Points Campaign Types
Grocery and retail operators run three types of commercial actions with points simultaneously — and each requires a different campaign mechanic:
| Offer type | Who it targets | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Base loyalty promotions | All enrolled customers | Automatic at checkout. Base earn rates, cart thresholds, category multipliers. |
| Club rewards | Loyalty members only | Automatic for enrolled customers. Tier-based multipliers, member-exclusive bonuses. |
| Personalized rewards | A specific audience segment | Delivered via targeted campaigns. Birthday bonuses, win-back events, behavioral triggers. |
Loyal Guru's points engine runs all three simultaneously. Every campaign is evaluated in real time at checkout — or triggered by a behavioral event — and the balance is credited to the customer's wallet instantly.
Four effect mechanics cover the full range of earn-and-burn use cases. All can be combined with product scope, customer conditions, and event types:
| Effect | What it awards | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio | N points per €1 spent | Base earn rate — "2 points per euro spent on any purchase" |
| Direct Value | Fixed points or wallet amount | Welcome bonus, birthday gift, manual grant, trigger reward |
| Percentage | % of qualifying cart or line value | Category multiplier — "5% extra on electronics" |
| Combo Price | Fixed bundle price for a set of cart items | Cross-category bundle with a wallet credit component |
Bundles in Points campaigns
Points campaigns use the same bundle model as Discounts: victory conditions define the items or quantities that make the customer qualify, and application conditions define the lines that receive the points or wallet effect. This lets operators award points per complete group, not just per individual line.
For example, a campaign can require "1 snack + 1 drink" as the victory group and award wallet credit only on the drink line. If the cart contains two complete groups, the effect can apply twice unless the Limit of effects caps it.
For the full conceptual explanation, see Discount Types. The mechanics are shared across Discounts and Points; Points only changes the benefit from a price reduction to points or wallet balance.
Earning methods: Points vs Money Wallet
All campaign effects work with both earning methods. The earning method (accrual_mode) is a company-level setting that controls how the balance is expressed to the customer:
| Method | Balance display | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Points | "250 pts" | Traditional loyalty programs with a branded currency |
| Money wallet | "€3.20" | Grocery and supermarket programs — balance feels like savings |
The same campaigns, API endpoints, and limits work for both methods. The difference is only in how values are expressed and displayed.
For the full technical detail on accrual_mode, exchange rates, and switching between methods, see Earning Methods.
Effect mechanics in detail
Ratio — points per euro
Award N points per €1 (or local currency unit) of qualifying spend. The most common mechanic for base earn rates.
- Applied to: Cart events
- Example: 2 pts/€1 → a €50 cart = 100 pts
- Configurable at product, category, or cart level
Direct Value — fixed award
Award a flat number of points or a fixed wallet amount, regardless of purchase value. Used for non-transactional rewards and manual grants.
- Applied to: Cart, Custom event, Trigger, Direct assignment
- Examples: 500 pts for app download; €5 wallet credit for first purchase; birthday bonus
Percentage — proportional earn
Award points equal to a percentage of the qualifying cart or line value. Produces variable awards that scale with purchase size.
- Applied to: Cart, Custom event
- Example: 5% on electronics → a €100 electronics line = 5 pts (or €5)
- Useful for category-specific multipliers or cart-level bonuses
Configuration
The effect type is selected in the Promotion Effects section of the campaign creation form.
For the full step-by-step guide, see Create a Points Campaign.