Introduction
As a business owner, establishing a VIP Tier system can be a game-changer for customer engagement and loyalty.
In this article, we will guide you through a step-by-step process of creating a well-structured VIP Tier system that meets your particular business needs.
Whether you want to reward your customers with exclusive discounts, access to early releases, or exceptional customer service, this article will give you a comprehensive understanding of how to set up VIP Tiers in TrustWILL Loyalty.
Walkthrough Video
Editing VIP Tiers
Upon opening the VIP Program, you will notice that there are already three tiers configured: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. If you wish to make changes to these tiers, simply follow the steps below:
Go to Program > VIP.
Click Edit on the tier you'd like to configure.
1. Tier Name
Let's start by naming your tier. Although Bronze, Silver, and Gold are pre-set names, you can choose any name you like. It's crucial to select a catchy name for your tier.
For inspiration, take a look at Starbucks (Starbucks Rewards), Sephora (Beauty Insider), and KFC (Beauty Squad). Even though they are large established brands, studying how they've structured and designed their programs will be beneficial in creating yours.
2. Goal to Achieve Tier
When setting up a tiered loyalty program, you need to define the requirements customers must meet to unlock each tier.
These requirements can be based on:
Total points earned
Total amount spent
Number of orders placed
Setting clear goals for each tier helps customers see their progress and feel motivated to reach the next level.
This gamified experience can effectively increase customer engagement and loyalty to your store.
3. Special Points Earning Rewards Rules
One of the easiest ways to differentiate your VIP tiers is with the number of points customers can earn at each level. This type of reward is often referred to as a special reward and awards a different number of points per dollar spent to every VIP tier.
If you're running a 3-tiered VIP program, your base rewards could be set up as follows:
Bronze, Silver, and Gold
Bronze (Tier 1) — 100 points per dollar spent
Silver (Tier 2) — 200 points per dollar spent
Gold (Tier 3) — 500 points per dollar spent
📝 Tips:
When the customer places an order, points will be obtained according to the earning rules set by the customer's current VIP tier.
Let's say you set your general order reward rule to earn 10 points for every $1 spent.
But Bronze members earn 100 points for every $1 spent:
As a result, members who have reached the Bronze level will earn 100 points for every dollar spent, instead of 10 points.
4. Rewards to Unlock
In this section, you can create exclusive rewards that customers can unlock after reaching a specific tier.
This feature allows you to surprise and delight your customers, making them feel special and appreciated, while also incentivizing them to continue engaging with your business to unlock even more rewards.
Types of VIP Tier Rewards to Unlock include:
Amount Discount: Add a fixed coupon off an order or specific collection.Percentage Off: Add a percentage off coupon to an order or specific collectionFree Shipping: Offer a coupon for free shippingFree Product: Select a product from your store to offer for freeProvide customized perks reward: Add a description to showcase any additional rewards.
5. Custom Icon
Custom icons help create a visual distinction between your VIP tiers and reinforce your brand identity. These icons appear throughout the customer experience to represent each tier level.
To add a custom icon:
Add your image file to the icon container.
Click Save when prompted.
Icon Design Best Practices:
Use a consistent design style across all tier icons
Create visual hierarchy (e.g., bronze → silver → gold progression)
Ensure icons are recognizable at small sizes
Match your brand colors and aesthetic
Consider using symbols that represent increasing value or status
💡 Pro Tip: We recommend PNG, JPG, JPEG, SVG, GIF or WebP images with dimensions of 100x100 pixels for optimal display quality.
6. Adding VIP Tiers
Go to Program > VIP > VIP tier.
Under the VIP tier section, click Add VIP Tier.
Enter a unique name for the new tier.
Specify the achievement threshold for the tier. Depending on your program configuration, this could be points earned, total amount spent, or number of orders placed.
Click Save.
📝 Note: The system will automatically place your new tier in the right sequence, according to the achievement threshold you've specified.
7. Deleting a VIP Tier
Go to Program > VIP > VIP tier
Click Delete on the tier and follow the prompts to complete the process.
📝 Note: Previously issued rewards from this tier will remain available to customers who have already unlocked them.
Common Questions
Can I set VIP tiers based on spend / points?
Yes. Go to Program > VIP > Settings > Entry Method > Edit to configure how customers qualify for VIP tiers.
You can set tiers based on:
Total amount spent
Points earned
Number of orders placed
Note:
Please deactivate your VIP program before making any changes. This ensures the system can properly recalculate customer tier statuses based on the updated rules.
Can VIP membership expire or renew automatically?
Yes. You can control how VIP tiers behave over time using milestone settings:
Lifetime — Customers keep their VIP status permanently once qualified
Calendar-based (e.g., yearly) — VIP tiers reset after a set period, and customers need to requalify
This helps you decide whether your VIP program is long-term or renewal-based.
Can I manually adjust/remove customers from VIP tiers?
Yes. TrustWILL Loyalty gives you both direct control and rule-based automation, depending on your needs.
To manually update a customer’s VIP tier:
Go to Customers > Select a customer > VIP section > Edit, then assign them to a different tier.
Alternatively, you can manage tiers indirectly by:
Adjusting customer points to change their eligibility
Updating tier rules or thresholds, which will automatically recalculate customer tiers
Can VIP tiers be calculated based on historical orders?
Yes, VIP tiers can be calculated based on customers’ historical orders.
To enable this, you can use the Reward Past Orders feature to sync previous order data from Shopify into TrustWILL Loyalty. Once the historical data is successfully synced, the system will automatically:
Calculate each customer’s total spend or points earned
Assign the appropriate VIP tier based on your configured rules
Important notes:
Running the Reward Past Orders feature will consume your order usage quota
Please ensure you have sufficient quota to cover all historical orders before proceeding
If you need help setting this up, feel free to reach out to our support team.