus	Points from activities (registration, reviews, etc.)

Filtering Transactions

• Filter by transaction type
• Filter by date range
• Search by customer name
• Sort by date, amount, or type

Reports and Analytics

Accessing Reports

1. Navigate to Loyalty Points > Reports
2. View comprehensive program analytics

Available Metrics

Overview Statistics:

• Total customers with points
• Total points earned (all time)
• Total points redeemed (all time)
• Points currently in circulation
• Redemption rate percentage
• Average points per customer

Charts and Graphs:

• Points activity over time (last 30 days)
• Points earned vs redeemed comparison
• Member level distribution

Top Customers:

• Customers with highest current balance
• Customers with highest lifetime points
• Most active point redeemers

Recent Activity:

• Latest transactions
• Recent point redemptions
• New member level achievements

Using Reports for Optimization

1. Low Redemption Rate: Consider reminding customers about their points or lowering redemption thresholds
2. High Expiry Rate: Points may be expiring too quickly or customers aren't engaged
3. Few High-Tier Members: Adjust tier thresholds to make progression more achievable

Customer Experience

Customer Dashboard

Customers can access their loyalty points information from their account dashboard:

Dashboard Features:

• Current points balance
• Lifetime points earned
• Current member level with badge
• Benefits of current tier
• Progress to next tier
• Complete transaction history
• How to earn points guide
• How to redeem points guide

Customer Order Detail

After placing an order, customers can see points information:

• Points earned from the order
• Points redeemed (if any)
• Discount applied from points

Product Page Display

On product pages, customers see:

• Points they can earn from purchasing
• Maximum discount available with their points

Checkout Integration

Points Display at Checkout

During checkout, the system displays:

1. Points to Earn: How many points the customer will earn from this order
2. Current Balance: Customer's available points
3. Redemption Option: If customer has points, option to apply them

Redeeming Points

Customers can redeem points at checkout:

1. View available points balance
2. Enter points amount to redeem, or use quick buttons:
   • 25% of available points
   • 50% of available points
   • 75% of available points
   • 100% of available points
3. System validates against:
   • Minimum redeemable points
   • Maximum redeemable points
   • Maximum discount percentage
4. Discount is applied to order total

Order Confirmation

After checkout, the confirmation page shows:

• Points earned from the order
• Points redeemed (if any)
• New points balance

Automatic Processes

Points Earning

Points are automatically awarded when:

• Orders reach eligible status (configurable)
• Customers complete activities (registration, reviews)
• Referred customers make first purchase
• Customer's birthday occurs

Points Reversal

Points are automatically reversed when:

• Orders are cancelled
• Orders are refunded
• Fraudulent activity is detected

Points Expiry

Points expire automatically when:

• Expiry period is configured (not set to 0)
• Points have been held beyond the expiry period
• Laravel scheduler is running

Level Upgrades

Customer tiers are automatically updated when:

• Lifetime points increase past tier thresholds
• Member levels are reconfigured

Email Notifications

The plugin can send notifications for:

• Points earned from orders
• Points about to expire
• Level upgrades
• Promotional point bonuses

Configure email templates in Settings > Email Templates.

Best Practices

For Store Owners

1. Set Appropriate Rates: Balance earning/redemption rates to be attractive but sustainable
2. Communicate Benefits: Display points information prominently
3. Create Urgency: Use expiry periods to encourage redemption
4. Offer Bonus Opportunities: Use bonus points to drive specific behaviors
5. Monitor Analytics: Regularly review reports to optimize the program

For Customer Engagement

1. Welcome Bonus: Offer registration points to encourage sign-ups
2. Review Incentives: Award points for reviews to build social proof
3. Birthday Rewards: Make customers feel special with birthday points
4. Tier Benefits: Create compelling reasons to reach higher tiers
5. Reminder Emails: Notify customers of expiring points

Program Optimization

1. Track Redemption Rate: Healthy programs have 20-40% redemption
2. Monitor Customer Retention: Compare repeat purchase rates
3. Analyze Tier Distribution: Ensure progression is achievable
4. Test Point Values: A/B test different earning/redemption rates
5. Gather Feedback: Ask customers about the program

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Points Not Appearing for Customer

1. Verify customer is logged in
2. Check order has reached eligible status
3. Verify loyalty program is enabled
4. Clear cache if recently configured

Redemption Errors at Checkout

1. Check minimum points requirement
2. Verify maximum discount percentage
3. Ensure customer has sufficient balance
4. Check for JavaScript errors

Member Level Not Updating

1. Tiers are based on lifetime points, not current balance
2. Verify tier thresholds don't overlap
3. Check tier status is enabled
4. Clear cache after configuration changes

For more detailed troubleshooting, see the Troubleshooting section.